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hobbsla
Since 28 Jan 2006
389 Posts
Obsessed
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 Tue Sep 14, 21 4:55 pm Helmet suggestions anyone? |
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So, I'm getting into the foil game and have decided its time for a helmet.
Never wore a water helmet before, not even sure what's out there.
Any helmet suggestions would be greatly appreciated! |
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shred_da_gorge
Since 12 Nov 2008
1308 Posts
Da Hood & Da Wood
XTreme Poster
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| Tue Sep 14, 21 5:01 pm |
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I just missed checking out Ride Engine's new helmets; they were packing the booth as I showed up. Here's a quote from an adjacent thread on safety:
| Nak wrote: | The Gath helmets aren't certified, but they're pretty slim and comfortable. Also, no bill means less neck stress from the helmet scooping water in a crash. Mine gives me much better coverage than other helmets I've tried; more of the bone at the back of the head is covered. I switched to these because my board caught a wave after a crash in Baja and hit me right below the helmet in the back of the head. I couldn't ride for 15 minutes I was so dazed.
The full cut helps protect the eardrums from damage, but makes it hard to hear others. The one with the ear space cut out makes it easy to hear, but no eardrum protection. (Unless you leave the ear protectors on, but then it's hard to hear again.)
https://gathsports.com/product/gath-hat-eva/
https://gathsports.com/product/gath-sfc/ |
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Singlemalt
Since 21 Jun 2015
474 Posts
White Salmon
Obsessed
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| Tue Sep 14, 21 6:03 pm |
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Measure your head first. There are plenty of helmets out there, not all will fit men.
Look at white water, bike, and minimal motorcycle lids. Closed cell foam is best, it won’t absorb water and then release it down your face. It’s nice if you can fit a neoprene cap under the helmet for cold weather.
Fit and comfort are key. Better quality helmets have adjustments and removable padding.
You’ll be glad you have a helmet the first time the foil bonks you on the back of the head.
FWIW, mine is an old Delgado Flyaway skate helmet. It’s vintage!
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Pull the cork. |
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Justsmile
Since 20 Jul 2009
1527 Posts
Not Portland
XTreme Poster
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| Tue Sep 14, 21 6:48 pm |
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Shred ready probably has the best retention system for keeping it locked on your head and not shifting forward and down. Sadly helmets are not just for foiling. They are for the people that like their noodles between the ears:-)!!
Don’t be that guy like the new school skaters who think they are too cool to wear a helmet !!!
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Take a breath; inhale |
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Wind Slither
Since 04 Mar 2005
2588 Posts
The 503
METAL
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| Wed Sep 15, 21 7:02 am |
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I bought a wake board helmet and it was never that comfortable. Especially when I wore my long billed water hat under it for sun protection.
Drew showed my this insert thing I think he go for cheap of Amazon. It fits inside any hat. It's not going to protect against a major blow, but it would keep any sharp edges from sending you to the doc for stictches. |
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Godlike
Since 25 Sep 2008
111 Posts
Stoked
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| Wed Sep 15, 21 7:27 am |
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Only buy a Helmet with EN1385 certification.
Do not buy the Gath Surf Hat or the Simba Sentinel helmets, they are not certified.
The BS EN 1385:2012 standard for whitewater helmets involves testing not only a helmet’s impact protection, but also its buoyancy and the strength and effectiveness of its retention system. Furthermore, it covers guidelines for constructing the helmet, such as allowance for ventilation holes in the shell.
To test shock absorption, these bump helmets are fitted to a headform that is dropped onto a fixed steel anvil. In addition to observing obvious physical damage to the helmet, the tests measure the impact velocity of the headform and plot acceleration over time to estimate the likelihood of serious injury. The test helmets are conditioned to high temperature, low temperature, water immersion or artificial aging through UV exposure before the first of multiple drops.
The effectiveness of the helmet retention system (referred to in some standards as a “roll-off test”) is determined by how much the helmet shell moves out of place on the headform when a pulley system delivers a shock load by a four-kilogram weight to the back of the helmet. This reflects the risk of forces unintentionally removing the helmet from the user in the event of entanglement or a bump. The strength of the retention system is analyzed by measuring how far the chin strap stretches as force is applied to the artificial chin of a headform or mounting frame.
It’s important to note that this standard only covers helmets for use in Class 1 through Class 4 river rapids. |
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mikeinhoodriver
Since 23 Apr 2009
424 Posts
down wind somewhere
Obsessed
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| Wed Sep 15, 21 8:12 am |
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I bought a Pro-Tec Full Cut water helmet. Will be first time on water today with it. It has protection over the ears, so figured might be a good option. We'll see about fit and performance later. Update… the fit is great and did not budge upon many impacts yesterday!
