The Importance of Wearing Protective Eyewear
Airsoft is a fun and exciting sport that is quickly gaining popularity around the world. The thrill and adrenaline rush involved in the simulated combat found in airsoft battles can be addicting at times and give players a feeling of invincibility. However, as everyone knows, it is a well known fact that airsoft players are mortal flesh and blood. Due to the speeds of the pellets shot by airsoft guns, it is important that all players and spectators wear some kind of mask or protective eyewear.
Airsoft is one of the safest sports that can be found in the world today. Few if any injuries are attributed to airsoft, and when compared to more traditional sports such as football or basketball, these injuries are usually superficial. Despite this, there is the potential for serious and permanent eye injury. Many players feel that the eye protection available isn’t fashionable or worth wearing; however, when seriously looking for protective eyewear, there are many great options available for reasonable prices.
Players have the option of choosing full face masks (sometimes these can even be considered helmets depending on the area that they cover) and goggles or glasses, to protect them from the bbs fired by airsoft guns.
Face Masks
Face masks offer the best eye and face protection available, and have the added benefit of having little slits in the mask where you can insert string or strips of colored felt as camouflage. This concept can also be altered to create a personal color scheme to show who you really are and makes a great addition to your airsoft armor package. (I have personally seen a patriotic color scheme that consisted of three stripes made of red, white, and blue string and a Marine color scheme that used red, black, and gold felt strips.) The only real downside to face masks is that they sometimes limit the player’s field of vision and the goggles in them sometimes fog up depending on the weather.
Glasses
Protective glasses and goggles offer great advantages. They are small and lightweight, covering just the eyes. This allows the user to protect his or her eyes effectively without compromising the field of vision, a problem often found in face masks. Also, glasses rarely fog up like the goggles found in face masks. On the downside, glasses and goggles don’t offer full face protection, and you may walk off the battlefield with a few welts on your face after a close-up encounter with someone’s Uzi. With glasses manufacturers becoming more aware of the desires of players, protective goggles are increasingly being offered with tinted lenses and in popular sport sunglasses styles. This should reduce the temptation to pick up old sunglasses and use them; this can be a very dangerous practice, as they are not designed to withstand the high velocity pellets fired from some of the better airsoft guns and may shatter if hit. Although some protection is better than none, it is highly recommended that airsoft players only wear eye protection certified for airsoft or paintball use; military grade glasses are also available.
Better Safe than Sorry
The potential for serious eye injury while playing or watching airsoft should not be ignored. With the advancements in airsoft gun technology, most importantly muzzle velocity, this risk is not going to simply disappear. Therefore, both competitors and spectators should wear some type of eye protection. No one ever thinks that an accident could happen to them, but it simply isn’t worth the risk to find out if it will or not. That’s why it’s best to heed the warning of the old adage: “It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye.” Be safe and wear protective eyewear whenever near airsoft guns being fired.
To read more about airsoft sniper rifles and the sport of airsoft in general check out the blog: www.airsoft-sniper-rifles.com
Tags: airsoft armor, airsoft guns, airsoft masks
