Too many options! Best protective padding??

[Arwen17]

What I need:
1. Need good knee bend. (aka not too tight or inflexible.)
2. Need to be able to do tight backspin positions for axel and double jumps. (aka not too bulky.)
3. Need the pad to not shift on me and remain in its proper position. (aka not too loose.)
4. Would prefer the pad to be fairly discreet. So I'm not advertising to the world that I'm a big chicken. My current waxel pads are great. You have to really be paying attention to notice they're under my skating pants. I have zero butt or hips, so having the waxel pads on just makes me look like a normal woman for once lol.


I've been reading a ton of old forum posts to try and figure out what the best options are: gel pads, foam pads, volleyball pads, wrestling pads were all mentioned in various places.

I'm currently looking at this stuff:
https://www.shop.kinziescloset.com/Bunga-Bamboo-Gel-Knee-Pads-Bunga-AKPB.htm
https://www.shop.kinziescloset.com/Padded-Skate-Shorts-Silver-Lining-SilverLiningShorts.htm
https://www.shop.kinziescloset.com/Padded-Skate-Capri-Pants-Silver-Lining-SilverLiningCapris.htm
I'm trying to decide if I should get the padded capris OR a seperate kneepad & padded-shorts combo. Thoughts?
The waxel pads work great, but I've found I'm also great at hitting the area BETWEEN the hip and butt pads some of the time. So I'm thinking about padded shorts that cover the entire area.

https://www.shop.kinziescloset.com/Unlimited-Motion-Protective-Elbow-Knee-Gel-Pad-UMElbowPad.htm
https://www.shop.kinziescloset.com/Unlimited-Motion-Palm-Protector-Carpal-Sleeve-SiliposGelSleeve.htm

Anyone have experience with any of these products? Are they flexible enough for double jumps and tight backspin positions?


I'm not worried about breaking anything. I just want something between my skin and the ice so I can avoid terrible bruises. I tend to fall HARD when I fall because I'm so tall, it's a long way to the ground. Then I can't skate because I wacked myself so hard.

The things I've smacked in the past that really hurt: elbows, knees, hips/butt, and wrists. So I want all of those areas covered well.

Right now I'm still struggling to fully rotate my axel and double jumps and it's because I just won't "go for it". I don't jump high enough and rotate fast enough to fully rotate the jumps because I don't want to fall. I keep my air position super loose and crunchy so that I'm "guaranteed" get out of the jump safely... instead of tucking in tight and letting myself fall on the landing, just like the kids do. I am more bold with my waxel pads on. They have definitely helped. But I still worry about hitting the area between the pads, which I've done before and I worry about hitting my knees/elbows/wrists, which means I don't fling myself into the air with all my might and no thought for the landing, which is what the kids do because they don't care if they fall.
We've tried the harness multiple times. It freaks me out more because I don't like being attached to something when I'm trying to jump. A pole harness would possibly work better for me since it's more "natural" and you can skate how you usually do into the jump, but we don't have any male coaches at our rink. Our female coaches do the little kids, but they can't do taller people on the pole.

[dlbritton]

I use McDavid hex elbow pads because they are very flexible. I use Ace volleyball knee pads because the McDavid hex knee pads were not large enough for my thighs (male with big calves and thighs) otherwise I would use the McDavid pads. If flexibility is a big issue I would recommend looking at the McDavid line (just google McDavid hex pad). Also the McDavid pads are fairly thin. They probably don't give quite as much protection as something thicker but seem adequate to me. I have never gotten a bruise on my elbows in a fall. I am not sure if that is because of the pad or because I have never hit my elbow in a fall. I usually go forward and hit my knees and wrists.

For wrist protection I would recommend something with a splint such as wrist guards from a skateboard/inline skate shop. I see the palm protector you reference states it can be worn under splints so it obviously does not include a splint. You said you weren't worried about breaking anything so a good palm pad may be sufficient.

I don't worry about appearance, it is my protection I worry about. I wear knee pads under long pants, elbow pads and wrist guards with a short sleeve polo shirt and a Crasche head band. Sometimes I feel like a lightly protected hockey player rather than a figure skater.

[Arwen17]

I use McDavid hex elbow pads because they are very flexible. I use Ace volleyball knee pads because the McDavid hex knee pads were not large enough for my thighs (male with big calves and thighs) otherwise I would use the McDavid pads. If flexibility is a big issue I would recommend looking at the McDavid line (just google McDavid hex pad). Also the McDavid pads are fairly thin. They probably don't give quite as much protection as something thicker but seem adequate to me. I have never gotten a bruise on my elbows in a fall. I am not sure if that is because of the pad or because I have never hit my elbow in a fall. I usually go forward and hit my knees and wrists.

