Adapting Your Paintball Game to the Weather
There are many variables that may affect your paintball game. Your health, your focus, and other players can all change how well you play. The weather is also an important aspect to consider. AC Paintball is located in southern New Jersey, which means the weather changes often. If you are planning to play at our facility, you will definitely want to check the weather beforehand. Then you will want to plan for your game accordingly with these tips.
Clothing
Temperature
The first way you will need to prepare is deciding what to wear. This step is important to ensure that you are comfortable and safe while playing on AC Paintball’s fields. Consider the temperature when deciding how much length and how many layers you will need. In the fall you will want long sleeves and maybe a few layers. This will also give you more protection when getting hit so it doesn’t hurt as much. Yet, you will not want so many layers that it is difficult to move.
When summer comes around you will want to wear shorts and a T-shirt. If you are new to paintball, however, you may want to consider longer, but light material so you have some more cover. Padding can also be helpful.
Precipitation
For rainy days, consider a poncho or full rain gear to keep dry. Playing in wet clothing isn’t the most comfortable. You may also want to bring extra clothing to change into on rainy days. You will also want shoes with good traction to prevent slipping and falling. For the most part, clothing is a matter of preference, but you will want to make sure you are prepared.
Equipment
Marker
If you pick a rainy day at AC Paintball, you will want to keep everything as dry as possible. You will need to keep the inside of the marker completely dry. If water gets into the gun, it could ruin the accuracy, velocity, and range. Wrapping cling wrap around the barrel may help if your marker doesn’t have a lot of porting. Make sure the gun is dry before applying. You should also carefully dry your equipment between each game.
In the rain, you should opt for a hopper with a lid rather than one with speed feed. However, if your marker does not have one you can improvise my making a cover out of the bag your paintballs came in. Be sure to inspect your marker for any other gaps or openings that water can get into. Some openings are there for a reason, though, so use your common sense when covering your marker. Having a roll of cloth hockey tape or vinyl electrical tape on hand is a good idea. You can add some under the grips of your marker to make sure it is sealed.
Goggles
When the air is humid, you should be ready for your goggles to fog up. If it’s not too humid you may only have to deal with some light condensation on the outside of your mask. However, in bad conditions, water will build up on the inside and make difficult to see. The best thing you can do to prevent this issue it to make sure your mask fits properly. You will also want to make sure it is properly sealed. Many AC Paintball players also use a coating of anti-fog solution, or a goggle fan to help fight fogging.
Paintballs
You will also need to keep your ammunition dry. Paintballs begin to dissolve in water. It only takes a single drop to cause the paintball to soften. If one gets too wet it will lose its shape and become useless. The change of shape will affect how the paintball leaves the gun and flies through the air. Putting wet paintballs in your gun can also cause damage to the parts. Be sure to keep your ammo covered on rainy days at AC Paintball.
Play
When you play in the southern New Jersey heat, be sure to be ready for the sun to take a lot out of you. Try to pace yourself and conserve some energy at the beginning of your AC Paintball session. This way you will still have energy for your last game. The cold can also take energy from you and make it difficult to focus. Try to put a song in your head or use a mantra to keep yourself going.
The rain will make it slippery and make it tricky to quickly take cover. Be careful and move more slowly so you don’t fall or slide past your bunker. It is comical to watch your opponents slip and slide, but remember to focus on your own footing. Playing in the rain is not necessarily a disadvantage; you just have to change your play and plan each move.
Strategy
Finally, you need to learn to use the elements to your advantage. If you play with experienced players, you may notice them getting closer to their target. This is because paintball markers are less accurate in the rain. You should follow their example, reduce your shooting distance to improve your precision. You may also want to buy some extra ammo from AC Paintball to ensure you don’t run out. Try not to get too frustrated and just play to your best ability.
