Sunol Paintball FAQ's
- What is paintball?
- Is it safe?
- Doesn't it hurt when you get shot?
- Do I have to use an organized field or be on a team?
- How can I play if I don't own equipment?
- What kind of Paintball Field should I look for?
- How much does it cost to play?
- What do I need to bring with if I am renting?
- What safety equipment do I need?
- How can I play safe?
- Do I need to be physically fit to play?
- Can I get the paint out of my clothes?
1. What is paintball?
Paintball is recognized as one of the world's most exciting outdoor participation sports.
Paintball is played in over 50 countries by millions of people of different ages and lifestyles. Whether high-school students or homemakers, professionals or retirees, all paintball players share a love for adventure and a strong competitive spirit.
Paintball is a combination of tag, hide & seek, and capture the flag. Paintball is challenging and extremely fast paced. Each player is equipped with a paintball marker that shoot paintballs as well as a paintball mask for safety. The object of most games is to eliminate your opponent from the game by "tagging" them with a paintball. Being "tagged" refers to having been hit by a paintball. There are many (almost infinite) game variations, but most games revolve around a "cature the flag" theme
Paintball is a sport played by people from every lifestlye and profession imaginable. Women and men can compete equally, and the average player age is not dominated by youth. Physical size and strength are not as important as intelligence and determination. Paintball is a game of proper tactics and team cooperation. Like a game of chess, being able to think quickly and decisively is what makes a good player.
Paintball is an exciting sport, and above all paintball is fun! It's a chance to shake off your day-to-day responsibilities and satisfy your spirit for adventure. Once the adrenaline starts pumping, you can't help but become addicted to the rush, the thrill of the game!
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2. Is it safe?
Like all action sports (football, basket ball, etc.) paintball can be very dangerous unless adequate protection is worn and safety rules are understood and followed.
Most paintball guns shoot 68 caliber (0.68 inch diameter) paintballs. A paintball is essentially a paint pellet. The pellet is composed of a thin plastic shell filled with a water soluble, vegetable based dye. Paintball guns, offen referred to as "markers", shoot paintballs at a speed of 200 to 300 feet per second. To give you a better idea of the speed that paintballs travel, 300 fps is about 205 miles per hour. Since paintballs are fairly light (only weighing a few grams each), they have little momentum while in flight, and thus are non-lethal.
Paintball players must *always* wear protective goggles to protect their eyes and usually wear masks covering the rest of their face as well. A paintball impact with the face can easily cause seriuos injury to the eyes and ears
Safety is highly stressed at most fields. Most fields require goggles be worn at all times unless in designated areas. Many fields also require that barrel plugs (plastic inserts that prevent paintballs from leaving your gun's barrel) be used while players are not playing in the actual game. Ignoring safety is a good way to get yourself ejected from a field and seriuosly injured. If all the safety rules for paintball are followed, paintball can be a very safe sport.
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3. Doesn't it hurt when you get shot?
Paintballs are designed to 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 most cases, the stinging pain goes away after a few seconds and almost always within a few minutes. Of course, the closer you are to the muzzle of the gun, the higher the velocity will be when the paintball hits you. Thus, more pain may be experienced when shot at close range rather than farther away. Most fields have a mandatory surrender rule to prevent players from being shot at closer to 20 feet.
In general, a player can count on coming off the field with a few welts from paintball hits accumulated over the day. Many players are proud to show off any bruises they have and are often more than willing to share their stories about each one.
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4. Do I have to use an organized field or be on a team?
You don't have to have an organized team or go to an organized field in order to play. Althought going to an organized field is not neccessary, we highly recommend that new players visit an organized field at least for the first couple of games in order to become acquainted with the games safety rules. If you decide not to play at an established paintball field, you should only play on property that you have permission to use.
Most commercial fields allow walk-on games, where anybody can show up and play. Referees at the field usually assign players to teams to evenly divide the skilled players. You don't need to bring your own team along with you to play. Some of the larger paintball fields will divide players into groups so only new players can play in one group and the more experienced players can play in a different group.
