Waterproof Evolve Bamboo GT - make your Bamboo GT electric skateboard waterproof

[@ulangreg]

You inspired me to waterproof my GTX too. I just added a few extra layers. Great video by the way. Thank you

[@odlanorirom]

...how about for the motors? is it ok for them to get wet?

[@digivizwiz]

Try black Sugru moldable glue, instead of blu-tak. It solidifies when dry, and blends in to the black of the board.

[@frederickderksen2929]

Butt... The *electric* motors can still drawn if water gets in.

[@MarcSneddon]

I don't get why you wouldn't just use a clear or black silicone sealant and a caulking gun - good strong seal with a bit of flex still... Would be fairly easy to remove if needed. Also, you may want to heat-wrap the wires where they're exposed to make a better seal into the battery case.

[@JamesCookeVlogs]

Yeah that is what I'm going to do, silicone sealant is a much better idea IMO.

[@AnimatedBibleandTheology]

Marc Sneddon James Cooke Did you guys try Silicone? Did it work well/better?

[@temporarymomentary]

Stick some masking tape first to make nice lines.

[@Berniz123]

I'm considering silicone too, anyone tried yet?

[@SeanOzz]

i was getting ready to leave this exact same comment!

[@rojitorroj9584]

Thanks a lot for the video. I have read over the net that the bearings are not sealed so the motors can be damaged and make weird noise after a wet ride. also do you think some corrosionx on the electronics could be convenient?

[@bbanl]

rojitor roj thanks for the additional information! I have no experience with that. In principle I avoid riding in the rain as it is not very pleasant with all the water from the wheels making your pants dirty but at least with some additional sealing I have much less stress if I have to ride over wet roads

[@Trinitics]

Very nice informative video. Thank you. I'm in Cape Town, and it's wet, wet, wet like the 90's band out here! I think I should get some blue-tack myself.

[@Prez613]

Ordered some blutac for my evolve gtx before the video was done. (Ottawa, Canada) Thanks for the info!

[@sonnyrivera498]

How about venting!? That battery needs air... I noticed the outside battery shield has heatsink molding, but is it vented?

[@Beakerzor]

great video! I need to do the same, living in Seattle there's water all the time, even when it's not raining. How do you plan to waterproof the motor itself? I might even try some heat-shrink on the wires going to the motors.

[@infoboothsnbeats5689]

Yes..any issues with the moter taking in water?

[@bbanl]

Info boothsnbeats No, I have not experienced it and on Internet I read that they are pretty waterproof so I am not going to do anything with them.

[@kmeon]

What about the motors ?

[@BigKidsOfficial]

I went through the smallest amount of water and somehow it made my esc think that I was out of battery and the alarm started going off and then just a small break while I was going full speed and that left me with a few scratches... not sure exactly what happened electronically but I sure dont want to experience that again. Thanks for your video and check out what we are up to on our channel, -Kage

[@PhotoDomVlogs]

How do you dry it out

[@bbanl]

PhotoDomVlogs I don't. I just hang it up in my hall. The water doesn't get in anymore

[@PhotoDomVlogs]

@@bbanl ok thanks

[@bbanl]

PhotoDomVlogs and the newer modes like the GTR are much better sealed

[@PhotoDomVlogs]

@@bbanl Yea, I was looking into getting one of the newer ones for that reason as i like to skate in the rain. I went out for a trip this afternoon and it was raining and i board didn't turn on afterwards. luckily it turn on a hour later.

[@Yeetusdeletus438]

Super useful living in the UK. Thank you :)

[@iliedobrovolschi8097]

Waterproofing the battery is good, and a must. I just put a carbon wrap over the entire board and battery pack... The other thing i was thinking about is Motors, they have holes on a side... what if water goes through there?

[@bbanl]

Ilie Dobrovolschi so far I have not experienced or heard of issues with water in the motors

[@wilhelmthomas4550]

Any idea on how to water proof the remote? (I can put it in a ziplog I guess, any other idea?) thanks. I wish evolve did come up with a water resistant design for the skate + remote. It is an expensive skateboard, they should come up with something.

[@bbanl]

Wilhelm THOMAS No, but so far that has never been an issue for us. But we try to avoid heavy rain. The waterproofing is to avoid issues when riding wet roads.

[@ketilreuschristensen7810]

What about the trucks and bearings? Won't they be damaged?

[@solomonjenkins9505]

yeah but you can look at regular longboard vids for that info :P i've heard ceramic bearings are key, and drying off your trucks afterwards will prevent rust. Also, water wheels are a thing

[@fredstah714]

are the motors waterproof?

