So is it a man’s world?

There are more men than women in pro paintball, but that doesn’t mean that women should worry! Paintball is a game with great sportsmanship. For a game that simulates aggression and danger, there needs to be that high level of camaraderie and humour to counter it. Boys will be boys, but women shouldn’t expect anything worse than a bit of light banter.

Because paintball doesn’t rely heavily on physical strength, gender doesn’t matter. If you have the nerve and sense of adventure, anyone can hone their skills to become great!

So what are you waiting for?

Paintball’s all about respect and fun. So girls, if you want to get involved, don’t hesitate to join in that next paintball game!

]]> http://paintsplatjm.com/blog/other/paintball-and-women/feed 0 http://paintsplatjm.com/blog/basics/top-health-tips-for-paintball-players http://paintsplatjm.com/blog/basics/top-health-tips-for-paintball-players#comments Sat, 24 Apr 2010 10:12:52 +0000 PaintSplat Crew http://paintsplatjm.com/?p=406 Running about playing paintball for the day is a great way to stay in shape! But just remember these tips to stay healthy while you’re playing!

• Stay hydrated! – Dehydration is the enemy of every paintball player and all other athletes! It can lead to fatigue, exhaustion, even heat-stroke and death. Water is the best prevention.
  
  • Start drinking extra water at least one day before you play paintball.
  • Carry a small bottle of water in your ammo belt on the paintball field.
  • Warm water absorbs into your bloodstream quicker than cold water. Room temperature water is the best.
• Stretch! – Simple stretches and light cardio exercise the morning of paintball day will prevent unnecessary injuries.
• Keep fit – Exercise and proper diet in your day-to-day life will definitely help you on the paintball field. Moving and carrying all your paintball gear around will be much easier if you have all-round fitness.
• Watch your food – Avoid packing any food with mayonnaise or similar sauces that will spoil easily. Eat fresh food and make sure you eat during the day, avoiding greasy foods, which can slow you down in paintball games.
• Avoid nasty bites – Put insect repellent on to fend off nasty bugs and critters. Put something over lids of soda cans and food to avoid the same bugs getting in your food and drink.

1. It’s just a game! – The most important thing to remember in being a good sportsman in paintball is that it’s just a game! Keeping this in mind will help you become a fun player to play against.
2. Don’t cheat to win – don’t break or stretch any of the rules or violate the spirit of paintball, just to win! If you cheat, you only cheat yourself.
3. Be good-willed and courteous – paintball is based on taking out your opponents! This harshness needs to be offset by an exaggerated sense of good will and courtesy so that it doesn’t get serious and weird.
4. Don’t be obnoxious – Mild swearing no big problem, especially if you get hit pretty hard! However, malicious rudeness and profanity to the opposition is strictly not allowed.
5. This is an honour sport – it’s your duty to say when you’ve been hit in paintball. Just as you would be annoyed if someone you hit carried on playing, always announce when you’re out. If you think you’ve hit someone who hasn’t said “out”, don’t jump to accuse! Just ask them to check themselves, and then take their word for it. If you genuinely don’t believe them, call a ref. If someone asks you the same question, best thing to do is give a quick and polite answer.

• Fact 1:Paintballs aren’t actually filled with paint! The “paint” is a mix of non-toxic liquid and colouring (usually food colouring). So there’s no worry about getting poisoned by a paintball!
• Fact 2:The thin outside layer of a paintball is made of gelatine and is biodegradable – that’s why they can litter fields and cause no damage to the environment!
• Fact 3:Most paintball “paint” can be washed out of clothes pretty easily! The only problems occur when a dark-coloured paintball bursts on light clothing, or a light coloured paintball bursts on dark clothing.
• Fact 4:You can get loads of different types of paintballs including various scents (strawberry anyone?) or even glow-in-the-dark paintballs! Obviously, you’d need more than food colouring to make a paintball glow-in-the-dark, but most manufacturers still ensure that these paintballs are as harmless as regular ones.
• Fact 5:Sounds silly – but the colour of the “paint” inside the paintball doesn’t always match up to the multicoloured outside layer. We do get several people asking about this at PaintSplat Jamaica so there are some people who do want to know!

1. Failure to move
   Usually, new players try to hold their positions when being fired at in an attempt to try and hide better. You have to know that staying in one place doesn’t make you invisible! It’s almost always better to attack or retreat in a paintball game, rather than remain stationary and let your opponent pick you off.
2. Failure to talk
   Again, if you stay silent – you’re not invisible! Once your opponent knows where you are, keeping silent won’t do you, or your team, any good. Talk to each other – communication is key in paintball!
3. Failure to fire
   Firing is not just for eliminating the opponent. Your marker fire can be used to suppress and intimidate!
   Suppressive fire shoots near the opponent without hitting them so you keep them pinned down and unable to shoot back.
   Intimidation fire torments your opponent psychologically. Your opponent may be perfectly safe, but hearing the constant thud of paintballs so close to their position will unnerve them and maybe even coax them out to get hit by one of your shots.
   Firing can also be used in paintball to communicate with your team – a well-aimed shot at a bunker may let a teammate know where the opposition is hiding.

