Like most board sports the Onewheel can cause injuries, some due to the users and others due to environmental or technical issues. It it therefore recommended to learn about the safety features of the board and wear the appropriate safety gear to prevent injuries. Through the guilde, we will not only teach you how to ride, but how to do it safely.
When it comes to board sport the safety gear is fairly the same. The bare minimum a rider should have is a good helmet and wrist guards. Other protective gear to include are elbow and knee guards which are good to have esspecially when first starting out learning to ride. Here is an official Future motion safety video:
Similar to any board sport its important to find out which is your dominant foot, and that's what you want on the back foot pad. The front foot pad is the one that has 2 sensors and your foot would need to cover both sides to engage the board. As you place both feet on the board and lift up the board will engage and balance. Disengaging the board requires you to lift your front foot off one side of the sensor pad which then bring the nose down. The videos bellow describe how to do so:
By now you know what is your preferred foot placement, the next step is to find out how placing your feet in different position on the board affects your control. Jake from the Float Life explains in great detail on this below:
Body movement is the key. Hip movement is the main way to accelerate and reverse on the board, it allows you to keep your head above the wheel which gives you the best balance. Toe and heel movement is how you trun like with any other board sport along side having your arms up to aid your balance. The below videos expand more on this:
This is the main safety feature of the board, it is caused by overexerting the motor and it is there to prevent the rider from getting seriously hurt and damaging the motor. Like all e-vehicles the onewheel has its limits and understanding them is important to keep you from damaging the board and most importantly yourself. Below are videos explaining why it happens and how to avoid it.
Everyone has different experiences with the onewheel, some pick it up more naturally and with others it takes time. However, with patience and practice you'll start to build confidence and gain the muscle memory to comfortably ride better with each instance.