[@rafalkura]

Hey, can you please confirm that all this actually works? so... only difference between GT and other waterproff boards its just area under board? motors are build that way that it's not a problem for them?

[@bbanl]

Worked like a dream for me. Never had a problem with it since fixing this issue with the board. But I generally try to avoid riding in the rain

[@iamalavalamp]

thanks for the vid. some of oz is wet! could you use black sugru instead? although its more expensive. it is removable. how often do you plan to open it? cheers

[@bbanl]

iamalavalamp I don't plan to open it often but you don't want to glue it closed

[@SiebevanPutten]

kan je niet beter een lijmpistool gebruiken? om de spleten te vullen?

[@bbanl]

Siebe van Putten dat kan, maar je wil hem ook open maken dus dichtlijmen is dan niet zo handig

[@SiebevanPutten]

bbanl dat klopt, ik heb zelf een meepo chinese meuk, wil een deckswap doen in het voorjaar. Hoe bevalt de evolve?

[@bbanl]

Siebe van Putten echt een super skateboard! Ik zou zeker voor de AT wielen gaan en de Carbon GT of GTX hebben een fantastische batterij voor eindeloos rijdplezier

[@StefanRink]

Got any trouble with your remote in rainy days? The display really hates it when water gets in it and my remote is slowly dying, every time it rains I loose a bit more of the screen...

[@bbanl]

Stefan Rink No, never experienced an issue

[@loopiewho]

hi i just bought my carbon gt 2 in 1 today have to wait for it to be delivered the board i have got at the moment is a wood board it has a dual motor and it is belt driven . in the rain because of the belt drive if the belt gets wet forget it its not going any where so i made a sort of guard from some plastic containers from food packing it works alot better and longer but in the end it gets wet and that's game over tis board only has street wheels of 87mm 52 wide and people always said to me oh it gonna slip it only slips in actual water puddled not just damp as i know this i go slow in water topped surfaces i bought the gt 2 in 1 today to get the all terrain wheels included i am really hoping that the belt on the gt does not have the same problem when it gets wet ? can you tell me if it does the same thing?. when the belt gets wet is it game over till it is dryed?

[@bbanl]

loopiewho no issues with the belt if it gets wet.

[@StefanRink]

Loopiewho, No problem with wet belt however the motor(s) will shut down when they get too wet! Water-tight it and 3d-print a cover for the motors may help a lot...

[@loopiewho]

well i am gonna vacuum seal mine in 2 inch thick Teflon then add an 3 foot bullet proof steel plate over that ,,,

[@loopiewho]

thank you for this info i still have to wait a week to get my gt i will wet proof it as best i can ,but i wont be going out in the rain , not unless someone invents working wind shield wipers for my glasses , nothing worst than rain on glasses ,i just cant see a thing so its game over

[@bbanl]

loopiewho agree. But nice to be able to go out or get home if the roads are wet without the fear of ruining your board

[@Berniz123]

Hello bbal, its been a year since you've done that. Is everything still working smooth? I'm thinking about doing this too. Some 3d printed splash guards and I'm set for unexpected rain riding ☔. Would be great to hear your 1 year later opinion! Thanks

[@bbanl]

Bernard Kudulis Good point Bernard! And yes, everything runs beautifully and I haven't had any problems on wet surfaces and we have used the board a lot, also when the roads were still wet.

[@VolkerSternemann]

Yes, THAT's some awesome stuff! Thanks for mentioning my question and also giving the answer directly to it! Yeah, that seems to work like a charm, even on cobblestones. One question is left (okay, now you should now that I always have questions :-) ): No water inside the board - okay. But how about the motors? Are they really waterproof?

[@bbanl]

Volker Sternemann 😂 You are welcome! And as I also wrote in an earlier comment below, I read on the Internet that the motors are pretty waterproof and I have not experienced issues with water in the motors. Happy cruising! 😃

[@leime8539]

ik ga ook een evolve bamboo gt kopen. ik heb gelezen op het internet dat gemotoriseerde vervoers middelen maag 16 km/u mag gaan. of dat je een boete kunt krijgen omdat het niet op openbaare straten mag gebruikt worden. heeft u daar ooit problemen mee geadt?. dank u wel.