For wrist protection I would recommend something with a splint such as wrist guards from a skateboard/inline skate shop. I see the palm protector you reference states it can be worn under splints so it obviously does not include a splint. You said you weren't worried about breaking anything so a good palm pad may be sufficient.

I don't worry about appearance, it is my protection I worry about. I wear knee pads under long pants, elbow pads and wrist guards with a short sleeve polo shirt and a Crasche head band. Sometimes I feel like a lightly protected hockey player rather than a figure skater.

Thanks! I'll look into some of these!
You've probably just never hit your elbow yet or the pad protected you enough not to feel it. The hips/butt and knees get hit the most often. But occasionally it will happen to the elbow too. Elbow usually happens when you fall kinda sideways and your elbow gets hit instead of your hand breaking your fall. Worst elbow fall I've ever had jarred my entire forearm and hand. I basically managed to fall sideways out of a jump in a way that the elbow and my side hip took most of the impact. I think the elbow was the first to hit the ground, so it took even more impact than the hip. I wasn't moving fast or anything, it's just the fact that I'm not a cute 5-year-old midget. When I fall, it's a long way to the ground at 5'9 height. Only one other girl at our rink is 5'10. Everyone else is about 5'5 or usually significantly shorter.

Order of frequency: hips/butt, knees, then less often elbows and hands.
Hands are usually a result of trying to catch yourself when falling, but I've also occasionally smacked my hand against the ice just from uncontrolled flailing when falling. That also can really hurt, depending how far away from the ground you were.


I wish that figure skaters could get padded up like a "light" hockey player. XD At least for those of us who are struggling with learning the jumps at first. I'm not the only one, though most of the girls are NOT scared and just go for it. But there is one girl (maybe 12 or 13?) and you can tell she's scared. That's the only reason she doesn't have her axel yet. She's doing exactly what I do. Not fully committing to the jump with a tight rotational position. Keeping the position super loose in order to land on her feet at the end, which causes under-rotation.

But yeah, because 99% of girls just go for it and hardly ever wear any kind of protective gear (except maybe discreet butt/hip pads sometimes), you feel really embarrassed if you try to wear stuff. The only people I ever see wearing kneepads etc at our rink are old ladies during public sessions. Totally understandable and smart of them to do that. But that means "protection" gets associated with the "old and weak" or "cowardice" if you're young, fit, and have no age-excuse.

Specific pads seem to be totally acceptable if you're fully rotating your jumps and just hitting one particular spot a lot. AKA I've seen a girl wearing a single elbow pad for axels because she tends to hit the elbow hard and nothing else. Or someone will wear a single hip pad for a hip they often keep hitting. That's not seen as "cowardice" since you're already doing the jump, you're just trying to "perfect" it. Constantly under-rotating a jump and being padded up like a hockey player is what would be seen as "overkill" and "coward".
I'm planning to skate in the mornings or the public sessions where other figure skaters rarely come so I don't have to feel self-conscious lol. And if it works out eventually, then maybe I'll try it on a crowded freestyle session in full view of everyone.

[AgnesNitt]

I use Skaatingsafe knee pads--the thick ones. With those I can stick them anywhere for whatever I'm working on. I hold them in place by wearing below the knee capris. I can put the pads on the hips, the butt or the knees in any combination.

[Query]

I've already expressed my opinion that sufficient gentle fall practice can largely eliminate the need for padding - but that there is nothing wrong with wearing padding. If I was doing something really dangerous, I might consider it.

Not padding, but I would suggest you wear long sleeves and long pants or tights to prevent skin abrasion. A body suit on a lady can be quite stylish, and shouldn't embarrass you at all. (I suppose that at upper activity levels, skin suits might be too warm.)

Many of the best figure skaters where I skate wear foam head bands, of various sorts. Clearly, they aren't embarrassed by them. And some wear hip or thigh pads  without embarrassment.

Why do you care what the other girls think? I think it is better, and more fun, to figure out what you want for yourself, and not to worry too much about what others think.

