Safety and equipment for Gel Ball Blasters

In this article we will discuss the essential safety rules related to the practice of Gel Blaster in the USA, as well as the main equipment that will allow you to play in optimal and safe conditions.

Safety rules for gel blasters:

Wear suitable protective equipment

The areas most at risk are on the face (mainly the eyes), so we will ALWAYS wear protective glasses at a minimum, ideally a full face mask/face shield to guarantee the safety of our sensitive areas. Do the same with your teammates and partners of the day. It is everyone's responsibility to make their entourage aware in order to practise this activity in complete safety.

Most important rule: NEVER remove your protective equipment during a game.
Whether you run out of bullets, are "hit", fogging up your glasses/masks, or have a cramp, it doesn't matter, you NEVER take off your eye protection while you are on the field. The solution is to raise your arm and say "OUT" and join the "Safe-Zone" before carrying out any action that could put you in danger.

In fact, the parts of the body most sensitive to accidents in Gel Blaster practice are the eyes (just like in Paintball and Airsoft). As a rule of common sense, if you can avoid it, don't aim for the head, and above all don't go after an opponent who has already been hit.

Detect, identify, shoot

An essential rule to avoid risks: before any shot is fired, always make sure you have detected your opponent, identified the area to be targeted and fire in a last time. Why these three actions? Because they make sure that people don't empty their clip by just taking their arm out of their "hideout" and spraying everything that passes by. This type of behaviour can lead to shooting distances that are too short and therefore the risk of too strong impacts/unnecessary injuries. Care should therefore always be taken to detect, identify and shoot in the last instance.

Never point your line outside a game.

It is of course totally "forbidden" to aim at someone outside a party, using common sense, one should never aim at someone outside the practice (public places, neighbors, animals...) because a Gel Blaster can be visually confused with a weapon depending on its shape and therefore generate the same consequences (fear provoked, legal risks) as a real weapon. And, you risk injuring a person by firing accidentally. It's the same thing with your friends/girlfriends, opponents of the day, outside the playing field and the setting of a game, people don't necessarily have their protection and don't expect to be put at gunpoint.

Don't keep your finger on the trigger

Always in order to limit unnecessary risks, when you go to the "Safe-Zone" after an elimination or when you move with your replica outside a game, it is essential to never have your finger on the trigger. Indeed, whether you fall down, someone frightens you, or you have a muscle spasm... Your natural reflex will be to tense up, and therefore to pull the trigger. It is therefore important to avoid this kind of incident by never placing your finger on the trigger outside a play area.

Equipment for Gel Blasters

Concerning the equipment, some are compulsory and others are recommended. As seen above in the rules, the most sensitive part of your body is your face, so the mandatory protections will aim to protect it.

• Glasses:

The basic element, inseparable and obligatory for any Gel Blasters practice. They are the bare minimum to protect your eyes. They will not always be perfect and the risk of bouncing under the lens may exist, but they will guarantee a minimum level of safety. There are hundreds of more or less covering models, in plastic, metal, glass... You will find what you need at all prices.

• Mask + Gel Blaster protection grid:

Although optional, a goggle provides a higher level of protection than glasses because it is hermetic and covers a larger surface area of the face. Some people will not like it, because of the possibility of fogging depending on the quality of the bubble, but its protection is formidable.
The grid now comes from Airsoft practitioners, it will protect the rest of your face (cheek, mouth, nose, cheekbones). A very good complement to goggles and masks, but be careful not to swallow too many pieces of gel balls if your head tends to stick out a lot!

• Gel Blaster full-face helmet

Here, you enter another world of protection, you can fall head first, you will be hit on the head with empty Gel Blasters, you won't feel anything! This can be annoying in case of a distant and soft touch that you might not feel. For lovers of reconstruction, look and 2.0 protection, this accessory is perfect.

• gel blaster combination

No need for it to be very thick, it will reassure the less reckless about their safety during practice. Well covered, you won't risk seeing any more small impacts on your arms or legs.

• The pair of gloves:

they are an accessory, but they offer a significant advantage! Although Gel Balls won't open your fingers or bruise you, impacts on the extremities are rarely pleasant. This makes them a useful accessory in the Gel Baller's arsenal.