I’m looking outside my window. It is currently raining but I feel the urge and motivation to go electric skateboarding.
I’m wondering are electric skateboards actually waterproof?
Well it depends, the majority of electric skateboards is not waterproof. But some of the boards are water-resistant. Water resistant means that electric skateboards won’t let water in easily. So if you drive on a wet road your board should not break. But if you skate over puddles or even submerge your board into
Can I ride them in the rain?
Riding
Which electric skateboards are actually water resistant?
Which electric skateboards are water resistant? To answer this question I researched a lot and made the table down below. We can judge the water resistance by “IP rating”. However, it is a little more complicated than that. The IP rating is optional and costs money. So not every brand will have IP ratings even if their boards met the standards. I ordered the chart below in the following categories:
- No official information/ IP rating from the manufacturer or brand
- IP 54 definition: (Dust protected) (Spraying water)
- IP55 definition: (Dust protected) (Splashing of water)
- IP 65 definition: (Dust tight) (Splashing of water)
Comparison table
| no IP rating | IP 54 | IP 55 | IP 63 | IP 65 |
| AE Boards | Inboard M1 | Backfire Boards | Starkboard | Enertion Raptor 2 |
| Boosted Boards | Teamgee Boards | Exway X1 Pro | Jed Board | |
| Evolve Boards | Maxfind Boards | |||
| Meepo Boards | Mellow | |||
| OneWheel Boards | Onan booster | |||
| Riptide Boards | ||||
| WowGo Boards |
If you’ve liked this table than check out my ultimate Sortable eboard Comparison Table here. I have even built a Drag and Drop Tool with which you can compare your favorite electric skateboard models! It took me days to create it, you will love it!
Table of contents
- Which electric skateboards are actually water resistant?
- Comparison table
- Things to watch out for when riding your electric board in the rain
- Is your e-board waterproof or water-resistant?
- Less Grip on the road
- Less grip on your board
- Puddles
- Wet shoes and pants
- Dry your board after a wet ride
- Maintain your bearings
- Remote control
- Wear your protection gear
- Deck material
- Lifetime span of water seals
- Difference between waterproof and water resistant
- Which electric skateboards are actually waterproof?
- Which electric skateboards are actually water-resitsant?
- Overview:
- Can I waterproof my electric skateboard myself?
- Final thoughts
Things to watch out for when riding your electric board in the rain
So we know that riding during the rain or after a rain can be very dangerous and you should be very cautious. Here are the most important things to watch out for when riding your board in the rain.
Is your e-board waterproof or water-resistant?
The first and probably the most important question is whether your board is waterproof, water resistant or none of these two things. Only a few electric skateboards are actually waterproofed. Some e-skateboards on the market or water-resistant. But the majority of e-boards are neither water resistant or waterproofed. So make sure if you’re bored is protected against water or not.
Your board is probably not covered against water damage!
Another important thing to know is that almost none of the companies and brands will replace your board due water damage. The warranty of most of the boards are not covering water damage.
Less Grip on the road
The road is very slippery when it’s wet. But why is that?
We have less friction between our wheels and the pavement and therefore less grip. Our wheels are not designed for wet roads. Normal longboard wheels are designed for dry pavement. When the road is wet, the wheels can’t transport the water away. Because of this we experience slippery roads and have less grip on the street.
Every act of accelerating, breaking, and making turns can be very risky on wet roads and therefore should be executed with caution. The probability of falling is unfortunately greatly increased.
If you live in a rainy area, it is hard to avoid wet streets. You can change the wheels on your board to wheels
Less grip on your board
The grip on the board is also decreased when it’s wet. The Sandpaper like structure on your boards is called “grip tape.” When the grip tape is wet the friction between your shoe and the grip tape will decrease and therefore you will have less grip on your board.
Puddles
Another thing to watch out for is puddles. Your electric skateboard is probably not waterproof, at most your board is water resistant and maybe not even that.
So even riding on wet roads can be very dangerous for the electronic parts in your board. Riding over puddles will increase the probability that water gets inside your board.
Wet shoes and pants
One of the biggest drawbacks riding on wet street is that the majority of e-skateboards doesn’t have any “mudguards” or “wheel-guards” therefore your pants and shoes can end up soaked and full of mud. Even though you are riding “only” on asphalt.
There is a thing you can do about it: You can buy and install wheel guards for your eboard.
Dry your board after a wet ride
It is important to dry your board after a wet ride. Repeated or prolonged exposure to wet conditions could affect the electronics, the drive system, and the bearings. so prop your board up vertically, pop the battery out, and dry all surfaces possible. You can use a towel a hair dryer or the Sun. Making sure that in particular the battery plug and jack are dry before re-inserting. Store in a dry place. Be careful if you have a wooden deck: water can enter through the truck mounting holes, dings, and scratches. We want to be sure that our board will not be exposed to moisture for long times. So dry your deck (especially the downside), your trucks, your wheels and most importantly your motor and battery case.
Maintain your bearings
Bearings are one of the most important parts of our electric skateboard. They make sure that we roll down street smoothly. Moisture and water is an enemy of the bearings, otherwise, they will rust very quickly. We want to make sure that the bearings are not exposed to a lot of moisture, therefore, we should not ride during the rain or at least dry or board after a wet ride. Greasing the bearing on the outside is a good solution to avoid rust. The outer 608-sized bearing should only be replaced by sealed grease-filled models with protective shields on both sides or else the waterproofing will be compromised.
There is a special maintaining kit you can use to regularly maintain your bearings. They will have a much longer lifetime.
