So you just bought a hoverboard? And as much as you enjoy seeing the package, your next worry is how it will move you from your house to your friend’s.
And you have no clue. As you read on, you’ll learn what you need to know about riding this machine.
When hoverboards came into the market, it became really popular. It was so popular that it made a sale of about $1 billion. This popularity was fueled a long way by the celebrity craze that surrounded it.
Then hoverboards started exploding due to battery problems. This product that was the love of adult and children alike, became infamous. Just as fast as it became popular.
With the introduction of the UL2272 certification, hoverboards are now safe from battery explosions.
In fact, hoverboards are now perfectly safe, right? Well, I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news but perfectly safe is far-fetched.
It is now safe but you can still fall if you don’t know how to ride your hoverboard. And if you’re unlucky, the fall may be fatal.
According to a study, the majority of injuries on hoverboards were due to falls with 91% of the injuries caused. Majority of falls are contusion (which is 37.3%) and fractures (which takes 36.1%).
It is vital to know how to operate a hoverboard before taking a ride on it.
Hoverboard manufacturers are aware of this need which is why many hoverboards now have beginner modes.
A quest for enjoyment should not end with injuries and suffering. That’s why this post will teach you how to ride a hoverboard if you just bought it or if you want to teach your child.
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The first step you need to take before you use your hoverboard is to charge its battery full. The charging time of the battery can depend on the particular model of hoverboard you’re using. It can be as low as 90 minutes or as high as 4 hours. For instance, the Swagtron T580 hoverboard charges full between 90 and 100 minutes while the hovertrax 2.0 takes 4 hours. But whatever model you use, it will be indicated in the owner’s manual how many hours it should be charged for the first time and the time for subsequent charging. Hovertrax 2.0 hoverboard has a charging time of 6 hours for the first time of charging.
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After charging, power on your hoverboard. For most hoverboards, the power button is usually at the back, below one of the foot pads of the hoverboard close to where you have the charging port.
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If your hoverboard has the beginner mode, read the owner’s manual on how to put it in that mode. If it doesn’t have, just ignore this step.
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If your hoverboard doesn’t have the beginner mode, you can use your hoverboard for the first time on a grass. This will automatically limit your speed which reduces the probability of falls.
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After setting your hoverboard to the beginner mode or on the grass, put your strongest foot on the foot pad of your hoverboard. This is because you have a better control of strongest foot. The hoverboard feels your leg as you put it on and the LED lights under the foot pad come on. When you put your strong foot on the foot pad, the hoverboard might try to move. But you make sure you hold it down and make it flat relative to the ground (make it parallel to the ground) to achieve stability.
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Put your other foot on the hoverboard and lean forward gently. The key here is to be as confident as possible because fear itself could result in more falls than your lack skills. Remember millions of people have used the hoverboard successfully, so it does not really rocket science.
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If this confidence thing doesn’t work for you, have your friend by your side. So that you can rest on them as you step on the hoverboard. Or make the wall your friend and rest on the wall.
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As you lean forward, you’ll feel the hoverboard moving forward. The more you lean forward, the faster your hoverboard will move forward. For a beginner, you don’t want to race on your hoverboard, you want to build accuracy first before speed.
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If you want to make a turn while on the ride, you lean towards the side you want to turn. For instance, if you want to turn to the right, you lean your weight towards your right foot. During this process, your right leg is tilting backward while your left leg is tilting forward. This will reduce the speed of the right wheel and your left wheel will make the turn.
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Congratulations on your first ride on a hoverboard! But it’s not yet over because you can’t ride your hoverboard forever. You still have to get down. And to get down, you have to slow down. To a halt.
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To slow down, you lean backward on your hoverboard. If you maintain this state, your hoverboard will continue to slow down until it comes to a halt. But if you continue tilting backward, it will start going backward. So you have to achieve a balance. Lean backward until it stops, and stop leaning when it stops.
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Then you come off your hoverboard in the reverse way you got on it. Your weak foot comes off the hoverboard first and then your strong foot.
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A note of warning: never step off forward. Step off backward. This is due to the working principle of hoverboards itself. When you lean forward on your hoverboard, it moves faster to the front. When you lean backward, it slows down. If you step forward while trying to get down from your hoverboard, you’ll most likely lean forward and your hoverboard will read that as you trying to move forward. This can result in a fall especially if you’re getting down from your hoverboard for the first time. Getting off to the back means your hoverboard is stable while you get your second leg off.
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Apart from this, there are other warnings you should take note. Hoverboards have been banned on some roads and you must avoid riding on these roads. If you’re a beginner, it is important to use your helmet, knees, and shoulder pads so that you don’t get injured, in case of a fall.
Enjoying the ride?
Congratulations on your first ride on a hoverboard! Just like learning any skill, at first, it is difficult.
But as you accumulate more practice time, you get better at it. And you get to increase your speed.
Confidence is key to riding the hoverboard within a short time.
However, if you’re buying for your kid, your kid must be at least 10. There are hoverboards that are made for the usage of kids which would be suitable for your needs.
Sometimes, it may be impossible to prevent a fall on hoverboards. If you ever fall from your hoverboard, it is advisable to see your doctor for treatment.
The reason is that most of the wounds caused as a result of falls from hoverboards are internal wounds that have been closed up by the skin.
It is even vital to see your doctor if you hit your head against a wall or the ground during the fall.
If you have a child who had a fall on the hoverboard, it is important to check things over with your physician. It was found that children less than 18 years have the highest number of fractures.
What was also found was that most of the people who had injuries from falls used none of the protective gear. This underlines the importance of the protective of the protective gear.
If you think the LED lights in your hoverboard may be insufficient for riding in the night, you should keep safe and avoid riding in the night.
Without these lights, it may be difficult for people to see you and they may run into you. Or at worse, you may run into people or things that could cause injuries.
If you follow all the safety rules and the tips in this post, riding a hoverboard will be the least of your worries.
In fact, your next worry will be how many places you can go about it and how fast it can take you. A happy ride on your hoverboard.
