Paintball is one of the most fun ‘extreme’ sports that you can get into these days. Some people may be a bit intimidated by paintball at first, but it’s really not hard to get into the fun. If you follow the tips and instructions below, you will soon be having a blast in the exciting world of paintball!
1. Understanding Paintball: Think Capture the Flag – With Guns!
It is easy to think that paintball is a complex game if you’ve seen it on TV or in videos. It really isn’t.
Paintball is really Capture the Flag, with a few differences. There are two teams at the opposite sides of a field of play. Both of the teams attempt to grab the other team’s flag and carry it back to where their own flag is. And you want to do this without getting ‘marked’ with a paintball. When you are ‘marked,’ it means that the paintball hit you and broke. A ‘bounce’ without a break of the ball does not count. If the ball hits you anywhere and leaves a paint mark, you are knocked out of the game.
There are other versions of paintball, as well. One of them is the very popular Center Flag variant. In this version, there is just one flag, and it is situated in the middle of the playing space. Both teams are attempting to grab that flag and carry it across the field of play to the starting place of the opposing team. Another option is to just play Elimination, where each person is on his or her own and tries to ‘kill’ everyone else.
Whatever variation of the game you play, you can play in the woods or on a more open style of playing area. There also are commercial fields where you can pay to play.
2. Purchasing Your Starter Paintball Equipment
paintball pack
When you go shopping for your paintball gear, you will probably see a number of ‘player packs.’ This is a convenient way for you to buy everything you need to get started in one easy kit. What is in the pack will vary, but usually it includes a marker (the gun), a tank, goggles and a hopper. Like with everything, you get what you pay for. You need to ensure that the equipment you purchase is durable, easy to use and offers acceptable performance.
A typical entry-level pack will run about $100-150. The gun in this kit will be semi-automatic. This means that the gun will shoot one paintball every time you pull the trigger. You will not need to cock the gun before firing.
The goggles that you purchase in your kit are very important. The goggles in the kit will be safe and comfortable, as all paintball goggles must meet the same safety standards. Mainly, you are looking for a comfortable pair of goggles that look ok on you.
The pack also will have a C02 tank, which is what powers your gun. The tank can be refilled at any paintball field. A hopper, or loader, is on top of your gun and loads the paintballs into your gun. Usually the hopper will hold 40-100 paintballs.
3. Choose Your Paintballs
Paintballs are not sold in the starter packages. Paintballs are both perishable and fragile, so they need to be packaged and handled separately. You will observe all sorts of brands, prices and colors when you shop. Make sure you choose a fun color! It does not matter a bit what the color is, so be creative.
The quality of your paintballs is a factor, however. Paintballs have a cornstarch based shell, or one made from gelatin. Shell quality varies depending on price. It affects your accuracy, and cheaper balls can have an unfortunate tendency to break in your barrel and make a mess. Cheaper paintballs also have a tendency to dimple a bit when they are pushed together. This can cause your accuracy to degrade, too. Generally, try to buy good quality paintballs, because you will be at a disadvantage if your paintballs don’t shoot straight.
4. Choose What You Wear
For the first time, wear some old clothes that won’t break your heart if they get filthy! The paintballs are not so much the issue; the paint is made from vegetable oil and food coloring and won’t stain your clothes. But you’ll get filthy from rolling around in the woods for most of the day.
If you like playing in the woods, eventually you’ll want to purchase camouflage clothing. You want your clothes to be light in weight, because you will be running a good deal.
If you decide to play on a flat, manicured paintball course, you will not need camouflage. People who play on these courses often opt for a paintball jersey that resembles a biker or motorcross jersey.
5. Decide Where to Play
Paintball is a very flexible game; you can play with your friends and family on your own property. Or, you can pay to play on a commercial field and have fun with the new challenges of specially designed obstacles, cover and terrain. Safety is always paramount: No matter where you play, make sure you wear your goggles.
You should be able to find some local commercial paintball fields in your Yellow Pages. You will need to pay about $15 per person to play all day long. Some of these facilities require you to use their paintballs to play, so check in advance. Also, they may charge you about $3 to fill your CO2 tank.
Conclusion
Paintball is a great deal of fun for all ages of player. Over 12 million people currently play paintball around the world. Follow the steps above and become one of them!