Additionally, you can change your metal bearings to high-performance ceramic bearings. They won’t rust and therefore are not so sensitive to moisture and water. With ceramic bearings you can ride your electric skateboard with less restrictive thoughts.
Remote control
We are worrying a lot about our electric skateboard whether is waterproof and can survive in on rainy rides. But have you thought about your remote control? Some of remote controls are and some are not waterproof or water-resistant so please check the specs and tech sheet of your electric skateboard to see if your remote control is protected against water. But you can hold your remote control near to your body so it won’t be exposed a lot to rain.
Wear your protection gear
When riding on wet roads please make sure to wear your helmet and additional protective gear. Don’t have a helmet yet? Check out my blog post on electric skateboard helmets that actually look nice.
Deck material
Most decks are made from wood which is not water resistant. Some companies seal them with honey wax, paint and other varnishes, but this leaves the mounting holes vulnerable as they won’t be covered. If water gets in them, they can get weaker.
Lifetime span of water seals
Unfortunately, the materials used to seal the Drive are flexible and rubber-like and are thus subject to degradation, lasting a minimum of 2 years.
Difference between waterproof and water resistant
So you live in an area where it is raining very often? You want to ride your electric skateboards beside all the dangerous when it’s raining or when the street is wet? So you sure want to get An electric skateboard which is water resistant or waterproof.
Electric skateboards that are water resistant or waterproof have one thing in common: They almost all have Hub-Motors. Hub motors are the most water resistant motor option. A hub motor is an electric motor that is incorporated into the hub of a wheel and drives it directly. They are placed inside the wheels, are sealed with rubberrings and don’t let water get in easily.
Waterproof vs Water-resistant:
The IP code will define whether a electronic device is waterproof or water resistant.
The IP Code, International Protection Marking classifies and rates the degree of protection provided against intrusion (body parts such as hands and fingers), dust, accidental contact, and water by mechanical casings and electrical enclosures. It is published by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
Which electric skateboards are actually waterproof?
What does Waterproof mean?
Waterproof means the deck can be submerged completely underwater for long periods of time, and there won’t be one single drop of water that enters the interior.
IP 65 definition: (Dust tight) (Splashing of water) No ingress of dust; complete protection against contact (dust tight). A vacuum must be applied. Test duration of up to 8 hours based on air flow. Water projected by a nozzle (6.3 mm) against enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects.
- Onan booster (IP 65)
- Mellow (IP 65)
- Maxfind Boards (IP 65)
- Raptor 2 (IP 65)
- Jed Board (IP 65)
Which electric skateboards are actually water-resitsant?
IP55 water resistant rating enable riders to use the board in some conditions like after rain on the wet ground. You cannot use the board during the heavy rain or sink the board into the water. Even though, we recommend you maintain the board in good dry condition always, which will extend the life of it much longer.
IP55 definition: (Dust protected) (Splashing of water) Ingress of dust is not entirely prevented, but it must not enter in sufficient quantity to interfere with the satisfactory operation of the equipment. Water projected by a nozzle (6.3 mm) against enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects.
- Backfire boards
IP 54 definition: (Dust protected) (Spraying water)
- exway x1 pro (IP55)
- Inboard M1 (IP54)
Overview:
| no official information/ IP rating | IP 54 | IP 55 | IP 65 |
| Boosted Boards | Inboard M1 | Backfire Boards | Enertion Raptor 2 |
| Evolve Boards | Exway X1 pro | Jed Board | |
| Wowgo Boards | Maxfind Boards | ||
| Meepo Boards | Mellow | ||
| AE Boards | Onan booster | ||
| OneWheel Boards |
Can I waterproof my electric skateboard myself?
Waterproofing is a big deal for battery powered vehicles like electric skateboards. E-mobility is for everyday but the blue birds and the sunshine don’t always schedule an appearance, so batteries and electronics need protection against the elements.
Yes you can waterproof your electric skateboard.. You will often need some serious skills. I am not an electric engineer myself so I’m not an expert on this topic. Please don’t take my word as granted.
There is a way to waterproof Electronics. In the last years, one of the big things happening in the quadcopters niche is waterproofing the electronics. It seems to work well with CorrosionX. If it works with those electronics it will probably work with non-waterproof electric skateboards as well. In this process you spray CorrosionX onto the electronic parts of your electric skateboard. There are some how-to-videos on YouTube. I have found one particularly interesting and helpful:
How to waterproof electronics:
Electric skateboards from evolve and Australian electric skateboard company are very popular. They are one of the market leaders and have a fair share of the market. Therefore many electric skateboards out there are “Evolve” boards and there is also a community around these boards. Can find forums, YouTube videos, subreddits dedicated to evolve skateboards. One of the major issues of evolve boards is that they’re not waterproof nor very water-resistant. People try to solve this problem. In the video presented below one guy takes good approach.
Evolve Board waterproof:
Disclaimer:
Please note that I am not an electrical engineer nor a professional. I am a person how is very interested in electric skateboarding, did research on this topic and did its best to give you the most helpful answers online. However, my information could be wrong, misleading or outdated.
Final thoughts
Evan an electric skateboard which is waterproof can be some. But be sure that you’re careful when you ride on wet roads. Accidents and injuries can happen very fast.
Do you know electric skateboards that are water resistant or waterproof and which I have not included in my list? Then please leave a comment below or email me so I can update or extend my list.
I have to be honest here: when it’s raining outside I’m not driving my electric skateboard. I am better off walking!
