North Shore Paintball

I am an avid paintball player and I have never seen such a nightmare. First the paint they sell is awful. It is cheap and any gun owner knows cheap paint = bad shots. Secondly the refs will point out players for their friends. I’ve seen the refs giving hand signals to the regulars telling them where the others are

This place is great EXCEPT they really need to work on making women feel more welcome. Went with a mixed group and the guy giving the rules spiel first off referred to us all as «girls» which was crazy patronizing, (last I checked I was in my 30s dude). He also instructed the «big strong men» we were with to «be nice to the girls, don’t shoot them just tap them». This is ridiculous because A. Every person going to paintball is aware it hurts and wouldn’t be going if they weren’t up for that and B. IT’S A PAINTBALL GUN, being shot by a «big strong man» hurts exactly as much as being hit by a very tiny person.
Aside from that bullcrap, we had a great time. There’s a lot of different terrain to play on and the games run for 15 minutes so you get a chance to play a lot of different ones if you want to.
I would have given it 5 stars if it hadn’t been for that sh*t at the beginning. Staff were otherwise very helpful and friendly.

I am not a die hard paintball guy, but I’ve been there a few times. My son and I went to the 10^th Annual Easter shoot out. It was a fantastic time. Not to duplicate the other reviews but the staff were super friendly, they gave away a tonne of prizes, great sponsors from all over the city, and hey *free* lunch. Of course on a regular day don’t expect free lunch and and a dozen paintball markers to be given away, but staff will still be just as cool. I used a standard Tippman rental marker and it worked just fine — first shot was a kill right between the eyes (@ Jason H. — a carpenter always blames his tools ;p).You have to use their paintballs which are fairly comparable in price compared to other local places, but if you are judicious and aim you can get away with not using so many. Yes the staff are strict about the rules — safety first is a good policy and I very much appreciate not getting shot in the face by ‘accident’ when I am off the field. Probably the only thing that’s a minus for me (could be a feature depending on your view, tactical terrain?) are the overgrown blackberry bushes in the back of the park. Cut those down and put in a few more bunkers. I think it would add a lot more playable terrain onto the field. It’s a great location just across the water from downtown Vancouver at the base of the Lion’s Gate Bridge… a paintball gem in the city. This is a well run local business.

North shore paint ball is very conveniently located on the north shore, most other paint ball places are at least a 30 – 44 minute drive. The staff is very strict so if you don’t have your barrel guard on or your safety is off while your outside the paint balling area you’re out, there is zero tolerance. The prices are a bit high for paint balls but most people just buy them from Walmart where you can get 1000 for $ 20. Their markers are also not the best, they never shoot the ball straight.
Overall this place very good and I’m definitely going back.