Most (about 3/4 of) competitive figure skaters are skating with bone fractures - based on a University of Delaware study. A lot of figure skaters also skate with sprains, strains and bruised muscles. Those things must interfere with performance. If you can do something that can prevent those problem, like wearing padding, that is way more important than the opinions of the other girls at the rink. Anyway, if padding helps make you a better skater, that is much more impressive than looking stylish. If kids are laughing at you, show them what you can do, and they'll stop laughing - probably. If not, laugh with them.

In other words, don't hide the padding - flaunt it, and show that you aren't embarrassed or intimidated by the opinions of fools. If you are confident you won't get hurt, you can throw yourself fully into learning new skills, and learn them faster. Your avatar makes it clear you are happy to flaunt your hairdo, regardless of what those of more conservative taste might think - why not do the same for what you need to feel safe? E.g., hot pink padding on the outside of a black cat suit? Etc.

I suppose some figure skating judges might care - so by the time you get to your test or competition, you may want to get rid of the padding, and obviously the last few practices should be without anything you won''t wear at the test or competition, because it might affect the way you feel or move. But during the early stages of training for a test or competition, that's irrelevant.

One other situation might matter - if you coach, some kids might avoid someone who protected themselves like old ladies. But I suspect enough parents would appreciate the use of padding to make up for that, as long as you don't go overboard. (Of course, the hot pink padding against a cat suit outfit wouldn't be conservative enough to make it obvious you are a coach. That was just a suggestion, which might not be your style.)

[Query]

BTW, padding is not black magic. It's nothing but basic physics. The fundamental way it works is to reduce the force / unit area, by increasing area, or decreasing force. The expensive brand names mean nothing.

It does this one or both of two ways:
1. It spreads out the impact over a greater surface area.
2. It cushion the impact, by squishing down gradually (with resistance) to absorb the impact over a greater distance, which reduces force.

Gel and liquid filled pads only do #1. The gel or liquid moves around until the pad touches a greater area of your body.

Foam filled pads do both. Initially, they do #2 - but, as they deform, more and more of your body comes in contact with the foam, so the area increases as well.

(Hard shell pads, like you see on some Rollerblade knee and helmet pads, or helmets, are more complex. They mainly work by doing #1. In some cases, they also are shaped to keep the impact away from the most vulnerable bone, like right at the knee or elbow. But the good ones also use compressible padding underneath to do #2. Probably overkill for your purpose, and very obvious in appearance as well.)

(All padding also tends to reduce skin abrasion, by interposing something between your skin and the object, so, for example, the ice can't slide against or scratch your skin. Probably not important if it is already under clothing.)

I suggest you buy a cheap flat foam camping pad like https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-Blue-Camp-Pad/634956813. I've been using one to make insoles in athletic shoes and skates, for fit and to absorb impact. Works very well. (It mats down over the course of a few months, and needs to be replaced - but I doubt you will fall often enough for that to happen.)

Try it - hit your knees or hips hard through it. (I just tried it.) I think you will find that nothing is hurt or bruises. That tells me that it has about the right consistency, thickness, and degree of compressibility.

So cut up pieces to fit where you need them, and slip it under (or over) clothing. A few stitches with a needle and thread will hold it in place. (I would avoid fabric glue, because if you ever want to remove it, stitches are easier to remove.) It is possible that in certain places, like your hip, you don't need to sew - the shape of what is around it won't let it move. Maybe you could do that around your knee and elbow too - if you use a scissors to shape the pad a little to be concave and fit against your knee or elbow.

If you do want to be discrete - that would be done by feathering (thinning) the edges, so there is no obvious boundary under your clothing where the padding ends. (You can thin it with a scissors.)

(Of course, no padding is going to look exactly like skin, muscle and bone. When you wear tight fitting clothing, you can see the movement of these things under the clothing. For example, you can see which muscles contract.)

Simple, cheap, removable, and designed to be skin-safe. (Though, as with anything that goes against your skin, you might be allergic - so test it.) And you can adapt it to the size and shape of the body parts you want to protect. I suspect it will be better than anything you can buy.

Unless - if you  wear translucent clothing over it, you might want padding whose color matches your skin. Maybe you could spray paint it to match - or maybe you would be better off with skin tone padding like you selected.

But it does sound like money is burning a hole in your wallet, and wants to be spent on something more expensive. I suspect any of the things you selected would do about or almost as well as a cut up camping pad. (Note: I've tried gel filled insoles in shoes - didn't work all that well. So I'm not sure how well the gel-padding will work. OTOH, some people in this forum have used gel padding at the tops of shoes.) Like I said, it's just basic physics; they will probably work too. So go ahead if that's what you want.