[@bbanl]

Ik heb begrepen dat het niet mag en dat de politie je board in beslag kan nemen. Ik weet niet van een snelheids limiet maar onder 16 km/h zou ik toch niet willen rijden. Gelukkig lijkt de bamboo erg veel op een normaal skateboard dus zullen ze je niet snel aanhouden

[@rastafux0r]

Great video! Am off to buy some black blu-tack from my local hardware store tomorrow! Haha... Btw, what front lights R U using there?

[@bbanl]

Eugene Kee nothing special and not particularly good. Just something I got in the local cycle store. I have white and red lights so the board is visible at night

[@ashtran8632]

window putty will work better, you can remove it as well because its designed to be removal when you reglaze windows

[@yeeturmcbeetur8197]

I really enjoyed the vid. Think I'm about getting one of these boards. But a pro tip next time filming is to try to keep the go pro housing from rubbing up against anything while filming. It got hard to hear you at times and it overall reduces the quality of the vid. But still, nonetheless, I still found it very educational and will probably do something similar with a caulking gun and some black silicone.

[@bbanl]

Logan Landry Thanks for the love and the tip! 😃 (by the way, the clicking noise in the beginning is the rain drops falling on the gopro)

[@DrLeute]

Great video, many thanks. Just made my board water proof too :)

[@comptechnyc]

The reasons they don't make it waterproof, and they shouldn't is because two reasons: first is the safety, as probably as you've noticed, the street setup is very slippery on even damp asphalt, and second, is the fact that even if the board is waterproof, there is the issue with the motors, as they will get wet, and there's no way around that. Yes, you can have some custom motor guards/enclosure, but then it will make it even bulkier than it already is. I love my board, and i can't wait to ride every chance i get, and rainy days sucks, but it is what it is.

[@bbanl]

sebastian teulea I avoid riding in the rain but my carbon GT got a problem because of wet shoes!

[@dan4age]

these motors can run in water as there are no moving electronic parts

[@damien8577]

hi! nice and really interesting video, is your waterproof hack still doing the job?

[@bbanl]

damien8577 yes, sure! 🤙🏾

[@damien8577]

Nice one man and thanks for the quick reply! Really interested in buy the bamboo gt but since I live in UK I am a little bit concerned about the board not being waterproof...

[@bbanl]

damien8577 No worries, just make sure the front and back side doesn't have little gaps and you should be fine. My son rides it quite often on wet roads and we have not experienced issues yet

[@medinavictor85]

Why didn't you just leave the battery pack attached and slapped some clear silicone around it and called it a day? It would have been much easier and just as effective...

[@bbanl]

Victor Medina silicone gets hard and you do want to be able to open the cover. Having said that, now that you have seen my trial and error you can conclude (like I did at the start of the video) that fixing the front and the back without opening up the case will probably be sufficient. I had to find that out. Still, I feel more secure knowing there is a protective layer on the inside but it is a lot more work.

[@Berniz123]

So if I would go for silicone would it work? Have you tried?

[@13648523]

Awesome! Video. Do you think the motors will get damaged if you ride in the rain?

[@bbanl]

13648523 Happy you enjoyed it! I don't think the motors are that fragile. But I try avoiding riding in the rain but one can't always avoid wet roads and a bit of rain. These fixes should prevent damage.

[@MaxBreak]

I'm glad my Blu-tack idea worked, was just checking on the results, also il add to anyone reading this Blu-tack comes in other colors.

[@MaxBreak]

This is the only black tack i can find, UK ebay very cheap and comes in a thin ready to use roll, ive used it for waterproofing film cameras and for underneath audio equipment such as speakers and turntables as its very good at isolating vibrations, heres the link. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Black-Tack-extra-strong-blue-tack-1-2-metre-length-/272564338234?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368

[@Peace10427]

did you test it? Or do you often drive through the rain and on wet roads after sealing and checked after if it water in it

[@TheNestyCZ]

It is board still working waterproof? :)

[@bbanl]

TheNestyCZ yes, works like a charm!

[@TheNestyCZ]

I am interesting in e-board and evolve looks best but i am from czech and its rainy almost every second day so i dont know if its evolve best way to go :)

[@bbanl]

TheNestyCZ Hi, please realize that riding in the rain is not really a good idea. Normal skateboard wheels get very slippery and dangerous. Evolve have the off-road wheels. They are much safer, also for little holes in the road and stones (check out Casey Neistat videos, he crashes on his boosted board a lot due to the wheels). Riding in the rain makes you also pretty dirty due to dirt coming off the wheels. But, when it stops raining and the roads are not completely dry, the Evolve with my fix works like a charm. Personally I would never ride something else than Evolve. Also the battery life is so much better than anything else I have seen

[@TheNestyCZ]

I mean when starts raining i just want to get home and dont walk xy km with 8 kg longboard :D

[@bbanl]

TheNestyCZ yep. Go for the Evolve with All Terrain wheels. You will not be disappointed! On other skateboard you can't even go for 8km at high speed before the battery dies 😜

[@iancharless]

Carbon Gt or the Bamboo GTX and why?

