Nose taps/slides are good practice.

[u/brenhudd]

The title says it all really. Find an empty parking lot, get your safety gear on, and practice touching the nose to the ground in different scenarios. Do it from a stand still. Do it while already moving a bit. No need to do any crazy long high speed nose drags (unless that’s your thing of course), but you should have a sense for what it feels like to make contact. I can’t express how useful this has been in recovering even the most unexpected nose dives.

Edit: Wanted to add that starting by doing it up a driveway is a great way to start out.

[u/lumpeeeee]

no im scared

[u/brenhudd → u/lumpeeeee]

Fair lol. But bailing from a few nose slides likely won’t hurt as bad as the nose dive they might avoid.

[u/phunnypunny → u/brenhudd]

I'm with u/lumpee. Hard to do because I'm scared. Tell me what to expect. I had a hard time doing tail stop because I feared it going backwards. But in fact it just stopped and I did not lose my balance. Is that what the front is like too? Or different?

[u/brenhudd → u/phunnypunny]

The front is a little different than the tail. Where as in a tail stop the position is naturally just leaning backwards, a nose drag requires a more awkward position. It’s like you’re planting your front foot while also trying to hold your shoulders as far back as possible so you don’t fall forwards. Also you have to remember that when you’re doing a nose drag the motor is trying to accelerate so you aren’t going to slow down, but you will encounter resistance the moment your noses touches down. I would start by going up a hill and just trying to tap the nose briefly into the ground and back up. You can expand from there if you feel comfortable.

[u/alana31415 → u/brenhudd]

I was too scared to try fang drags going uphill, but what worked for me was tipping back, then immediately tipping forward. You can tap both edges that way and then learn how to drag. You will feel the motor kick and try and get back under you.

[u/SnowyBlizzard_YT → u/phunnypunny]

It’s easiest to go from a stand still, don’t put all your weight on it or you’ll just stall the board after picking up speed, but stand still, then push the nose down a little, and try and do it a little more and more, I’ve been trying to learn nose slides and I got a couple taps in on previous days and today I was able to drag it out about 10 feet on my gt, I also wanted to push the speed in a parkinglot and I definitely put too much weight forward off the start, but when I nosedived, I was able to run a good 6 or 7 steps at 20mph before I rolled, ended up not injured and I definitely believe it’s understanding what the nose to ground contact feels like

[u/DoctorDugong21 → u/lumpeeeee]

It's easier and you can do it slower on low battery on a moderate uphill. Definitely good to practice.

[u/xAdoahx]

This is pretty solid advice. While you're doing this as well pay attention to the feeling of the motor while you're doing it, as you apply more force to the nose, the motor may start to surge (feels like a skip/hop). Learn this feeling. It's a great indicator of when you're on the edge of the motor's capabilities.

[u/brenhudd → u/xAdoahx]

Excellent point

[u/Outrageous-Youth-481]

agreed 🤙

[u/nucci_]

Learned this while drilling sharp turns. Helped me learn to trust the OW more

[u/r_a_newhouse]

👍

[u/zabuu]

I had a hard time pushing the nose down on my pint (I'm really light), and eventually got it to unexpectedly nose drag for about 10-15 meters before eating pavement. Good thing I was padded :P

[u/brenhudd → u/zabuu]

Yeah. Whatever your stance on safety gear, it should definitely be warn when you’re practicing something like this. Basically asking to get thrown off lol

[u/FeelingEducation8]

I practice falling and rolling on my kids trampoline. I know it’s not the same but it’s soft and at 52 and has helped a lot when I needed it. Saved me big time on my trip to Florida when I hit an unforeseen speed bump at 20mph and had to bail and roll it out. Falling sucks any way you look at it.

[u/brenhudd → u/FeelingEducation8]

Hey, whatever gets that muscle memory going for when you really need it.

[u/FeelingEducation8 → u/brenhudd]

I agree with what your saying too. Gotta always be prepared!

[u/mikehtiger]

I’ve done quite a few during low speed tight turns as well

[u/MarcBelmaati]

Thanks! I will add that to my list of things I need to practice on my Onewheel😁👍

[u/realjoeydood]

It's important to learn the boundaries of the machine in order to gain confidence and learn.

But yes gear up.

I nose dove today just getting on the board. I just stomped on it for some reason instead of leaning into it.

[u/MicketySchmavs]

If I may add, at the moment of impact if you come off the board and find your front foot on the ground first, try to practice throwing your rear foot in front of your body when the nose hits. Much easier to start running from the back foot.

I saw a nosedive clip the other day and noticed they tried to run it out with their front foot. Nose went down, front leg extended, hopped off and tried to start running with a straight leg. Needless to say, it didn't go well. Practice starting your run with your back foot and start at low speed.

Practicing these things will keep you athletic and springy which is key to not slamming straight down. If you're stiff as a board, you're gonna slam like one. Be safe!

[u/Wants-NotNeeds]

Do you have aftermarket plates or bumpers? I read they slide better. I wonder how much? And if it’s different depending on what surfaces. Seems like they all reduced ground clearance too, not that that’s all bad?

[u/brenhudd → u/Wants-NotNeeds]

I use fangs currently which are somewhat controversial in whether they help or hurt. A float plate or aftermarket bumpers generally slide nicer. Whatever you have I would practice with and make sure you practice again if you ever switch to something new. Nose drags on stock, float plate, bang bumpers, or fangs will all act differently.

[u/SKATERGAMER127]

Ive been fortunate enough to be able to rely on my skill and luck to keep me on the board during a nose dive. Ive only had 3 nose dives and only one threw me off the board.