2. Is it safe?
3. Doesn't it hurt when you get shot?
5. What kind of Paintball Field should I look for?
7. What safety equipment do I need?
9. Do I need to be physically fit to play?
10. Can I get the paint out of my clothes?
11. Do I have to make reservations for a large group?
12. Can you repair my broken Paintball gun?
1. What is paintball?
Paintball is a game where chidren and adults can play equally. Each player has a gun that fires gelatin capsules filled with a water-soluble marking dye. If you're shot and marked, you're out of the game and have to wait until the next one starts. The most common variation is two teams at opposite ends of a 5+ acre section of terrain, each with a flag hung at 'home base.' The object is to go get the other team's flag and bring it back to your base. When you encounter people on the other team, you try to tag them out before they get you. Pretty simple and lots of fun.
2. Is it safe?
Like all action sports (football, basket ball, etc.) paintball is very dangerous unless adequate protection is worn and safety rules understood and followed. Most paintball guns shoot a .689 caliber paint pellet. The pellet is a thin plastic shell filled with a water soluble paint. Guns shoot the pellets at a speed of 200 to 300 feet per second. Since the paint pellets are fairly light (only weighing a few grams each), they have little momentum while in flight, and thus are not lethal like the heavy lead projectiles fired from conventional firearms. In addition to using a non-lethal projectile, paintball players *always* wear protective goggles to protect their eyes and usually wear masks covering the rest of their face as well. Safety is highly stressed at most fields. Many fields require goggles be worn at all times unless in designated areas. Many fields also require that barrel cover (cover that prevent projectiles from leaving your gun's barrel), or barrel socks be used while players are in certain areas. Ignoring safety is a good way to get yourself ejected from a field.
3. Doesn't it hurt when you get shot?
The paint pellets break open upon impact, and generally cause very little pain. What pain is experienced is more of a stinging sensation from the pellet's impact against the skin or through clothing. In my experience, the stinging pain goes away after a few seconds. Of course, the closer you are to the end of the marker, the higher the velocity of the pellet when it hits you. Thus, more pain may be experienced when shot at close range rather than farther away. In general, one can count on coming off the field with a few welts from paintball impacts, but your most annoying injuries are more likely to be scrapes and bruises from the local terrain. Additional padding is optional and we rent this gear or you can bring what you think is necessary.
4. Do I have to be on a team?
You don't have to have an organized team or go to an organized field in order to play. Come out to our field and join up with the rest of the paintball players. At least 80% of players are new and have never played before.
5. What kind of Paintball Field should I look for?
For the first few games you should play on a well organized field. Size is not the best way to judge the field. The things to watch for are the number of referees on the field for each game and the explanation of the rules. The rules of safety and specific rules for the field/game should be clearly stated by a referee before anyone steps foot on the field to play.
6. What do I need to bring?
Most people come out and play in regular everyday "loose" clothing. You may consider wearing a long sleeve shirt and baggy pants to minimize the impact of the paintall on your skin, but you not required to bring anything else to play with us. And camo is not a necessity considering most fields are man made.
7. What safety equipment do I need?
The minimum safety equipment necessary is goggles, facemask with eye and ear protection. Although you can wear chest covers and protective cups if you feel more comfortable. We suggest a long sleeve shirt and pants for you first time but addtional clothing is your option and can be purchased or rented at our facility.
First and foremost, you should always wear ALL of the recommended safety gear. This includes goggles and a facemask: you can’t be too careful with your eyes and face. You should also opt for long-sleeved clothing, closed-toed shoes or boots, gloves, and proper padding. The more of your body that can be covered, the less chance you’ll have of bruising or cutting yourself. Again: it’ll be more fun this way because you can play longer without worrying about doing something that will take you out of commission for the rest of the afternoon.
The object of paintball is to hit other people – not be hit. With this in mind, pay careful attention to your surroundings, and make good use of any obstacles or barricades the range owners have placed in your path. The less often you are hit, the more fun you’ll have. The idea is to win, right? Go win.
8. How can I play safe?
Do not shoot animals or wildlife. Do not fire your paintgun anywhere except on the field during the game or in the designated chronograph area/shooting range. Inspect the lens of your goggles for cracks or signs of weakness. Make sure your mask is well seated and will not come off during the game. Make sure the velocity of your paint gun is below 300 feet per second. Always assume the gun is loaded; even if you know otherwise. Always assume safety devices won't work. Unload the gun when not in use. Upon receiving or retrieving a gun check if it's loaded.
Anytime you are carrying a paint gun in a 'safe zone' such as the parking lot or staging area where people are not wearing goggles, you MUST have a barrel sleeve over the barrel. Know the rules of the game and abide by them. Never remove facemask's or goggles while on the field. Do not play when very tired or hungry. Bring food or money to buy food from field. Most injuries occur at the end of the day when players are exhausted. NEVER look down the barrel. Not even with protection. If barrel needs checking remove from the gun and check. If the barrel cannot be removed, disconnect all CO2/CA equipment, test fire the gun downrange until no more gas is left in the gun, clear the breech or ball loading area, and then, carefully and while wearing goggles, glance down the barrel. Notify the field owner or manager of any medical conditions, allergies etc.
9.Do I need to be physically fit to play?
Not really, but it will help. As with all strenuous exercise participants should stretch and warm up before playing. Since typical games require quick sprints followed by a rest having good an-aerobic fitness is beneficial. Players should gauge their play to their level of fitness. All players in poor physical condition or with physically limiting conditions should consult a physician before playing. Proper footwear is very important. Some players find that lightweight canvas topped army boots or leather work boots protect feet and ankles in the woods. Other players prefer the support that sneakers give as paintball does involve running. Personal preferences vary, but footwear should not be overlooked.
10.Can I get the paint out of my clothes?
Paint is water soluble and should wash out as normal.
11. Do I have to make reservations for large groups?
Reservations are never mandatory and you can always show up as walk-on play with a group any weekend. It is suggested to make reservations to guarantee equipment, especially during the busy season (Winter).
12. Can you repair my broken Paintball gun?
At this time we only have the resources and time to repair paintball markers that were purchased from the Play Extreme Sports Store. If you did buy your gun form a different retail outlet, we suggest taking it to them for repair.
Click the image to view CO2 Safety
