Paintballing: A Safe Extreme Sport?

Paintball is considered an extreme sport and shares many similarities with others in this category. But despite its combat format and use of weapons, it’s much safer than many “extreme” alternatives.

When “extreme sports” comes to mind, you tend to think of skateboarding, BMXing, surfing and sports of a similar nature. These sports are renowned for big stunts and painful injuries, or “bails”. Paintball, on the other hand – despite the battlefield setting and scenarios – is safer and more closely monitored than many other extreme sports.

Here at GO Paintball London, our top priority is the safety of our players. As an extreme sport, we believe that Paintballing is one of the safest out there. Here are a few reasons why:

Expertly Designed Maps

At GO Paintball London, we have five huge maps for our players to explore, all of which are designed meticulously to provide the ultimate paintballing experience. Although we strive to create authentic and engaging combat environments, the safety of our players comes above all else.

Our paintball battlefield is regularly maintained to prevent injury caused by any human-made objects, as well as any natural hazards that could cause an accident (fallen down trees, holes, etc.).

Protective Gear

A paintball mask is an iconic representation of the sport, even more so than the gun in some ways. This is not only because of how awesome the masks look, but because without one, you won’t be playing. None of our players step foot onto the battlefield without a protective mask on. Gloves can also be purchased on the day to provide some extra protection and keep that trigger finger safe!

Other extreme sports advise the use of helmets, elbow and knee pads, but it’s not enforced unless it’s in a skatepark with specific safety rules. It's led to many head injuries due to lack of protective equipment, a common injury that continues to plague the extreme sports world.

Injuries can happen in everyday life, so naturally, the occasional bump and bruise will occur during a game of paintball. With that said, we always do our utmost to protect our players from aspects of the game that we can control, such as the impact of paintballs.

Paintballing for Kids?

Here at GO Paintball London, we believe that paintballing is a sport that everyone should try at least once. Despite being a combat-based activity, it is no way exclusive to adults. Our customised weaponry makes sure that paintballing for kids is as safe as possible. Firing projectiles with a lot less force means that the only purpose of a shot is to mark an enemy player, not hurt them.

The fact that paintball is safe to play for a broad range of age groups makes it ideal for a variety of occasions. Paintballing birthday parties, stag dos and corporate days out are just a few of the ways in which the sport can be incorporated into a group activity. Although paintball is competitive and combative in nature, the entire experience is a fantastic way to bring a group together for a memorable experience.

Extreme sports and adventure activities such as paintball are amongst the most popular activities in the world. Many are dangerous due to their stunt-like nature, but paintball’s controlled environment and regularly checked equipment is what makes it one of the safest extreme sports you can take part in.