• Air – Commonly refers to the gas which operates paintball markers. Can be CO2, HPA or Nitrogen.
• Anti-Fog Spray – Spray which helps to reduce fogging on goggle lenses
• Barrel – Cylindrical metal tube which forms part of the marker, and guides the direction of the paintball.
• Barrel Sock – A Barrel blocking device which consists of a cloth bag for the end of the barrel, and a strap to fix it securely to the paintball marker. Vital piece of paintball gear. Also known as a barrel condom.
• Bunker – An solid object on the paintball field that a player uses for cover.
• Capture the Flag – Most common and basic paintball game which involves retrieving a flag from the opposition.
• Cock – Firing lever in a paintball marker which can be raised to be released by the trigger.
• Cocking your Marker – Raising the cock of your marker in order to make it ready for firing
• Calibre – The diameter measurement of a paintball. Paintballs are nominally .68 calibre, or 0.68 inches in diameter
• CO2 – Carbon Dioxide; a non-flammable compressed gas used to power markers.
• Chronograph – An instrument used to measure the velocity of a paintball leaving a paintball marker.
• Elbow – Small plastic tube connecting the hopper to the paintball marker
• Elimination – Being removed from the game, usually through being marked.
• Facemask/Goggles – Vital piece of paintball gear consisting of reinforced lenses which protect your eyes and face (if a facemask) from paintball fire.
• Flag Hang – Capturing the flag during a paintball game and actually hanging it in the designated area.
• Flag Pull – Removing the flag from where it was hanging.
• Flag Station – Area used as a starting point for the teams at the beginning of a paintball game and/or the area the flag is kept.
• Fog – The condensation that collects on the inside of a goggle lens, especially in humid conditions.
• FPS – Feet per second. The measurement unit for a paintball’s velocity. 300 fps is the maximum velocity a paintball may travel safely.
• Gas Canister/Bottle – A container which holds the Air that is used to fire paintball markers.
• Hopper – Plastic container which is mounted on top of a paintball marker to hold paintballs. Can usually hold 140 – 200 paintballs.
• HPA or Compressed Air – High pressure compressed air (3000 to 4500 psi) is usually used in tournament paintball. Specialised high-pressure tanks and regulators are needed to decrease the output pressure to what the markers can handle.
• Mark – Describes the act of being hit by a paintball, and also the paint mark itself.
• Marker – The compressed air powered guns used to fire paintballs. Abbreviation of Paintball Marker.
• Paintball Gun – Refers to a Paintball Marker.
• A Paintball – The ammo fired from a marker during a paintball game: A small spherical gelatine-based capsule, filled with a non-toxic and water-soluble liquid.
• Pod – A plastic tube used to hold extra paintballs in-game. Usually held in an Ammo/Pod Belt.
• PSI – Pounds Per Square Inch. A measurement of pressure, specifically used in reference to Air.
• Safety – A device that prevents the marker from being fired accidentally. Abbreviation for Safety Lock.
• Snap shooting – Describes the act of darting out from cover, firing a few paintballs, and then darting back.
• Squeegee – A long, rubber device used to clean out paintballs that have burst in the barrel of a paintball marker during game play.
• Speedball – A fast paintball game played on open fields with little natural cover, and uniform bunkers. Most common game for tournament play.
• Spray – Paint spray that lands on a player after the paintball has burst elsewhere. Does not count as a hit.
• Trigger – The device on your marker, which when pressed, fires a paintball. Pressing the trigger releases a spring or catch and so sets off a mechanism, which fires a paintball
• Woodsball – A paintball game with lots of natural cover, usually played in woodland areas.
]]> http://paintsplatjm.com/blog/basics/paintball-glossary/feed 0 http://paintsplatjm.com/blog/basics/how-to-play-paintball-safely http://paintsplatjm.com/blog/basics/how-to-play-paintball-safely#comments Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:00:28 +0000 PaintSplat Crew http://paintsplatjm.com/?p=264 Paintball is a safe sport – as long as you keep to the rules! Stick to the following, and you’ll have a great time!

NEVER take off your paintball mask in field. Put it on BEFORE you enter the field and don’t take it off until you have exited. Even if you’ve just been in eliminated or have paint in your eye, there are no grounds for removing it. If you want to see when you leave the field, keep your mask ON.

Don’t shoot any animals wandering around – it’s not clever!

Don’t shoot vehicles in the car park, it’s not funny and could take out someone’s eye!

Make sure your mask is free of damages. Even when you’re hiring them out – check them. You don’t want to risk losing an eye.

Make sure your marker is set to under 280FPS (Feet per second).

Keep your barrel sock on at all times. Even if your safety’s on or you don’t think there’s any more paintballs in the hopper. There are no excuses.

Don’t act like a fool by waving your marker around and pointing it in people’s faces when they haven’t got their mask on. It’s not funny, clever and will result in you being sent off the premises.

