25th Oct 2018
5 Things Airsofters Wish They Knew When They Started
Airsoft is a huge sport, there’s so many different things to learn, read about and understand. It’s not always possible to start off at the best point. Often, you end up learning a lot about what you should have and shouldn’t have done, way to late.
So, we spoke to some veteran airsofters and found out exactly what they wish they knew when they started the sport!
1.It’s Expensive!
It’s probably the golden rule of most hobbies, but it applies to airsoft with a vengeance. Airsoft is expensive. As a new player, you need to make peace with that.
Game days costs a minimum in most cases of £20. If you’re a regular player, you need to purchase BBs, Gas, maybe even grenades etc. Suddenly a day costs you £35 at best. Regularly playing once every 2 weeks, it’s suddenly a £70 a month hobby.
This doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of what you can spend your money on. There’s always going to be a new “shiny” toy to take your fancy. Make peace with the fact that you’re always going to want to buy something new.
That’s not to say the sport can’t be affordable, there are many people that don’t airsoft regularly (once every 2 months or so) and don’t buy loads of kit. It’s entirely down to you and your style.
2.“90% of what you buy is pointless”
Hot off the heels of no. 1, ninety percent of what you purchase is going to be pointless. It’s either just for looks, or it’s just something new to spend your money on.
Understand that, from the very beginning, you’re going to be purchasing things that ultimately have no point. That foregrip for you gun? There’s no recoil, so it’s not helping you handle the gun any better, it’s purely for looks. There’s a lot of things like this in airsoft and, it’s totally okay, as long as you’re aware of it.
A lot of the time, you’ll have your “core” gear sorted and you’ll branch off into trying something new. Maybe moved from an AR platform to an AK platform. You might think that this will be your new “thing”. Often it’s not the case and you end up going back to ol’ faithful.
3.Finding a solution to eye-protection fogging
The sheer level of fogging that you encounter on the field surprises a lot of new airsofters, I think they simply aren’t familiar with how exercise mixes with eye protection.
First things first, you need to ensure that there’s good ventilation around your eye protection (whilst still maintaining safety) and your breathing holes. If you pull a snood up over your mouth and your nose, your breath is going to simply work its way upward and fog up your glasses. If you must wear a mouth cover, keep it below your nose.
Next, get yourself some high-quality anti-fog solution. This is where we shamelessly plug one of our products, our anti-fog sprays and wipes.
Next, you simply need to accept that it happens. Even if the best ventilation and the best anti-fog, it’s still possible. If it happens, take a break, let it recede and get back to it.
You can read all about preventing eye protection from fogging up in our blog here.
4.Find a guide
As said at the very beginning of this article, there’s a lot to learn about airsofting. There’s nothing more helpful than having a friend show you the way. Especially if they’ve been airsofting for a little while longer than you. Learn from their mistakes and listen to what they’re saying. The chances are, they’re trying to save you hassle, money and time and generally just improve your experience.
However, don’t take everything your guide says as gospel, sanity check it with other sources. You can pick up some bad information very easily, so make sure you’re checking everything you hear with other sources, such as blogs, podcasts and reviews.
5.Don’t start by sniping
We’ve said this time and time again. Do not start airsofting by sniping. Sniping is an amazing part of airsoft. Watching your BB sail out to 100meters and tag an opponent is a neat feeling.
However, sniping is incredibly difficult. It takes a large budget, an appetite for getting techy, and the time to tinker with your rifle before and after every game until it’s perfect (not to mention patience). Whilst you might have these things as a new airsofter, you want to spend your first few games getting the ropes of playing, getting stuck in and making friends. It’s difficult to do that at the back of the field, or back in the safe zone because your gun’s stopped working.
Get yourself a reliable and enjoyable AEG that you can work with. It’ll be your rock and your back-up weapon for when you eventually decide to dabble in the dark art of airsoft sniping.