[@bbanl]

Ian Charles We have both. The Carbon GT is a bit longer and much stiffer board. The battery in the board is very cool and even though the Carbon GT is a year older, our experience is that the battery is stronger so you get more milage. The GTX is reality very cool and gives you more the skateboard feel as the board is more flexible and playful. So both are really great boards but different characteristics. The new remote is a real game changer so make sure you get one or upgrade to the new one. By the way, we always ride on the All Terrain wheels. Much safer and more comfortable for everyday street use

[@chrisbarbz9238]

I would just use caulking and I bet it's way cheaper than blu tack and easier to apply.

[@adolfshitler8341]

It rains in winter in Australia, and sometimes in Summer, when it rains in summer it's bloody intense. Most the time it's dry about 7-8months a year. Which sucks because you get used to 40 degree weather and then winter comes and it's fucking freezing, like, 20 degrees I can barely fucking move

[@TheSoberOne4444]

Orrrr just get some weathering tape and some windshield sealant. I plan to completely waterproof my Hadean to where it can be submerged!

[@bbanl]

Sounds like a smart thing to do

[@DirectorDavoPaul]

Wish it was a little more 'tidy'..:) I can't put goo all over my board..:/

[@bbanl]

Music Media Group / Directed by Davo - I sympathise with you and I did look a bit messy. In the end, if you want to minimally tinker with your board you can buy 'black' blue-tack (l learned later) and carefully stuff some in the gaps on the front and back side of the battery cover to seal the gaping hole. Should be pretty neat and tidy and safeguard the integrity and coolness of the board. I just want to make sure no water comes in and ruins my expensive gear. A bit of goo around the edges is not my biggest concern as it is not really visible and intrusive from a 1 meter distance. Remember, in the video I get really up-close.

[@ttv_grylato]

You should just make a water proof bag.

[@MikkelNal]

you can use silicone conformal coating to water proof the electronic. www.amazon.com/dp/B008O9YIV6/ref=twister_B008UH3WB4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 it wil look much cleaner and wil probably be safer. sorry four bad englich

[@wilhelmthomas4550]

Cool Guy, this product seems really good, doy outhink that will also work for the remove, like how will you apply it as there is the screen? thanks.

[@ghostscalper6159]

Next steps: Let`s build some mud guards. And a windschield with wipers.

[@bbanl]

Ghost Scalper yes, mud guards are definitely not a luxury 😜😂

[@ghostscalper6159]

I found some right here if I may post it: evolveforums.com/threads/belt-cover-and-mud-guard-for-free-download.824/ Otherwise I think the Evole Carbon GT should be pretty much waterproof and suite your needs better.

[@unitedxhatersdownhate4813]

?? Blu tack is not waterproof

[@bbanl]

jko83 vp I am not going diving with my board 😜

[@vikp6115]

they can't afford to put a 10cent rubber gasket, that will envolves tapping into their pockets lol shit 2 k board that's not water resistant , that's a joke !

[@alterinql1095]

you are a joke

[@Beakerzor]

woot, i'm the first person to view!

[@bbanl]

Ha ha, indeed! Hot out of the oven :-). Thx for the comment and thumbs up! I don't waterproof the motor as I have not experienced issues with it and read on the internet that the motors are not really the problem. Take care!

[@Beakerzor]

yeah, after Boostedboards issue with just moisture and humidity causing their massive battery recall, it's very important to stop any kind of water, mist, or splashes far away from the battery area!

[@christiankellner787]

Why would I be so crazy to ride a skateboard That can go like 40km/h in the rain? Way to slippery!

[@bbanl]

Christian Kellner Ha ha 😂 Good point. I try to avoid it. But even if you ride on wet roads when it is not raining your board can get damaged. If you use your board for commuting you can't avoid riding sometimes on wet roads. By the way, with the AT setup wet roads are not slippery.

[@crobofab1]

bbanl this true, I found out the hard way last night which is why I’m here. I was surprised that the board didn’t slide once with the AT wheels.

[@apokalypso2163]

Waterproof ?? I don't Think so 😂