[dlbritton]

I suppose some figure skating judges might care - so by the time you get to your test or competition, you may want to get rid of the padding, and obviously the last few practices should be without anything you won''t wear at the test or competition, because it might affect the way you feel or move. But during the early stages of training for a test or competition, that's irrelevant.

Not trying to hijack this thread , but do judges care about skaters wearing protective clothing?

I am going to test pre-bronze MITF this summer and hope to start competing in the fall. I wear knee pads under long pants, elbow pads with a polo shirt but will probably wear a long sleeve shirt for test/competition, black wrist guards that blend with black gloves and a Crasche that looks like a large headband so there is no blatantly obvious protection although the items are noticeable if you look close.

[Arwen17]

Just went to the local sports stores and walked through all of the different sections seeing which sports I could steal padding ideas from.
Here's what I found:
Nike Streak Volleyball knee pads: https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/nike-adults-streak-volleyball-knee-pads
BCG Basketball Shooting Sleeve: https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/bcg-adults-basketball-shooting-sleeve#repChildCatSku=104503059
P-TEX Adjustable Wrist Support: https://www.golfgalaxy.com/p/p-tex-adjustable-wrist-support-17pteuptxdjstblwrspm/17pteuptxdjstblwrspm

I also considered buying the Adidas Padded Compression Short Knee Sleeve: https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/adidas-padded-compression-short-knee-sleeve-17adiudpdcmpshrtkbka/17adiudpdcmpshrtkbka
because I was worried the Volleyball knee pads might be too thick and get in the way of a tight backspin position, but they turned out fine.

The Adidas knee sleeve had slightly thicker padding than the McDavid Hex knee pads. I tried on everything in store and all of the McDavid brands had really, really thin padding and I didn't like it. The padding I chose is nice and thick while still being really flexible and comfortable. It didn't get in the way of my spins or jumps. I tried wearing the Nike volleyball knee pads under my skating pants and over the top of them, it is comfortable either way. Wearing them outside the pants means you don't have to go into the bathroom to take them off. Wearing them inside the pants disguises them to the same degree as having your waxel pads in your pants.
The basketball sleeve and wrist support are easily hidden by hoodie or jacket and gloves.


Ultimately, it's a lot cheaper to steal from other sports than it is to buy specific skating pads from skating stores online.
And the bonus of going into a local store is you can feel how thick or thin the padding is, and try it on to see how tight or loose it is.


@Query
As far as padding being a "crutch", I've never had that problem personally. I often forget to put on the padding before starting jumps.
There's days when I'm feeling shaky and want my padding immediately, but other days where I totally forget about it.

I always wear skating pants, jacket, and gloves, so I've never had a problem with skin abrasion, just bruises. And no matter how hard I've fallen on various body parts, I've never broken anything. Just really bad bruises and the rare sprain.

P.S. my avatar is Queen Regina Mills from OUAT. I look nothing like her.

Not trying to hijack this thread , but do judges care about skaters wearing protective clothing?

I am going to test pre-bronze MITF this summer and hope to start competing in the fall. I wear knee pads under long pants, elbow pads with a polo shirt but will probably wear a long sleeve shirt for test/competition, black wrist guards that blend with black gloves and a Crasche that looks like a large headband so there is no blatantly obvious protection although the items are noticeable if you look close.

From what I've read on the interwebz, there has been other adults who tested in padding and the judges didn't mind. Especially since you're doing the Adult test track and not the standard track.

[Loops]

Arwen17, after breaking my tailbone, I went through this a couple of years ago.  I did exactly the same as you and decided stealing from other sports was the way to go.  I went roller derby, then motorcycle (yeah, really!).  I bought a pair of padded shorts that turned out to be too small, but since they came from the netherlands it was too expensive/complicated to exchange them.  At some point I'm going to pull the padding and put it on a pair of shorts that fit.  I sew, so this is something within my comfort zone, I recongize that it's not for everybody.  I ended up getting a gel insert for a motorcycle jacket (https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/icon-d3o-back-protector-insert) and cutting it to the dimensions of the skatesafe coccyx pad.  I think I've more or less created a waxel pad for myeslf.  It works well.  the gel feels stiff when I put it on, but my body heat softens it and it deffo absorbs impact.  I've thought about putting the leftovers into a headband to create an icehalo for myself, but since I don't jump anymore, my falls are mostly on the ahem, already well padded parts.

