What is Paintball, and why one should play?
The game of paintball has been around since the 1980s and has always consisted of one main objective: to eliminate the other team. Each player is equipped with a facemask for protection and a paintball marker. A paintball marker uses either CO2 or compressed air to project the paintballs. The standard marker will have what is called a hopper on top that will allow the player to hold about 200 paintballs. Paintballs are gelatin capsules that contain oils and other materials that break on impact, leaving a mark on the eliminated player. Paintball started off as a recreational game, but has expanded vastly through technology and is even being used as forms of training for military and law enforcement personnel. Games are more commonly held outdoors to utilize natural terrain, though many fields add props to enhance the tactical experience. At Paintball Explosion, we take pride in being one of the most unique fields in the world by incorporating buildings, buses, tanks, helicopters, and not to mention, Nuketown 2013. Whether you decide to play recreationally or competitively, paintball is a great sport to get into. Along with many other sports, participation in paintball helps to keep you active as your run around with your friends, completing different objectives. Statistically speaking, paintball has also been proven to be one of the safest sports you can play when done correctly and is a sport that nearly any age can enjoy.
Paintball is an adrenaline filled game in which the participants simulate military style tactics to eliminate the opponent, sometimes having to complete tasks during the game too. There are two main styles of paintball, which can both be played recreationally or competitively. There are also categories that would be called speedball and woodsball. Whichever you decide to participate in, each game will consist of two teams, generally with even numbers of players. A typical game of open play recreational paintball will typically last about 10-15 minutes and then the teams will switch sides and repeat. Whether you rent or bring your own paintball marker, our field is limited to 280 FPS (feet per second). At Paintball Explosion, we offer two different groups of open play to make your experience more enjoyable. We have open beginner and open advanced. The open beginner group only allows for semi-automatic markers and is perfect for the first time player or any new player. The open advanced group allows for any firing mode to be used, but is limited to 12bps(balls per second) for those who use ramping or full auto modes.
First time at the Park – What to bring/not bring
When going to play paintball, there are plenty of things that you should and should not bring. A must bring would be closed toe shoes which includes athletic shoes, boots, etc (cleats are prohibited). Open toe shoes like flip flops or sandals are not allowed, strictly for your safety since you will be doing a lot of running around on different terrain. Clothing wise, there are no specific requirements but clothes that allow for maneuverability such as sweat pants, long sleeve t-shirts, hoodies, etc., are common for those who do not have paintball specific gear. All clothes must be family appropriate. Having a towel or old rag to wipe off old hits and dirt would be extremely helpful to have in between games. Gloves are fairly common to bring to avoid direct contact to your knuckles or in between your fingers. If you do not have gloves or other protective gear, there are plenty of options available for you to choose from in the pro shop. It is always a good idea to bring a spare change of clean clothes to change into afterwards and garbage bag to put all of the dirty clothes in. Your clothes could get fairly dirty after a hard fought day of paintball and you would not want to track the paint or dirt back into your car.
Your first time paintballing is extremely exciting, but before you can begin to play, there are several essential steps before stepping foot onto the paintball field. When you first walk into Paintball Explosion, there is a row of computers. On the computers, there will be a waiver that needs to be read and filled out. Along the walls near the computers, you will then see signs showing you the rental packages available (not needed if you have your own equipment) along with prices for other add-on equipment. The packages show different paintball markers available for you to rent, along with masks, protective gear, quantity of paint, smoke grenade, paint grenades, etc. Once you select the package you would like, you would then proceed to the pro shop where they will pull up your waiver and you can notify them as to what paintball package you have chosen and will be given a receipt, corresponding with the package you have chosen and your rental information. From there, you must head to the rental building where you will be handed the paintball equipment. You will need to give the rental staff a form of government issued identification (state ID, driver’s license, FOID, etc) along with a debit/credit card and the ticket you were given at the pro shop. Your identification and debit/credit card will be handed back to you after the paintball equipment is returned. At this point, you are moments away from getting onto the field. Listen to the overhead speakers announcing where to meet the referees for the next open beginner or open advanced group and the referees will take you from there!
At Paintball Explosion, we pride ourselves on having knowledgeable staff that ensures that your experience with us is amazing! We want to make your experience thrilling while always keeping safety the priority. If you have any questions throughout the day or need help with something, any employee is more than willing to lend a hand so that your day of paintball is everything you imagined and more!
