While practicing Paintball for the 1st time, customers frequently ask, “How bad does Paintball hurt.” They show deep concern about the hurt caused by the balls and what can be the level and intensity of this hurt. It is normal to have this concern mainly for two reasons:
- When using professional and real weapons, the first thing that comes to everyone’s mind is that this must hurt a lot.
- Brides and grooms who come to do their bachelor parties are worried that the paintballs will leave bruises on their legs or arms, which can be seen at their wedding.
The basic concept of the Paintball is to shoot paintballs using Air Guns at a speed of 350km/h. Commonsensically, it hurts when it comes into contact with a person, causing visible small or large bruises. Contingent with the daintiness of the covering, the ball can hurt less or more. It is like pitching an egg. It will not hurt if the shell is fragile.
However, in the case of a hard shell, it can hurt to a great extent. Paintball balls act similarly; if the casing is fragile, the hurting will be minimal. However, in the case of a fragile casing, there are increased chances of breaking it inside the magazine or marker.
The first thing to make clear is that Paintball can hurt, at least a little. It does not usually hurt much, though, and what we feel if we are shot from too close is like a slight sting that lasts about 10 seconds.
A few hits can hurt occasionally. However, the pain intensity varies from situation to situation. Paintball balls are sure to hurt when the required standards and safety measures are not followed while shooting. If the players obey the rules, they can enjoy the game without any unpleasant incidents.
How bad does Paintball hurt?
Although most smashes are insignificant, paintballs can sometimes cause welts and bruises. Gravity is dependent on the travel distance of the ball. If we shoot someone very close, the ball travels much less space, and the speed is more significant than if we were shooting from a further distance.
The ball loses strength during its travel path when shooting from long distances. If a paintball ball hits you from a legal distance, you will notice a minor insignificant hit that will not leave a trace on your skin and will quickly fade.
For this reason, you must comply with the safety regulations and the recommendations of the monitor in charge.
Do Paintball Hurts? Do They Bruise?
The paintballs come out at great speed because the fun part is precisely being able to shoot at distant targets; on the other hand, you have to respect a minimum safety distance of 8 meters since, within that distance, the balls do hurt if they hit you in one place unprotected.
In summary, the first thing is to be well equipped with all the appropriate protections (jumpsuit, bib, collar, gloves, and mask), and the second is to respect the safety regulations and the regulatory distance. With these two things, the balls hardly hurt, and we can play with realism without suffering damage.
What to wear to Paintball, so it doesn’t hurt?
Two of the basic materials that cannot be missing when practicing Paintball are the jumpsuit and the protective mask. We recommend that you dress in sportswear and use it under the overalls to get greater protection when you receive an impact. Also, wear shoes that you feel comfortable in, protect you from possible balls on your feet, and allow you to move comfortably and quickly around the battlefield.
Read Our Article: What To Wear For Paintball
Hiking boots are ideal, but not everyone has one at home. Don’t worry; any of your sneakers do the job perfectly.
How painful is Paintball?
If a paintball hits your skin, it may hurt. The consequences can further worsen if the paintballs bounce off instead of breaking. It occurs when a participant decides to roll up the sleeves of the Paintball suit to feel more comfortable. It would be best if you didn’t do it since you leave your arms exposed to possible impacts.
If a ball hits your unprotected arm, it can cause significant damage. The best way to avoid it is by complying with the safety regulations of the activity.
The unprotected hands are more sensitive to impacts. Although this pain doesn’t last long, usually, it can be pretty intense for some time. The neck area can be protected by wearing an inside-turned-out hat or a neck gaiter.
It is standard in Paintball that you wear a protective helmet to keep your head and face protected at all times. Although it is forbidden to shoot at the head, there is a possibility that some aimless ball could hit you. If you do not wear a protective helmet, you may suffer significant damage if this is the case. The impact of balls from poorly calibrated markers hurts even more.
The most common cause of bruising comes from balls coming from poorly calibrated markers. A poorly calibrated marker could cause the Paintball to travel too fast and do more damage.
Ensure that the marker is calibrated correctly to prevent it from shooting balls over 90 meters per second. This maximum speed is generally applied to Paintball tournaments. At the same time, in “amateur fields,” they usually have a speed of between 70 and 80 meters per second to avoid causing damage to the participants.
This speed is measured thanks to a radar that consists of two lights or lasers that detect the time it takes for the ball to pass from the first to the second laser. In this way, the distance per second that the ball travels can be calculated naturally.
The general rule of thumb is never to shoot a player closer than 6 meters to you. The reason for this is quite simple; the ball has more time to slow down if it stays longer in the air. If you hit someone less than 6 meters, you can cause them much pain. Paintball is a game, and its purpose is playful, not harmful.
GOTCHA BRUISES
Many customers ask us about paintball bruises. Although it is true that respecting the safety distance, we do not usually get bruises; there are times when in the game you are so involved in the game that you do not realize how close your teammates are, and you shoot without thinking. Although this is not serious and can be removed simply by applying a little ice, it can cause three types of damage:
- A few superficial bruises or unimportant bruises, especially in the softest parts of the body.
- Bruises from very immediate impacts. This is very rare, and monitors must ensure that you comply with the security regulations so that it does not happen.
Sometimes when we run straight ahead with our heads down, a ball can hit us in the middle of the head, in the part that does not cover the mask. These impacts can hurt a little more and can be a bit more cumbersome because sometimes they can make you bleed, although it is very infrequent.
HOW TO REMOVE GOTCHA BRUISES
Gotcha bruises are nothing more than blood that accumulates in a specific area after a substantial impact on the skin when some capillaries break.
Most of them occur in areas of the body, but if it occurs in the face (something unusual for always wearing a mask) or the swelling and pain are very significant, you should visit a doctor.
Most bruises involve minor swelling and slight pain in the first few minutes and go away on their own within a few days. Some very intense ones can last from 10 to 15 days, but the usual thing is that they disappear before.
It is not possible to get rid of these bruises rapidly. However, we can speed up the healing by applying ice to the infected area during the next two days, besides washing it several times in case of an injury. It reduces the blood flow by closing the capillaries and, thus, reduces the bruise.
Another remedy is raising the affected area above your heart level to reduce the flow of blood to that area.
PAINTBALL BEATS
While playing Paintball, the blows we give ourselves can also cause pain. There can be two types of blows, and the first ones are caused by the impact of balls on our bodies. In comparison, the second type is caused by our collisions against the parapet and other obstacles.
These blows do not hurt much, however, and are merely the adrenaline rush caused by the excitement of the game.
The reality is that Paintball is one of the sports with the lowest rate of accidents and one of the safest. Statistics indicate that accidents and injuries have a minimal incidence compared to other sports. So don’t be afraid; most customers tell us it hurts much less when they finish playing than they thought.
Have fun by playing smart
As a general rule, observing basic rules for playing Paintball and wearing numerous layers should ensure your safety besides minimizing the risk of causing bruises. In fact, the adrenaline rush inside us is the main reason for forgetting these rules, which makes us excited and react before thinking. Hence, follow the safety measures and observe the rules for maximum fun and enjoyment while playing.
FAQs
Conclusion
Paintball is an adventurous sport and quite enjoyable if proper precautions and safety measures are taken. It can become dangerous to use sub-standard equipment and avoid protective gear. Moreover, according to the legal restriction, kids aged 14-15 must be accompanied by their guardians. However, the law has been softened for youngsters aged 16-18. Rest assured, the paint is a mere solution that is non-toxic and non-contaminated, without any fear of infection or staining.