I also thought about getting from a pharmacy supplier a sheet of gel padding: https://www.vivomed.com/en/Patterson-Medical-Gel-padding-64mm/m-8139.aspx  to cut up, but I haven't had to go there yet.  Don't let thinness fool you- I was surprised myself at how protective some of the skimpy looking pads were, and how unprotective some of the big foamy things were.

I've already expressed my opinion that sufficient gentle fall practice can largely eliminate the need for padding - but that there is nothing wrong with wearing padding. If I was doing something really dangerous, I might consider it.

Not padding, but I would suggest you wear long sleeves and long pants or tights to prevent skin abrasion. A body suit on a lady can be quite stylish, and shouldn't embarrass you at all. (I suppose that at upper activity levels, skin suits might be too warm.)

Query, I'm not going to let you get by with this quote above.  I jumped a lot as a kid, axels and was working on doubles when I quit.  Believe me, you can not always control how you fall.  I took some pretty hard hits, as did everyone else at my club. Long sleeves and tights don't always cover it.  I've put holes in both.  This was before the days of padding (and harnesses), and we used to stuff mittens down the sides of our tights to give a little extra to our hips.  No one on the ice cared what we looked like, we cared about the deep bruising from repetitive hits.  Arwen is talking jumps, big jumps that require full commitment to even hope to complete, and if you miss, it's never a "gentle fall" (and yes, I recognize that you were talking about practice). Ask Jeremy Abbott, and the entire world who watched his hit at Sochi.  Pretty sure he's had lots of practice falling.

[Query]

Query on May 27, 2018, 07:33:25 PM
I've already expressed my opinion that sufficient gentle fall practice can largely eliminate the need for padding - but that there is nothing wrong with wearing padding. If I was doing something really dangerous, I might consider it.

    Not padding, but I would suggest you wear long sleeves and long pants or tights to prevent skin abrasion. A body suit on a lady can be quite stylish, and shouldn't embarrass you at all. (I suppose that at upper activity levels, skin suits might be too warm.)

Query, I'm not going to let you get by with this quote above.  I jumped a lot as a kid, axels and was working on doubles when I quit.  Believe me, you can not always control how you fall.  I took some pretty hard hits, as did everyone else at my club. Long sleeves and tights don't always cover it.  I've put holes in both.  This was before the days of padding (and harnesses), and we used to stuff mittens down the sides of our tights to give a little extra to our hips.  No one on the ice cared what we looked like, we cared about the deep bruising from repetitive hits.  Arwen is talking jumps, big jumps that require full commitment to even hope to complete, and if you miss, it's never a "gentle fall" (and yes, I recognize that you were talking about practice). Ask Jeremy Abbott, and the entire world who watched his hit at Sochi.  Pretty sure he's had lots of practice falling.

Of course I can only speak for myself - and I never did doubles - at best, very bad singles. (And yes, I've sometimes fallen out of them.) (Though I have also practiced falls while doing sports that involve some degree of force, like downhill skiing and rollerblading on hilly roads with curbs.) What I would say is that the falls taught  by the major US skating organizations don't seem particularly gentle to me. Also that falls practiced by competitive athletes tend not to be gentle, because they are doing them in the context of that competition - e.g., either they are trying very hard not to fall, or they seek to return to their feet in one fluid motion, without missing more than a beat or two. That means they keep a little too much tension in parts of their body to be as gentle as possible. And that relatively few competitive skaters practice falling in all possible directions - e.g., they do all their practice falls in one directions. At the early stages of practicing a new difficult move, it is largely impossible to confine ones accidental falls to one direction.

Since, in a competitive sport, many people are going to choose falls that aren't very gentle, it makes sense (to me) to practice both optimally gentle falls, and falls one will use for competitions. And I'm a fanatic about it - by now I've probably spent a few thousand hours in fall practice.

I also recognize some falls can't be made completely safe. Especially in Dance and Pairs, where lifts and throws occurs, and where your head might be so close to the ice, and moving so fast relative to it, that you might be physically able to react in time, even with practiced reflexes. And realistically, dangerous looking things that are flashy are the most exciting to watch, and it is hard to make something look dangerous without actually being somewhat dangerous.

So, upon occasion, I have used padding. That doesn't embarrass me. I don't see why it would.

I do think that some of the judges that I've met who worry about "appropriate clothing" would quietly penalize a skater who dressed like a hockey or football player.

