Skate Guards Vs: Soakers

You just got your new skates, and they come with blade covers. The covers are very slim plastic ones. You are wondering if it is okay to use those guards instead of the other lager skate guards.
And you are wondering if you should get soakers as well, because a blade cover is a blade cover right? You know you're supposed to have them, but it should be okay to just dry the whole blade then put those hard blade covers on.

Soakers Vs. Skate Guards

It is imperative to keep your skates, and especially the blades, as dry as possible. Every time you take your skates off, you should dry them thoroughly with a towel. Then put on a pair of terrycloth soakers. Soakers absorb any water you missed and keep the blades dry between uses.

Soakers are what you put on your blades after you skate to protect them from rusting . Skate guards are for walking around in the skates on and off the ice.

You certainly need soakers. They are definitely a necessity when it comes to caring for your skates. They help prevent rusting and make your blades last longer. Soakers are the best for skate care. Once you take your skates off, dry them very well with an absorbent cloth. DO NOT put your guards back on, wait until your blades adjust to room temperature and then dry them off again. Because the blades are made of metal, they stay cold for a long time. As the shock of warm air hits the blades, they heat up quickly causing the metal to condense or "sweat,” the soakers absorb the water trapped from the blades. By putting the guards on when they’re still cold, this may cause a harmful rust to form on the blades. Soakers eliminate the hassles of continuous drying. They are innovative.

Any guards should fine. Personally, I prefer the heavy duty kind; however, it’s highly likely that the floors at your rink are lined with a hard rubber coating so there really is no need for heavy-duty guards for walking around right now. It is a matter of preference.

NEVER put hard guards on your skates while they are not being used, they will rust. This will ruin your blades and forces you to get your skates sharpened more often than you need to. The more you sharpen your blades, they don’t last as long. Hard guards are for when you are not skating and you're walking around the rink, or a hard surface.

The plastic blade covers are OK when for walking around in the skates on and off the ice, but the soakers hold the water in them as they need time to dry out. The skate guards shouldn't be on the blades all of the time because the hard plastic covers will promote rusting even if you think your skates and covers are dry.