Until sex is a sport, this is the best one going! (Airsoft Skirmishing in General)

Member Name: demonbarak

Product:	Airsoft Skirmishing in General
Date:	21/07/08 (51 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good workout, fun, always different

Disadvantages: Can be expensive to get kit

Ever been paintballing? Because if you thought THAT was good, you really need to try airsofting.
First off, a rundown of what exactly airsoft IS.
Its a wargame effectively - you have two sides running around with guns trying to shoot eachother. With a twist on paintball. Rather than trying to eliminate the other team, you have objectives. So, you can be playing a defensive game, where you're trying to stop the opposite team from capturing a specific part of the site, or a hostage... the limits of the games is as far as your marshalls imagination will take you.
At my local site its very rare to see teh same scenario twice - we have a fantastic set of marshalls, who, despite their fascination with - and i quote - "boomsticks" (grenades to you and me) always manage to challenge us and make the days enjoyable.
Now, what you can expect during a day is hard to describe, but generally, speaking you can expect to be shot at, occasionally hit, expect to be battered and exhausted at the end of teh day, but most of all, expect a massive adrenaline rush when you first make contact with the enemy.
This isn't a contact sport as such, but i've heard other players say its more of a rush than jumping out of a plane. I've also heard players say its better than sex - which I don't agree with, but until THATS made a sport, i'll say its the most fun you can possibly have while getting fit!

Equipement wise, there's a massive range avaliable, from pistols all the way to heavy machine guns, and nigh on everything inbetween. Its reccomended that you get an AEG (Airsoft Electric Gun) the most common of which are assault rifles. Sites have a set limit on the speed BB's can travel - usually around 350 feet per second. Most people own their own camoflage kit - usually ex army 95DPM pattern. Chest rigs, such as those made by ARKTIS or VIPER are also fairly esssential - especially if you plan on taking more than one magazine of ammunition into a game!
Eye protection is a must - I've taken enough accidental hits to the face that could, in differenct circumstances, have caused some fairly major damage to my eyes. Thankfully, the marshalls at my local site won't let you play without at least eye protection, and so i can still see fairly well.
Generally speaking, this sport isn't just for the fit or the insane - I've seen everyone from a 30 stone middle aged man down to a father and his 8 year old son play, and nobody has a bad word to say about the sport. It's not quite a family thing, but it's a fantastic way to get out with your friends, let off some steam and give you a good excuse to pile into the pub afterwards!

On another note, this is NOT a sport to be used for attacking any ethnic group or other, its all for fun, and as a skirmisher I try not to take offence or give it while gaming - its all about having a good time and not, as advertised in some national papers, an excuse to "shoot at arabs."

Edit : Somebody asked in a comment what you fire - most people use a 0.2g ceramic BB. There are variable weights, but everyone is expected to conform to site limits with a 6mm 0.2g set of ammunition.
There are also litererally dozens of sites around the country - if you want to know some good ones, please, feel free to PM my, or check out my team site (based in bristol) at www.swbu.co.uk

(EDIT : After filming for a promo video, The following links are photos of some of the stuff during teh day. The guy closest to teh camera in teh first picture is me. http://www.ultimateairsoft.co.uk/forumpics/tlsfx/t heyarealldead50per.jpg
http://www.ultimateairsoft.co.uk/forumpics/tlsfx/ smallbridgebang50per.jpg
http://www.ultimateairsoft.co.uk/forumpics/tlsfx/ hoochbang2notchanged50per.jpg
http://www.ultimateairsoft.co.uk/forumpics/tlsfx/ cableblast2andahalf50per.jpg

Hope you enjoy!)

Summary: Airsoft - the grownup version of paintball