COMMUNITY

What is paintball?

Paintball can be a number of different games, but they all have a few things in common. They're all so much fun, they're addictive and they're all an adrenaline rush. It can be compared to a more challenging, high-stakes game of tag, hide-and-seek, or capture the flag and there are endless variations on how the games can be played. Of course, you're "tagging" people with a marker (paintball gun) that shoots paintballs (just like giant vitamin E tablets with washable poster paint in them). At a park they'll have refs that explain the rules so you don't need to figure it out yourself unless you want to.

How safe is paintball?

This might be a surprise, but based on NEISS government studies, Paintball is the safest sport around. Less than one in 4000 people playing paintball ends up having to go to the doctor in a year due to a paintball related injury, compared to over 100 injured in baseball. Most of the injuries that do occur in paintball are because of people playing with friends somewhere other than a paintball park. When you're at a paintball park, you have rules that are enforced by trained refs as well as top notch safety gear. At a park all the markers (paintball guns) are typically chronographed to make sure they aren't shooting hot, or in other words, shooting the paintballs too fast. Often when people aren't playing at a park, rules aren't enforced and paintballs are moving much faster then they need to be, causing more pain than needed. The Neiss study includes injuries like sprained ankles from running around in the brush and heat stroke, by far the most common injuries in paintball. Bottom line, if you play at a park and observe the rules, paintball is very safe as far as sports go.

What kind of safety equipment should I have?

If you're playing at a paintball park, they'll have all the safety equipment you need which really just consists of a mask that covers your face and ears and a barrel plug or barrel sock. These are the most important pieces of safety gear and the only pieces required. That's all the average paintballer uses, but there is additional gear you can add based on how concerned you are about the sting of a paintball hit. You can add more protection like a neck protector, gloves, body armor, knee protectors, etc. Most parks have everything you could need available for rent or purchase.

How bad does it hurt when you get hit?

It doesn't, it feels great, like a little massage. Just kidding! It really varies, but typically people compare it to getting snapped with a towel like back in gym class. Sometimes you won't even feel it and the ref will call you out. Sometimes it can hurt for a bit and leave a welt and bruise. If you want an even better idea, check out the article Painless Paintball with the pain calculator.

Who can play?

Pretty much anyone over 10 years old. You may be surprised to know that just about everyone plays paintball; it's not just extreme sport adrenaline junkies. That's actually one of the cool things about paintball, it's really something the whole family can enjoy and really compete against each other with. You may be a big guy that's out of shape, but you can still beat a young kid with way too much energy because strategy can be very effective in paintball. Women and girls find they have a great time and can still compete and win against tougher boys and men. You can choose to be aggressive or be more like a sniper and pick off those that come into your line of fire. There's a place for everyone in paintball which is what's made it the fastest growing sport in the world.

How good of shape should I be in to play?

It really doesn't matter. I remember when I was a kid at our local recreation center learning to play racquetball. There was an old, huge, overweight guy that would come and just stand in the center of the glass challenge court waiting for some unsuspecting, cocky young kid to come in and challenge him. He would barely move during the game and he'd have his component running like mad, always on the defensive and typically losing very quickly. Paintball is like that. No matter what kind of shape you're in, you can have a great time, even if you lose.

Should I be on a team?

No, not unless you want to be. Being a tourney or tournament player is really quite a different type of paintball than just being a recball or recreational player. Some people prefer one over the other and some like both. But you certainly don't need to be on a team to have fun. If you think you'd like to try paintball at the next level, try out a tournament and see what you think.

How much is it?

Typically you'll pay about $20. to $40. to play at a park. It can end up being more or less depending upon things like the type of gun you're using, is it pump, semi-automatic, etc. How much paint do you shoot? Are you renting or do you have your own equipment? Parks make their money differently as well. Some charge a higher fee for admission to the park and have reasonable paint costs. Some charge a lower amount to get in and then a fortune for paint. Some include air and some charge you every time you need a fill, which can add up fast. Make sure you take everything into account when you're comparing costs.

Why should I pay to play at a park?

If you just play out in the woods with your friends because you've bought a cool marker (paintball gun) at the sporting goods store and the "bucket-o-paint", it's pretty cheap, but there are trade-offs. The biggest one being safety since you don't have experienced, trained refs. Then there's the pain! Playing with friends in the woods typically means everyone is cranking up the power on their gun and shooting you numerous times at close range. That often takes a lot of fun out of paintball and replaces it with pain. Moving down the list, cheap markers and cheap paint combine to take a lot of the fun out of the experience as you end up with everything from balls exploding in your gun so you're constantly cleaning it, to wasting paint that rolls out your barrel, to your gun jamming or breaking or just missing everything you aim at because cheap paint doesn't shoot straight and the balls often don't break. This is why people play at a real paintball park and pay about $20. to $40. to play there. At a park you have refs that walk all the fields and remove hazards, check everyone's gun to make sure they're shooting at safe speeds, make sure everyone has safety masks and barrel socks or plugs, etc, etc. That alone is probably worth the cost, but there are a lot more reasons. Great fields are a big one which gives you all kinds of variety and makes every game different and exciting. Most parks have an Air Smith on site that can refill your air whenever you need it and service or fix a marker so you don't miss out on playtime. If you're using their paint, it's typically far superior to the cheap stuff you buy at a basic sporting goods store and fresher which makes a big difference. Good paint is well worth the extra cost as it shoots straight, doesn't break in your barrel and does break when it hits someone. You also often have a lot of other nice benefits like restrooms, snack bars, clean up areas, staging areas, not to mention a variety of people to play with.

Isn't paintball a pretty messy sport?

That would depend on how good you are. Seriously it's not all that messy, but depending on what types of fields you're playing, you can get pretty dirty, but that's part of the fun. You want to wear cloths appropriate to getting paint on them, even though it is all washable so it shouldn't stain. You'll likely get dirtier from sliding on the ground or digging in at a bunker than you will by getting hit with a paintball. Regardless, you'll be having so much fun, you not only won't be worried about getting dirty, you'll look back on getting dirty as part of the fun of the whole experience.

How can I find out more about paintball?

There are all kinds of resources, especially on the internet. There are forums, blogs, magazines, newsletters and the list goes on and on. Once you enter the world of paintball, you'll be amazed at how many people are involved and it won't surprise you that it's the fastest growing sport in the world.

Can I wear glasses and play paintball?

Sure, glasses normally will fit comfortably under your safety mask, however, you do want to make sure before you go in to play. If they don't fit well there are often other types of masks that can be tried that will better accommodate glasses.

What should I wear?

Best to wear layers that cover your skin, that way if you get warm you can shed some layers and still not have bare skin exposed. Paintball is a bad time to decide to show off your awesome physique. You may be sliding, rolling, or getting hit by a paintball and you'll have more fun if you're not exposing bare skin. You may even want to use a pair of old garden gloves or some oversize coveralls. There are also items like neck guards, gloves, coveralls, etc. available at the parks.