This was knicked from the London Rollergirls - thought it was good advice and wanted to share - thanks LRG (no sense in recreating the wheel!) --- Have added a few bits though!

[hr]

So you're thinking about joining us. Awesome! If you don't already have kit we usually say you should just come and watch for your first practice, meet us, see what we do and decide if it's for you. We have hire skates in limited quantity and some spare pads, but it's a bit rubbish and stinky. It's much better if you have your own. After that (once you're hooked...) this is what you'll need:

SKATES (duh)
You want quad skates. Two wheels in front, two wheels behind. You can pick up a half decent pair of starter skates from Argos or skate shops or ebay for around £30-£40, and you probably shouldn't spend any more than that unless you want to dive straight in with a pair of (sexy leather, or vinyl for vegans) Riedell derby skates. They'll set you back £100-£150, but oh they're worth it. You can't buy proper roller derby skates off the shelf in the UK (yet!), so don't worry about spending extra cash on Cobras or the Roller Derby brand, they may look better but they're not worth it. Don't buy the hard plastic skates that come halfway up your shins, they can cause nasty injuries. Fabric or vinyl ankle boots are fine.

HELMET
Any skate helmet is fine. Bike helmets are usually not (but you can use your skate helmet as a bike helmet!) Probably £15-£20.

WRISTGUARDS/ELBOW PADS/KNEEPADS
You need 'aggressive' or 'vert' skate pads. As thick and padded as you can get. We fall, we fall a lot, and we fall hard. Your knees will thank you. Anarchy or TSG brand pads are probably the best starter pads widely available in the UK, you want the type with the full neoprene sleeve that goes right round your arm/leg. Anarchy triple-pack is NOT ideal, but an okay starter... once you really get stuck in you'll want to invest in a proper pair ... you're investing in your knees after all might as well make the plunge for some great protection! Look on Ebay or skate shops. You'll probably need to pay about £35 for the set, and it's a good idea to try them on so you can get a snug fit (loose pads slip and will do you no good)! Ask Sleazy Rider!

MOUTHGUARD
Cost about £1-£2 from sports shops and martial arts shops. You can still skate without one of these, but you won't be able to scrimmage or do any contact drills.

If you want specific advice/recommendations/have found a bargain on ebay and want to check it's kosher, post in this forum and we'll do what we can to help you. See you at practice!