Last edited by mikeinhoodriver on Thu Sep 16, 21 6:14 am; edited 1 time in total |
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hobbsla
Since 28 Jan 2006
389 Posts
Obsessed
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| Wed Sep 15, 21 12:45 pm |
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| Thanks for all the input everybody. Ive got my eye on the mystic mk8x, it looks pretty good. Anyone using it? |
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jasonq
Since 12 Jan 2009
245 Posts
hood river
Stoked
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| Wed Sep 15, 21 3:06 pm |
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i recently replace my helmet with a shred ready from bigwinds
https://bigwinds.com/products/shred-ready-halfcut-helmet/
pretty happy with this.
if you get it at big winds, be sure to grab the storage bag and fit kit from the basket below the helmets. there is only one size, with 3 sizes of fit pads, each size is 2 pads (front/back), each size is a different color
there is also a full coverage version. |
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MrGie
Since 17 Feb 2015
56 Posts
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| Wed Sep 15, 21 3:32 pm . |
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| hobbsla wrote: | | Thanks for all the input everybody. Ive got my eye on the mystic mk8x, it looks pretty good. Anyone using it? |
Try before you buy. I didnt like it at all. Heavy for a helmet, and doenst fit anyone's head.
Try NP SURF instead. |
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Mrlaroo
Since 02 Jan 2007
181 Posts
Bend
Stoked
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| Wed Sep 15, 21 6:00 pm |
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| The Strutter by Sweet Protection has the look of a ball cap and is certified. |
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IWantToFly
Since 29 Jul 2019
150 Posts
Stoked
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| Wed Sep 15, 21 8:27 pm |
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| +1 on the strutter. The bill does have the potential of causing some torque, but the trade off is some nice and, in my opinion, important shade. |
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mikeinhoodriver
Since 23 Apr 2009
424 Posts
down wind somewhere
Obsessed
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| Thu Sep 16, 21 6:12 am Re: . |
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| MrGie wrote: | | hobbsla wrote: | | Thanks for all the input everybody. Ive got my eye on the mystic mk8x, it looks pretty good. Anyone using it? |
Try before you buy. I didnt like it at all. Heavy for a helmet, and doenst fit anyone's head.
Try NP SURF instead. |
I second that, my son in law bought one, and both of us hated the fit. It is a super deep fit and sat on both of our ears, which is weird because we have completely different head shapes. |
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Kmun
Since 05 Jul 2009
256 Posts
Obsessed
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| Thu Sep 16, 21 6:30 am |
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| Godlike wrote: | | Only buy a Helmet with EN1385 certification. |
An EN1385 certification is probably overkill.
Tradeoffs ensue when choosing the right tool for the job.
What type of injury are you preventing?
a. cuts from the foil?
b. impacts from the board?
b. major body tossed collisions?
c. high speed water impacts puncture ear drums?
- For foiling, very large blunt impact force attenuation is not a priority as it is with class 5 white water helmets (very high shell strength) or even bike helmets Styrofoam’s bulky but great crush properties. However, the thin shell low friction/”skid lid” material has value.
- Thick Styrofoam can have too much buoyancy and presents a similar problem as entrapped air of non-vented shells. This extreme buoyancy can challenge the fitment and retention system.
-Retention system is critical to keeping the helmet from shifting as it scoops up water. Find a retention system fitment that grabs the lower rear of your skull and adjusts to your unique head shape.
-Micro adjustment features: Head size changes with accessory layers cold water neoprene hoods or neoprene visor caps.
Valuable features are foam fitment kits, circumference adjuster circumference headbands.
Over hanging rigid shells & long billed sun visors:
a. can scoop water and create violent torque to the neck when falling at speed (coastal waves/foil racing)
b. can easily create enough force to pull the helmet out of position exposing the back of the upper neck.
c. I’ve witnessed the rigid long billed kayak helmet (with slack retention) gimbal forward and down far enough that the front interior edge of the helmet cut the bridge of the guy’s nose. That victim was innocently standing in the launch zone while a kite falling from above grazed the overly long sun visor portion of his helmet.
-Coverage over the ear could prevent ear drum damage but, it can also create annoying wind noise.
The Gath one piece did not fit me where their two-piece shell model does. A flexible (non-water scoop) sun bill can have value. This is where trying them on at the store pays and higher price could be rational or overkill.
Last edited by Kmun on Sat Sep 18, 21 1:30 am; edited 2 times in total |
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eric
Since 13 Jan 2006
1840 Posts
XTreme Poster
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Godlike
Since 25 Sep 2008
111 Posts
Stoked
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| Thu Sep 16, 21 9:08 am |
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Only buy a Helmet with EN1385 certification.
For robust impact protection, you can not swim if you are unconscious. |
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luke
Since 06 Jul 2005
399 Posts
Obsessed
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