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5. How can I play if I don't own equipment?
Almost all (99%) of established commercial paintball fields will gladly supply rental guns, goggles, and everything else you need to enjoy a fun day of paintball without purchasing any equipment. Fields can be found using yellow pages (look under 'Paintball' or 'Firearms' or 'Sports Equipment'), local newspapers, or ads in a number of the paintball magazines.
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6. 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. Things to watch for when selecting a good field are the number of referees on the field for each game and how well the rules are explained. 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. There should also be a sufficient number of referees for the number of players, one referee can not handle a field with fifty people on it. If you are ever at a field that you feel is dangerous or where safety violations occur regularly, you should stop playing and find a better, safer field.
7. How much does it cost to play?
The average field in North America will cost approximately $15-25+ for a 1 day rental of goggles, gun and some, usually 100-200, paintballs. Extra paintballs are usually 5 cents or less each. Some players will find themselves using less than 30 paintballs per game, while some players at the other end of the spectrum can be using over 200 paintballs per game. Better guns and facemasks are usually available at an additional cost.
A beginner should plan on using 200-500 paintballs for the first day of playing. A day of play is usually from 9:00am to 3:30 pm.
If you start playing regularly and would like to have your own equipment, you have several options open to you. You can buy an entry level semi-automatic for $100 to $300. A new pair of goggles might cost $20 to $40. Buying yourself a new pair of goggles designed specifically for paintball is a must.
On average, field paint cost about $.03 to $.06 per ball. You may go through several hundred paintballs over the course of a single day, so this cost should be a long term consideration. Depending on the type of gun you're using, the cost of CO2 (or compressed air) should also be a long term consideration. If you're using a constant air tank, you should be able to get it refilled at your local paintball shop or field for about $3-$5, depending on its size.
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8. What do I need to bring with if I am renting?
Bring current CDL or credit card as collateral for renting and must have adult sign rental forms, bring waiver if under 18.
The field owner may not supply food or have facilities where food can be bought so a lunch and snacks should be brought just in case. Bring water, lots of water. Old, sturdy, dark clothes and shoes or boots with ankle support are also recommended. Many players wear camoflauge military BDU's (basic dress uniforms) that can be purchased from a local army surplus store. Many fields also rent camoflauge clothes for about $2-4 for a day.
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9. What safety equipment do I need?
The minimum safety equipment necessary to play includes a pair of paintball approved goggles, facemask with ear and throat protection, and, for men, a protective cup.
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10. How can I play safe?
- 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 paintgun is below 300 feet per second.
- Always assume the gun is loaded; even if you know otherwise.
- Always assume safety devices won't work and that the gun is loaded.
- Unload the gun when not in use.
- Upon receiving or retrieving a gun check if it's loaded. DO NOT look down the barrel.
- Never look down the barrel of a paintball gun. 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.
- Anytime you are carrying a paintgun in a 'safe zone' such as the parking lot or staging area where people are not wearing goggles, you MUST have a barrel plug in the barrel.
- Know the rules of the game and abide by them.
- Never remove facemasks or goggles while on the field.
- Do not shoot animals or wildlife.
- Do not play when very tired, injured, feeling faint, hungry, or otherwise. Bring food or money to buy food from field. Most injuries occur at the end of the day when players are exhausted.
- Notify the field owner or manager of any medical conditions, allergies etc.
(NOTE: This is not a complete listing of safety rules. Players should always read and abide by the rules set by the paintball field as well as adhere to all safety warnings and instructions provided by the manufacturer of any equipment they are using. Use common sense at all times.)
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11. 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 occasional quick sprints, good 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 workboots 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.
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12. Can I get the paint out of my clothes?
Most brands of paint are water soluble and should wash out of normal clothes. Paintballs, for the most part, are vegetable based dyes in a colored gelatin shell. However, it is recommened you wear old clothes or clothes that you don't mind seeing a few stains in. Some professional grade paints are harder to clean from clothes, but most paint will wash out.
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