Anybody wear a helmet?

boards_and_fins · Post by **boards_and_fins** » Fri Aug 04, 2006 11:34 am

This totally is a stupid question but after taking one of the worst wipeouts of my life yesterday I am considering it when its bigger. So I am going down the line and start to pull into the barrell, I feel myself riding too high and try to correct. I get sucked up into the wave and slammed. My thigh hits my rail (Left a nice bruise), my fin cuts my wetsuit, and then the kicker is my head hits the bottom, HARD. I have had 4 concussions in my life from playing football, getting hit with stuff, and trying to jump my mountain bike in PV (dumb), and I have been told that I really should not get another. Soooo, now I am considering a helmet. Anyone have any thoughts?

Beeline2.0 · Post by **Beeline2.0** » Fri Aug 04, 2006 11:56 am

W.G. Facenda · Post by **W.G. Facenda** » Fri Aug 04, 2006 11:57 am

I know a few guys here in Oxnard that always wear one.You have to be a big charger and surf real good to get away with wearing one.....they do.I can see wearing one in shallow reefs and big crowds.

wino · Post by **wino** » Fri Aug 04, 2006 12:19 pm

I don't know if a Gath would prevent a concussion. I have one and the construction seems to be geared to preventing cuts. It fits too tight and has too thin of a liner to protect against serious impact.
Does give you extra confidence in heavy shallow reef waves.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Fri Aug 04, 2006 3:34 pm

I wear one when it is really crowded and/or rocky and round. They are good for big surf especially if it is windy and cold. They are as warm as hoods and I can hear better in them. I bought one when they first came out. It should last forever. I will probably not buy another. Do not buy a dark color for the tropics...fries your head.

When they first came out, Doc Hazard and a friend were dicussing them in camp at Grajagan. Doc said they were a good idea. The other guy said they were bogus and took the back of a hammer to his and it went right through. He said they were not strong enough. Later he was wearing his and pulled into a tube, did not make it and hit the bottom. He got dragged and rolled. When he came up Doc saw huge scratch marks from the reef in his helmet. They had a good laugh that night.

Concussion...I do not know. Stitches...none in the head.

griz · Post by **griz** » Fri Aug 04, 2006 5:54 pm

carted one around Indo once ,used it for half an hour till it felt like a pressure cooker with a chinstrap, from that point it became a very good method of carrying avacados from the market without bruising.

john - · Post by **john -** » Fri Aug 04, 2006 8:25 pm

look in the health matters and check out an old forum I started about 2 years ago, Helmets - health and safety

I have been wearing one for 12 years except for stinking hot days

save me from a least one horrible episode with a reef

gives me more confidence around stray boards cos of leg rope breaks and longboarders in general

ShaunMurphy · Post by **ShaunMurphy** » Fri Aug 04, 2006 11:07 pm

My dad and I have one
he has one with the visor and everything but to me its too heavy and u cant sence your suroundings as well.
i have the most basic one, of the Gath and i dont have the ear peaces over soo i can still hear
Im suppost to wear it at big rock but i only wear it when its really big, but good for reefs and when its big beach break ( when its big enough that when u eat it in a barrel or something and u hit the bottom, may come in handy ) .
I should have worn it when i went to windensea cus some kook ran over me ( he tried jumping over me and just cannon balled onto my leg and his board hit the back of my head real nice. ) i didnt really feel any pain on my head until the next day cus i thnk he bruised my bone on my leg and hurt alot, which left me with a nice Pimp limp

. But Id get a Helmet if u already had a few hits to the head. Just keep it with u when u go surfing and on a sketchy day just say to your self is it really worth getting hurt seriously rather then lookin a lil goofy and not getting hurt .
Fyi the black ones look sick

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 9:17 pm

I wear a helmet in more sketchy or crowded conditions after a pretty vicious collision with a reef just over a year ago.

album_showpage.php?pic_id=4300

Best part about it is finding out that every other guy in the lineup with a helmet usually has a pretty great story about why they are now wearing one--makes for a nice conversation starter with a stranger![/url]

Kauaikneelo · Post by **Kauaikneelo** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 10:02 am

Last year, I got power driven face first into the reef. 45+ stiches and almost lost my eye, ripped the "mussel" from my arm and it felt like I was combing someone else's hair for 9 months. I've considered if a helmet would have helped. I think yes, because I might have been able to put the head down or turned to the side.?? Maybe not. The shield could have schattered or helped skid to the side, not sure.

BUT...the saying goes: "When you finally figure out that you need one THEN you have something to protect"

I wear them for all other sports and I seems dumb not to for surfing. I'm still considering it.

mahalo for the thoughts -s

Beeline2.0 · Post by **Beeline2.0** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 3:06 pm