Great staff and reasonable prices. I paid about $ 60 for 500 balls, field fee and marker (a.k.a. ‘gun’) rental (Tippman 98s). Depending on how much paint you blow through and how many breaks you take — it can last you up to 4 – 5 hours of paintballing fun. I crushed through 600 rounds in 3 hours — I’m a spam monkey.
And don’t expect super accurate markers — these are rental bangers — you don’t have the range or accuracy to make longball shots like the guys that have their own $ 1000 markers. But the staff will help you out with paint breaks and tank refills. The rental masks are pretty well maintained — if you have your own coveralls, bring them — the rental coveralls are pretty torn up. Rental fee does not include ammo packs for you to carry extra paint beyond what’s in your hopper into the field.
Staff takes safety extremely serious (good) and were very accommodating when we wanted to run a private game of Terminator. The referees are also on-​the-​ball with paintchecks and kept the game moving. Other games they played would be King of the Hill/​Capture the Flag and Zombie. The field regulars can be intimidating with their tricked-​out markers and gear — but are pretty friendly and know to take it easy on the noob shoots. Show you have a pair and they will include you in their strategy. On the rainy Saturday afternoon we were there — the games were about 20 vs. 20.
It’s an outdoor field, so facilities are a bit lacking. But it’s paintball — not a beauty salon.
Now for paintball nerds:
I used to competition paintball many years ago as a snot-​nosed punk — I quit just before electro-​pneumatic markers became the standard. In case you’re curious, I ran an Automag, VL2000, SS AA 16″ Smart Parts barrel, lightened double trigger, foregrip expansion chamber with a remote CO2 bottle. It was a sexy beast before I retired it. I used to ball at Splatter Zone in Richmond (when they were still around), Tsawwassen and Panther in Langley.
And yes, I’m a fucken dinosaur. I rolled in with a half-​mask and asked for a CO2 fill. I got laughed at (I had to get lectured on HPA) — one of the field regular kids thought I dropped my face visor somewhere. I’m sorry, guys — I know it’s retarded and stupidly chest-​pounding — BACK IN MY DAY, everyone threw away their mask as soon as they got new googles.
Notes:
— only one main field (from what I saw) — no speedball courts — field could use a grooming as the many tiny branches will screw up your shots
— notably, there’s a large hill with bunkers and obstacles built up on the far end of the field — field balance is pretty good — with both ends with good stronghold positions. Connecting the two are lots of barriers — so this is a rush-​friendly field if you flank smartly.
— radar setup is to your immediate right as you walk onto the field
— mercy rule is set at 15 feet
— 2000 rounds of field paint will run you about $ 150
Overall, the field is not as good as Panther but pretty good considering how close it is to the city. The big hill does add an interesting dynamic and there’s parking literally 30 feet from the field entrance.

I’ve paintballed (is that a verb?) in Kamloops, Regina and Vancouver, indoor and outdoor and North Shore Paintball is a real treat. I’m not an expert shoots-​man (more of an expert ‘hides-​man’) but I had a blast and that certainly counts for something!
Being just a hop over the Lions Gate bridge, it’s incredibly convenient to play on such large and lush terrain within the city. Wild.
The staff do a great job of getting the group geared-​up (I love wearing coveralls), explaining the safety guidelines and how to play the games.
Though high-​achievers may seek to actually win the game by running up the hill to capture the coveted flag, I remain in the bushes. My only goal: don’t get shot. Those things hurt!
Paintballing is hella fun to do with a group of friends, co-​workers, stag/​ette crews, dorm families, etc., I’ve done it all! Plus, it’s sexy to show off post-​war welts over pizza afterwards :)

Christine definitely summed up my day. It was pretty much the same thing and it was a great time!!! Average visit: 4 hours, which is what I did without counting. Also, I think girls get in cheaper on Fridays, but I’m not totally sure about that. Call ahead to find out.
North Shore Paintball was my first time as well. BRING wellies or high waterproof shoes, and gloves for hand protection. They provide auto-​mechanic-​like onesie garbs for you to don during shooting and hide better.

This was my first time playing paintball, so I really have nothing to compare it to, but there’s nothing quite like grabbing a bunch of friends, getting dolled up in quasi-​military gear/​grubby clothes, and running around in the mud shooting each other in the butt (or whatever we could aim at) with paintballs.
North Shore Paintball, located way down by the railroad tracks on the Capilano Indian Reserve (the site is leased from the band), is a super-​fun place for your virgin paintball slaughter experience. The guys working there are really cool and fun, even making the obligatory safety-​rule lecture kinda entertaining. Although you can’t bring in outside paintballs (for both business and liability reasons), they do sell large packs of paintballs that can be shared among your group, saving a little cashola on buying individual packs o’ balls.
The field itself is all hills and mud and dotted with a boy’s dream assortment of forts and bunkers. Games run in 15-​minute segments and vary based on what the referees say, from Zombie tag to Capture the Flag to War. In the summer, you can make private group bookings, but through the fall and winter, it’s, as my sister called it, «public slaughter time», ensuring a mix of old and new paintballers playin’ together, and providing maximum chances for you to shoot at least some of your friends. (Most games are team-​based.)
After a few hours of this, I suggest repairing to a nearby pub or diner, like the Pemb or the Tomahawk, nothing too posh, and comparing battle scars. Mine took a week to heal, but I feel better for having had them. Yaaaahhhh.