[Leif]

I know this is an oldish thread, however I have worn pads for a quite some time now and would not skate without them. They all use some form of padding but in my experience the best use smart foams based on non Newtonian fluids. Basically these are squishy when pushed with a finger, but on impact they harden, and absorb/spread the impact. I think D3O was the first, but there is also an American equivalent called G-Form which I think is a rip off (patent workaround) but I'm not sure. These materials can be thinner than other pads for the same protection, and more flexible. I have Demon shorts, and Xion boxer shorts from Holland. In America you're probably better off with G-Form, or Demon. They are fantastic.

I also have some Forcefild knee pads, which are nowhere near as good as D3O, as they are too hard. Good for motorcyclists though.

I don't agree that you can fall in such a way as to prevent harm, at least not consistently. At high speed, falls don't hurt, I just sprawl. It's the low speed falls that hurt, and if your legs are taken out, and your backside heads icewards, you're gonna be in pain without pads. I've had one day off work due to a fall which is one day too many. The morning after I tried to get out of bed and stand up, and screamed out loud. I spent the rest of the day crawling round the house. Fortunately recovery was quick.

As for feeling silly, I felt far more silly crawling round the house, trying not to scream from the pain than I do skating with discrete underclothing pads. Most people do not know I wear them.

[Pandora]

I use bubblewrap. Yes, bubblewrap. Small bubbles, not large ones. It is a bit sweaty, but I don't really notice that until I take them off. I do double jumps (sometimes not very well)  and this has saved me from some really horrible injuries. (I have also done artistic inline and fallen on doubles on outdoor cement at a skatepark so it definitely works.)

Cut bubblewrap into squares big enough to cover knees. Tape them to over knee with medical tape, then side a nylon stocking (regular panty hose, not skating tights) with both sides cut off (so it is a nylon "sleeve," a pantyhose should be able to make 2 of these for each leg that you cut). Slide sleeve over the taped pad to hold it in place, then pull skating tights or pants over it. I don't tape directly over my skin. Usually I put on my skating tights, then tape up the bubblewrap and slip on the nylon sleeve, then pull up my skating pants. It works. Pads are extremely light, flexible, and almost unnoticeable. I use this padding every time I skate including competitions.(I skate Adult Gold & Intermed/Novice Compulsory Jump & Spin events.) I've won 1st place wearing this padding so either the judges didn't care or they didn't notice it. I also cut squares to cover my elbows and use a sleeve (made of a thicker adult woman's stocking material, not pantyhose, but a thicker nylon stocking with both sides cut off. Cotton stockings are too thick. It needs to be a thin sleeve.)

So I have used bubblewrap over my knees and elbows for years and have avoided serious injury despite having some god-awful falls. (Knock on wood).
Obviously, this only works for knees and elbows. I used to have a butt pad (brought online), but now my own butt is so padded, I don't need it. (Ice cream). 

Upside to Bubblewarp: Very flexible, Very good at breaking impact, Not Very Noticable
Downside to Bubblewrap: Sweaty (usually don't notice until after skating), Not resuable (must throw away and cut new pads each session), Expensive over time (must buy new rolls of bubblewrap and med tape), not horribly expensive in themselves, but it is an ongoing expense.

Not sure why some ice skaters are so "anti-padding." Back in my old rolller days, all of us wore it because the wood/cement would scrape your skin off (and there was no "slide" to disperse the impact (like on ice).

[Leif]

I recently bought some g-form elbow pads, and they are excellent. They would be ideal for figure skaters as they can be worn under clothing without being obvious.

[Loops]

I am now going through this padding thing again, this time for the knees.   I took a pretty big fall in the beginning of december (crossed blades with a girl on my synchro team) and badly bruised a meniscus that was already in bad shape.  I'll probably have to have an MRI in a couple of weeks (any finger crossing is very welcome!!!).  Thankfully this happened close enough to the holiday rink closure to prevent my missing too many practices!

In the meantime, I need to prevent against future knee hits.  I don't fall often in synchro, and can usually control it to land on a more well padded region, but if I hit this knee again, I'm probably done for the season.  I've ordered some gel knee pads (https://www.justforkix.com/dance/BH1650-bunheads-gel-knee-pads.html?i=1&q=knee%20pads&qi=59331454), and if they're not enough am planning to get some D30 knee inserts to go underneath them. 

Arwen17, I'm just wondering what you would up doing? Are you happy?