Make sure you know what is going on in the game, don’t shoot people at close range, know the field’s rules, and keep a light and helpful attitude!

Never look down the barrel. Even with your mask on. Get staff to remove the barrel if there’s a problem and make sure the air supply is disconnected.

Look before you fire your paintball marker. You want to know what you are shooting before you pull the trigger. Take a second, aim and then shoot.

Aim your marker down when you’re not playing. Always consider your marker loaded. Otherwise, you may accidentally shoot yourself or another player at close range.

]]> http://paintsplatjm.com/blog/basics/how-to-play-paintball-safely/feed 0 http://paintsplatjm.com/blog/basics/why-is-paintball-popular http://paintsplatjm.com/blog/basics/why-is-paintball-popular#comments Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:13:24 +0000 PaintSplat Crew http://paintsplatjm.com/?p=256 It may be new to Jamaica, but Paintball has become a hugely popular game worldwide and that popularity only continues to grow. Why has this extreme sport gained such a following in recent years? Let’s find out.

1. Paintball is open to anyone! – All players are equal in paintball games– it’s one of the only sports where men and women can equally compete against each other. Experience is the only edge.
2. You don’t need to be super strong! – Fitness can help but playing paintball doesn’t require super-strength and there are many positions, like sniper, that focus on accuracy and tactics rather than rushing about!
3. There’s no physical contact allowed! – Obviously being hit with a paintball’s may sting, but paintballing is not regarded as “rough”. There have been few injuries as a result of paintball games, usually occurring when safety rules have been broken.
4. Even newbies can play! – It’s pretty easy to grasp the basics on your first time. Even if it’s your first paintball game, you can still hit people who’ve been playing for years!
5. You get to be a kid again! Paintball can take you back to childhood with paintball games reminiscent of playing hide and seek in the playground – with markers!
6. It’s exciting! – There’s a perceived sense of risk and danger, giving paintball players a great adrenaline rush! It’s like playing out computer game fantasies in reality!
7. There are lots of fun toys!– Playing paintball means you get to use paintball markers, masks, ammo belts, body protection and much much more. With companies like Tippmann and Spyder developing new gadgets for paintball all the time, the number available continues to grow. Paintball gear not only lets you play a safe game, but it’s also pretty cool…
]]> http://paintsplatjm.com/blog/basics/why-is-paintball-popular/feed 0 http://paintsplatjm.com/blog/basics/newbie-paintball-facts http://paintsplatjm.com/blog/basics/newbie-paintball-facts#comments Sat, 16 Jan 2010 12:42:29 +0000 PaintSplat Crew http://beta.paintsplatjm.com/?p=102 Paintball is a recreational action sport that can is played throughout the world. It involves shooting a paint-filled pellet at your opposition to eliminate them. Both teams and individuals can play although the team variations are most popular. Here are some quick facts so you can begin to show off your paintball knowledge!
1. Paintball is one of the safest sports around, with less than 1 injury per 1000 players. Strict safety rules and safety equipment is put in place to ensure that players are safe at all times.
2. The piece of equipment used to fire paintballs is the paintball marker, which fires paintballs with burst of CO2 or compressed air. The most important piece of equipment is your paintball goggles – without this safety device you cannot play. Other pieces of equipment include chest protection, gloves, knee guards and elbow pads.
3. Paintball fields can differ greatly. Games can be played in just about any large space with plenty of cover, such as the woods. Commercial paintball fields usually have several fields, which may be as simple as a large field with inflatable obstacles for players or an elaborately themed scenario field.
4. Paintball teams usually consist if 3, 5, or 7 players per side, depending on the game. Teams often compete in paintball leagues, which can be professional, semi-professional, or regional.
5. Paintball tournaments have been played ever since the early 1980s, when they began in wooded areas. Nowadays, paintball tournaments are usually played on speedball fields with artificial bunkers as standard.
]]> http://paintsplatjm.com/blog/basics/newbie-paintball-facts/feed 0 http://paintsplatjm.com/blog/basics/what-is-paintball http://paintsplatjm.com/blog/basics/what-is-paintball#comments Sat, 16 Jan 2010 12:40:50 +0000 PaintSplat Crew http://beta.paintsplatjm.com/?p=100 Paintball is a worldwide pastime, which has grown in popularity in recent years. Players use air-powered markers to shoot paintballs at each other in various games and scenarios. A paintball is a small spherical capsule, filled with a gelatine-based, non-toxic and water-soluble liquid.

Paintball is seen as an extreme sport, although unlike others, there is no risk of serious injury if proper safety precautions are taken. You still experience a great adrenaline rush!

Paintball is all about strategy and tactics, and is usually played in two teams. Teamwork is essential, with communication key. Nearly anyone can take part: children, adults, men and women. It’s one of the only sports where men and women can compete equally against each other.

Paintball tournaments take part regularly, with the excitement of the game attracting huge scores of spectators of all ages. The most common game is “Capture the Flag,” a game in which two teams aim to secure the opposing team’s flag and return with it to their home base. Players are eliminated once hit by a paintball.

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