I am seriously considering buying kneepads and a tailbone pad, because those are the main areas that I have fallen on. However, my two coaches disagree with each other on their value. I have done some research (on this forum) and it seems like the gel pads would be best, but there are those who swear by volleyball pads or even cut-up foam rubber.

What do you think?

1) Yes, pads are great and have saved my ...! OR

2) No, you will become too dependant on them and won't be able to skate without them.

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I consider them a friend and those pads have saved my tailbone and hips many times. However, my coaches wouldn't allow me to wear them.... so I would say that my crash pad is the friend with the "bad influence..."

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jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
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Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

I wear knee and elbow pads religiously. Without them, I'd be very, very broken by now.

Broken so badly I wouldn't be able to skate. Broken bone bad.

I don't feel naked without them though. I've even forgotten to wear them sometimes and didn't notice until afterwards. Good thing I didn't take a hard fall.

But I'll never, never practice without them - if I remember.

BTW, what's "BFF" in the poll?

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Bill Schneider

"BFF" is "Best Friends Forever". See for example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nIUcRJX9-o

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I bought crash pads to work on my jumps. I'm not willing to skate fast into my jumps and I was hoping these would trick me into thinking falling is safe.

I've been able to add a little bit of speed, but not much.
And I haven't fallen on them yet. Which is one of my issues with skating- I'm not willing to fall, even with the pads on...

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
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That is exactly what I want them for. Well, that, and back crossovers (I've fallen on my kneecap way too often due to my blades getting tangled).

Like you, I have issues with speed going into jumps, and without the flow my jumps are pitiful.

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I never skate without my gel knee pads. Too much damage already. As a coach, I take the opposite view to Jazzpants' coaches. I advise all my adult students to get the inexpensive bicycle pull on knee pads, but I do leave it up to the individual. I know two adults who have broken their knee caps, who well might have been spared had they simply worn the $5 pads. Kids can take a lot more abuse than adults, and also do not have to go out and earn a living. I frankly do not understand a coach telling an adult student that she or he should not wear protective padding. That is a personal decision.

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I completely agree. There's a difference between getting hurt, as some kids often complain of, and getting injured, which is much more likely with adult skaters. Adults tend to be much more aware of the risk and consequences of injury sustained through the physical demands of skating. To deny them the use of protective padding, at least during practice, is ridiculous.

My coach lets that be my decision, since I have had a back injury (not skating related). but, she did say that when we start working on the flip and lutz she would like me to wear them "for a bit at the beginning" and I'm cool with that.

After all, a 46-year-old body doesn't land quite the same as a much younger one (less bounce, much less bounce-back)

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

I put "foe", since, unless you have very thin pads, you can't wear them for test or competition, and this could be problematic. Coach1 says that he lets his skaters wear them, because sooner or later you find out that you always fall on the one bit of you that isn't padded.... and even Husband has now stopped padding his arm for free skating, although if he were to get his loop elbow back, this would probably change.

