After injurying the same knee twice in eight days, once off ice and once on, I have decided to invest in some knee pads. I ordered some off ebay, but they are in all honesty t0o bulky and even under two pairs of tights just look ridiculous. However all is not lost as they will make great hip padding!

Has anyone got any suggestions for knee pads? I ideally want them foam, sponge or gel, but not too bulky. I've seen loads of plasticy type ones, but I'm not convinced they would be any good for the ice. I'm working on single jumps and am an average sized adult.

Many thanks!

My approach is very humble and low tech. I use neoprene knee sleeves and stuff some high-density foam in the front.

Very cheap, not too bulky (can't be seen when wearing trousers), but HOT. That's probably a good thing for my aging knees.

Here's a link to the details:

http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~schneidw/...e-skating.html

BTW, I now use blue "sill seal" polyethylene foam insulation purchased from a Lowe's hardware store for the pads. I bought a roll of it, and cut what I need. On bad days, I can double up the thickness.

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Bill Schneider

May not appeal to gals who like to wear tights, but if you wear moderately thick sweat pants, they take up a fair bit of the shock, especially if you have practiced falls enough that you generally land in a slide or roll.

Do you not have problems with sweatpants getting caught in your blades on backspins?

It's a moot point for me, as none of my coaches (except synchro, I guess) would allow it since they can't see the body line.

If you have money to spend, I've heard nothing but raves for the www.skatingsafe.com products. They are expensive, but they are thin! Since you already have bulky, it seems like thin is what you are looking for.

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-Jessi
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yep, I've got the knee pads. they are brilliant

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I second or third the votes for the UltraCrash pads. DD wears them, and no matter how many times she smashes her knee into the ice she is pain and bruise free. The only problem with them is that they WILL slip, regardless of how many pairs of tights you put over them; I've never tried the sleeve that you can buy to go over them, but was given mixed reviews by the retailer.

You can't see them, they're discreet enough that she could probably compete in them without anyone knowing; they warm up nicely and feel, apparently, cosy; and they're sturdy as hell, and take up NO room in a skating bag.

What you can do is tack them on with first aid tape. It works.

We'll be getting the hip ones as well, I think, because the doubles are coming hard ...

My coach cuts up old mouse pads for cheap/free cushioning.

Hmm...I need to look into those. I seem to bang up my L knee with every fall I take (those falls, of course, being stupid stuff like tripping over my own feet and not doing anything complicated). It's pretty bad. Right now I just wrap it to provide extra support because it's kind of weak, but perhaps this type of padding would help me get over being overcautious to the point where my brain won't let me get my axel or doubles.

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2010-2011 goals:
Pass Junior MIF test
Don't break anything

Kitchen sponges work very well, especially sponge cloths - the kind always known as "squidge cloths" in my family!

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

I use volleyball kneepads: easy to pull on, easy to wash, pretty comfortable. Before them I used kneepads I bought from rainbosports, but they were too bulky: my knees bumped together every time I went to cross over. I don't have that problem with the volleyball pads. But I have a friend who uses the gel pads (from skatingsafe, I think) and loves them. The trick with them, as I understand it, is you've got to be wearing tights under them--they're slick and sweaty otherwise. If you don't mind the layers, they apparently work great.

I keep mine from slipping with two tricks. First, I put them on at a right angle to the way you are supposed to, with the pointed end pointing down. This also makes them even less noticeable. Second, I spread just a drop or two of water on the side that goes against my skin. I noticed that if I sweated, they stuck in place, so now I make sure they stick from the beginning.

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