helmets - health and safety

[john -]

How do

who wears a helmet and why?

mine keeps me warm in winter, has visor so offers some sun protection and gives that extra bit of security when the young bucks are flicking their boards everywhere as they shoot off the back of the wave. Just general head protection!

Given the different sports that do and dont wear helmets in this world, surfing seems and appropriate helmeted activity

Are surfers fashion victims, gunho, fatalistic or too cool or are helmuts just an extra expense for many?

my work friends partner gashed his head on his own board last weekend. she as most girlfriends - was suitably unimpressed with the bravado

what think you


dorje

[Beeline2.0]

..

[surfhorn]

I have a big (healed) hole in the back of my head I received from one of my quad fins from this winter's biggest swell. Surfers wear neoprene hoods/hats all the time around Santa Cruz County so a helmet isn't that much different.

A helmet is now on my list .

[Birdie]

I have a Gath helmet with a full visor - can pull it all the way down for that Ninja Paipo/Sponge/Kneeboard look..... It is also light blue with some pretty amazing airbrush designs on it.....sort of Neptune on Acid.

I got it at Murrays....up in Ventura County....for kayaking...but, I've been known to pull it out when it gets crowded with longboarders...I should probably wear it in the winter with big swells and on my Paipo...just because of the speed factor and in the event anyone drops in on me....I will be able to charge them, head first...

Birdie

[ScottMac]

..

[SCGARY]

How do

who wears a helmet and why?

mine keeps me warm in winter, has visor so offers some sun protection and gives that extra bit of security when the young bucks are flicking their boards everywhere as they shoot off the back of the wave. Just general head protection!

Given the different sports that do and dont wear helmets in this world, surfing seems and appropriate helmeted activity

Are surfers fashion victims, gunho, fatalistic or too cool or are helmuts just an extra expense for many?

my work friends partner gashed his head on his own board last weekend. she as most girlfriends - was suitably unimpressed with the bravado

what think you


dorje

I should think seriously about using one. Especially since the breaks I surf in Kona are shallow, ledgy reef breaks that Ive been dumped on fairly often. Here in SC I've haven't conked my head in a long time, but with the crowds and the increasing number of wannabe's in the water it is probably a good idea to wear one.

[stemple]

I have helmut and actually worn it a few times. I hate it. Its heavy and tends to slide down my forehead at the wrong time. It also limits lifting of your head when paddling. I tried a size smaller and it felt like my ears were being torn off. I wear a hood most of the time and have decided unless its really shallow and sketchy I don't want it. One thing I did notice is that you get a slight psycological boost with the thing on. Makes you a little less intimidated. Last weekend I did get bonked in the back of the head by my board though. My wife likes me to wear the helmut on big winter days. I don't discuss surfing mishaps with her any more. My new gig is that I use a slightly longer leash and really try to move away from the board in a close out tube or other situation. I figure I got a better chance of getting hurt while driving to a surf session.

[eqKneelo]

I love 'em.
I have two, my EASY RIDER-GHOST airbrush that is in the General Photo area on page 60, and an all black one for the heavy localized spots and the not so patriotic international destinations.
I have had over 60 stiches in my face and head, so when it gets heavy or crowded or cold, I pull it out and pull it in.
If you are gonna buy one, DEFINETLY get a visor...more protection and you will be SO stoked when the sun is setting out to sea and everyone else is blind. (Indo evening sessions can be especially brutal.)
Jon Mel's airbrusher HOBBES does insane work if you want to it custom colors.
EQ

[SCGARY]

I have helmut and actually worn it a few times. I hate it. Its heavy and tends to slide down my forehead at the wrong time. It also limits lifting of your head when paddling. I tried a size smaller and it felt like my ears were being torn off. I wear a hood most of the time and have decided unless its really shallow and sketchy I don't want it. One thing I did notice is that you get a slight psycological boost with the thing on. Makes you a little less intimidated. Last weekend I did get bonked in the back of the head by my board though. My wife likes me to wear the helmut on big winter days. I don't discuss surfing mishaps with her any more. My new gig is that I use a slightly longer leash and really try to move away from the board in a close out tube or other situation. I figure I got a better chance of getting hurt while driving to a surf session.

