One can move on ice indoors or outdoors, even in frozen bodies of water. Many skaters sometimes prefer to skate on a frozen pond rather than on man-made indoor ice rinks, for the inherent fun in skating on naturally-occurring ice surfaces. It must be remembered though that whenever you skate on frozen waterways, there are intrinsic dangers that you should be aware of.

The most important risk when skating on frozen ponds is that of falling onto broken ice. This happens whenever a skater unknowingly glides on weak ice. This can be fatal, as it is very difficult to climb out of the freezing water with the weight of the thick garments and the ice skates. Skaters risk drowning and suffering from hypothermia with these falls, especially when they are skating alone on frozen bodies of water. Natural ice is very unpredictable; it can crack even when you think it has sufficient thickness to accommodate your weight. To decrease this risk of falling into freezing water, you will need to avoid the edges of rivers, ponds, or lakes, because edges harbor vegetation, and therefore the temperature in these areas is higher, and higher temperatures mean thinner and weaker ice. Also avoid areas which are receiving sunlight the most, as the temperature is higher also in these areas. To personally check if the ice is hard enough, you can throw rocks, sticks or stones on ice, to see how much pressure and weight it takes for the ice to break.

Another disadvantage of skating on frozen ponds is the absence of railings on the side, which prove to be very helpful for the beginners out there for balance. Railings are available in indoor rinks for support and for skating along. In frozen ponds, however, you risk falling on your bottom and possibly injuring yourself because of the absence of support.

Skating on frozen ponds also require thicker clothing than those used in indoor rinks, as the temperatures are far lower in naturally occurring rinks. Thus, inches upon inches of clothing should be worn to adequately keep you warm. These offer an added benefit in that they give protection if you fall.

Nothing may beat the awesome feeling of one skating on a frozen pond while the snow is falling, but it is definitely much safer is you skate on a real ice skating rink. Come to think of it, you can have fun with friends, while at the same time avoiding the potential dangers, when you choose real ice skating rinks instead. Safety is a must.

Drew Mers is a marketing consultant to the World Ice Arena ice skating rink in Flushing, Queens, New York.

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