As an avid rollerblader (15-18 km 2-4x weekly), I would suggest the following to someone who is relatively new-ish to blading:
1) Wrist guards - many newb crashes end up with broken wrists. Only natural to try to catch yourself.
2) Knee Pads - invaluable.
3) Roller Hockey Pants - I wear these religiously. Lots of ventilation, and will prevent road rash in case of wipe out.
4) Brakes. Don't buy hockey style blades without brakes, unless you know how to ski (slalom to brake) or know how to ice skate very well. I like the feel of the hockey style skates, so that's what I wear.
5) ABEC 5 bearings. These come in most recreational blades. You don't want ABEC 7+ as they will simply be too fast in case you run into a down hill grade. (Higher the ABEC number, the faster they are)
6) As many others have mentioned, learn on a flat surface. If you run into a down hill grade and find yourself picking up too much speed, brake immediately - don't panic, as this may end in a crash. *NEVER* attempt to step onto grass in an effort to slow down if you are going too fast. Your feet will essentially stop immediately, and unless you can somehow manage to get your feet running at the same speed, you will crash. Guaranteed.
7) Get a water bottle you can strap around your waist. Most of these setups have a small pocket on them somewhere - put some square band-aids in it. Never know when you'll need them. I was zipping down a familiar hill, and they must have cut the branches on the plants near the paved trail - caught my left deltoid on one and it got opened up pretty good. Band-aid applied, made a mental note of location and went on my way.
If you've got any other q's, PM me...