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Mrs Redboots
~~~~~~~~
I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

I wore the $5 pads for testing. I took an old pair of tights and cut them to make covers because I wore a dress to test. Now I do have the very thin SkatingSafe pads. So true that you fall on the one unpadded bit! DH and I were assisting with a show, and DH forgot to put on his knee pads. Don't you know, a kid ran right in front of him and he fell on his knees.

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I wore pads for MITF testing, too - and am very glad I did, as I went down hard on my knees during the warmup! It was a hard fall even with the skatingsafe kneepads, can't imagine without.

For regular practice, I wear home-cut thicker pads made of Akton gel (stuff that skatingsafe kneepads are made of).

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--renatele

Best friends! I kept re-injuring the wrist until i discovered wrist guards and then the same thing can be said for my butt... My hip was starting to kill me! Fortunately, I don't feel a psychological dependence on them. I skate just as easily without. I only wear them when I'm practising separate elements anyway. But then I don't have a problem with the pain OR fear of falling, I love skating so much I forget all about it out on the ice, I actually had problems with very specific *injuries* exactly because I was too absorbed by it.

I've gone down hard on my knees in the gel pads, and it was like falling on pillows.

I wore them religiously while I was learning the sal and toe loop, but now I'm relatively comfy with them. I should start again now I'm working on loop and flip.

My issue with them is I sweat under them and they slip down, if I wear two pairs of tights to hold them I feel my movement is restricted. I made cotton covers for them to put under my tights but that slips more than bare pads. Still working on the perfect solution.

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It's all about the dress!

Whereas I have found that a bit of sweat keeps mine in place, so I moisten them before putting them on. Have you tried two sided tape? Maybe just a bit at the top would do the trick.

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I have yet to were crash pads when I skate other than one elbow pad for 2 months just after beginning to learn to figure skating 8 weeks after breaking my left elbow before getting lessons. I'll get crash pads when I start working on the Axel and relearn the 2 Salchow before that it's not really worth it to me. How do I know? I didn't fall much on jumps until I started playing around with the Axel and 2 Salchow before my 2005 work place injuries. I'm just trying to get over my fear deep in my subconscience that is messing with my loop, flip, lutz and backspin. I'm wondering if my subconscience is trying to protect me from getting to the Axel and 2 Sal when I use to fall quite a bit? I have herniated discs in my upper back.

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I use crash pads (hips and butt) and volleyball knee pads, and I love them. Frankly, they don't make me any less timid (which I'd hoped they'd do), but I do know that when I fall, it doesn't hurt as much. When I land on my knees, it's like landing on a pillow. The only problem with the kneepads is that sometimes I feel like they bump into each other when I'm working on back crossovers. Other than that, they're great.

I don't wear them too often any more, but sometimes I do for 2axels. I use a sleeve from my doctor with Akton padding on my elbow, and padded shorts by Twizzles for my hip/but. However, sometime I take one of the pads out of the shorts and just stick it on my hip when I don't want to wear them for the whole time. One of the seams on the pocket that holds the hip pad was starting to come undone, so it's easy to just slip it in and out.

Back like 4 years ago, I got pretty attached to my kneepad, but now I rarely fall on my knees.

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You can safely switch from the bulky volleyball knee pads to the thinner bike knee pads and not have any problems on B crossovers.

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I use the gel pads for hips. Only use them for jumps, they are thin and I will most likely use them for competition.

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You guys are awesome; thanks for all the well-reasoned responses!

I am going to call Skating Safe tomorrow and order some gel knee pads, then tell everyone at my rink that they better watch out 'cause I will be fearlessly flying through the air! Well, at least getting more than 3 inches off the ice.

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http://www.swizzlesandtwizzles.blogspot.com

I'm thinking my injury (lower herniated disc, now repaired) is causing me to be more "cautious" in my skating; however, I only wear pads occasionally. My problem is lack of confidence. No pad can help that.

Swizzler, they are helpful at the beginning if they help you gain "air time" so go for it!

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

Don't use them. I still believe in learning to fall gently:

http://www.geocities.com/grunes/falling.html

But I do use long sleeves and long pants, often nice thick sweat pants and shirts, which are pretty close to using padding, and also stop abrasion.

As with anything athletic, falling gently takes serious practice time to create new safe reflexes that replace the old dangerous ones, and once in a while something simple may take you by surprise (in my case, blade guards I forgot to take off), and you will fall a little harder than practiced. There is nothing wrong with wearing what makes you feel safe. Some skaters avoid them for performance, so they can look thin.

I bought a pair of knee pads from a dance shop - they were considered hip-hop pads. I feel naked without them. They took awhile for me to get used to bending my knees while wearing them.

The big problem I have is they are bulky, and I don't wear them if I am going to do a show. I have been considering getting the skating safe pads - those are the ones you can wear under tights without them being too noticeable, right?

Are you talking about those gel pads with a plastic exterior? The thing about those pads is they slip, a lot. The package says to wear them under 2 pairs of tights but that still doesn't fully solve the problem. I have the ones for knees but rarely use them, b/c not only do you have to keep stopping to push them up, as the pad conforms to your knee, the material around the border tends to pinch your skin, and it can be quite irritating, in more ways than one.

Looking 'thin' has nothing to do with it. Just like you woudn't wear practice clothes for a comp or show, you also wouldn't wear practice padding.

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