Stem,
Thanks for the insight on wearing a helmet. I've never worn one surfing, only whitewater kayaking.
One thing I do do EVERY TIME I get separated from my board is to cover my head with my arms, locking my finger behind my head and tuck my chin into my chest. I've got scars on my hands from where mine and other's boards/fins have cut me.
This also saved me once from a possible broken neck when I hit a coral head, hitting my forehead hard. My locked hand, chin down position kept my head from being snapped back. My neck was still sore for a week. SCARY!!!!

[K-man]

Rubber surf caps,all major comp.make them.They've saved my noodle and associated extremities for years.Waiting for waves pop it off,the set comes,pop it on.Thermoregulate your body temp the same way.You put on a helmet-thats it-It's on for that session.Do you really want to wear a helmet for a three hr. session?BUT,There are those places[shallw reefs-you know what i'm talking about] that warrant a helmet.

[fooj]

I have a strong inclination to wear a helmet. I wear one 99 percent of the time I am cycling (MTB and Road), feel naked and stupid without one. But honestly the Kook factor is way up there when it comes to helmets in the water. Its weird because some big wave chargers also ride MX and you'd never seem them on bike without a helmet, but in the water a helmet is somewhat of an oddity (way <5% wearers?). I'm thinking that the functionality/aesthetics of a surf helmet are not quite state of the art yet, as helmets go. Maybe they should be pointy on the top like a shark nose so when you duck dive theres some beneficial hydrodynamics, perhaps some hand "dents" so when you go into the fetal position/chin to chest tuck you have something to hold onto. Maybe if they didn't make your head look like a bowling ball. Then the fear psychology thing too; are you chickensh!t for wearing one OR are you supposed to be absolutely fearless because you're wearing one. It really messes with the mind in a crowded lineup of pretty much nonhelmet wearers. I guess you got to decide that one before you paddle out and behave accordingly. I still think I'll eventually give into the logic of wearing one, but not yet.

[MTBarrels]

I've worn a helmet since the early 80's whenever I'm riding a hard (e.g. foam/glass) board. Started doing it because I was surfing alone in remote areas of Baja.

It's protected me on a couple of occasions, but the worst knock I got (45 minutes missing from my memory) was on the forehead, where the helmet was of no protection. Would consider one with a visor, but that takes up too much interior space and won't fit my (fat) head. The most significant problem I've had with it (or without it) are nose-plants on too late take-offs as the board reconnects with the face of the wave with me driving into it face down (I've learned to at least turn my head). Unfortunately, the chin strap is not of the right type to allow one to put a protective bar around the front, as on a football helmet (a project currently on hold).

In the mid-80's, I was told that my left ear was 90% closed. As far as I can tell, that either hasn't changed since then, or has gotten better. I attribute that to the helmet. The newer ones allow one to block off the ear openings, but as the old ones didn't, I put a piece of neoprene across the ear openings and held in place with a couple of small tie-wraps.

MT

[Steeno]

I also own a gath helmet, I bought one after selective arguements with my partner on our agreement to do a four week Maldives trip. We had been there for 10days cruising around on a 65ft cruiser living of the side of reef breaks. I had managed to sneak out for everysurf without my helmet, smart or not so smart, I dunno..... One morning we woke up to a solid ten foot face surf looking alltime, oil slick conditions and mechanical. I was about to launch of the boat to go surfing when my partner laid into me about, "this is what you brought the helmet for, put it on pllleeeaaassse" reluctantly I popped the helmet on and paddled over to the take of zone, 3 of us in the water. What an awesome session, alltime conditions and my bravery grew with the length of the surf, until, I had a caught a smaller 6-7ft wave got a dirty barrel and flicked of only to see this 10 foot bomb draining the reef behind. You know those indecisive moments, paddle to dive under it, sit still, or just panick lol. Anyway I decided to power at it and make the dive underneath as it was sucking me towards it anyway, honestly i was in trouble, I scratched my way at it and dived at the last minute, amongst the reef boils. The lip came down right on me, one of those bad timing things, and drilled me into the reef. I got smashed and twisted and then bang, i had belted my head so hard on a coral head I almost saw stars. A little bit of reef rolling later, and a little shaken up, I made my way towards the boat. Upon climbing into the boat a little dazed and confused, my partner who was watching was straight onto me. I told her about my head as I was taking my helmet off, upon inspecting my helmet there was a huge crack, deep gouges and a bit of coral hanging out of it. To this day i will wear a helmet if the conditions detail it. and i probably owe my life this day to my partners persistance for me to wear a helmet.

[john -]

Hey steenos

behind every lucky surfer is a good woman

dorje