| Ice
skating can be dangerous whether indoors or outdoors because of the
risk of a skater falling and injuring themselves. However, when skating
outdoors the risks increase because natural ice can be unpredictable in
its strength and structure. Here are just some of the factors to be considered
when ice skating outdoors:
 The
temperature is usually higher near the river or lake edge where there
is vegetation, so this can make the ice thinner and less strong.
Another
place where the temperature is often warmer is under bridges. So look
out for weak ice there too.
Always look
for the side of a river or lake which the sun shines most on. It will
usually be weaker.
Ice
floes can also create instability too and because they can't always
be seen, this makes them a serious danger to skaters.
The
wind will sometimes blow holes in a solid ice surface. These holes freeze
over but often later than the ice that surrounds them. Again this makes
for weak spots.
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