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A case for full face?

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slowboat
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Re: A case for full face?

Postby slowboat » Tue Oct 16, 2018 9:55 pm

RagingGrandpa wrote:
Tue Oct 16, 2018 6:06 pm
juandesooka wrote:
Tue Oct 16, 2018 4:52 pm
in kiting is you have a power source that pulls you away from the foil in wipeouts.
A frequent issue (discussed by many here) is the board chasing you down after a forward fall and striking you in the head with speed, while you're floating in the water. ie: my avatar ;)
This behavior is very foil dependent. Heavy foils that sink immediately after a crash will shoot downwind. I have been hit on the back of my HELMET a couple of times while learning from my foil chasing me down. Since getting a carbon foil, this does not happen. My carbon foil (Liquid Force Impulse) stays on its side and just bobs in place when I crash. Then it slowly sinks and eventually comes down wind. Much safer way to foil.

I am also the most safety conscious kiter in my area. 100% helmet, USCG approved floatation, eye protection, knives and conservative as far as weather conditions, but I think foiling without face protection is an acceptable risk.

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RagingGrandpa
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Re: A case for full face?

Postby RagingGrandpa » Tue Oct 16, 2018 10:13 pm

slowboat wrote:
Tue Oct 16, 2018 9:55 pm
My carbon foil (Liquid Force Impulse) stays on its side and just bobs in place when I crash. Then it slowly sinks and eventually comes down wind.
That "carbon" foil (large LF Impulse carbon wingset, carbon fuse, AL mast, lightweight composite 4'8" galaxy foilboard -- still ends up being a >5kg assembly) chased me down last weekend. No helmet; blood everywhere. It was my first occurrence of a head strike in my 42 foil sessions thusfar.
impulse.jpg
For me, a laceration now and then is acceptable; teeth knocked out are not, and this hit would have easily taken out a few chompers if my head had been turned just a little more... ordered some full-face stuff, will post with verdicts later.

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K-Roy
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Re: A case for full face?

Postby K-Roy » Tue Oct 16, 2018 10:53 pm

I'm also safety conscious.
However, I'm not sure if we can cover all bases with the full helmet.
My son is a competent foiler, and still, during a flying tack, he crashed and fell on the blade, cut his neck.
Fortunately, it was not to deep...
So, now we looking at a few choices, ride "naked" or dress up like a medieval knight.
Maybe the right answer is somewhere in between...

stay safe!
20180829_204607.jpg

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juandesooka
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Re: A case for full face?

Postby juandesooka » Tue Oct 16, 2018 11:31 pm

Holy crap K-Roy ... I am no doctor, but that cut looks way too close to the artery that will kill you in a minute if severed. Reminds me that 10 years or so ago, a local windsurfer fell on his fin, cut the artery in his thigh, bled out before they could get him to the beach. <shudder>

For sure there's a happy medium somewhere in here. We can manage risk by our actions and with protective equipment, then at some point we weight cost vs risk vs consequence and make the call on how far we need to take it. It's an individual decision for each of us.

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Re: A case for full face?

Postby BWD » Tue Oct 16, 2018 11:44 pm

Fess up what gear almost killed the child?

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K-Roy
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Re: A case for full face?

Postby K-Roy » Tue Oct 16, 2018 11:58 pm

BWD wrote:
Tue Oct 16, 2018 11:44 pm
Fess up what gear almost killed the child?
he was on a strapless pocket board, with a carbon foil...

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Re: A case for full face?

Postby BWD » Wed Oct 17, 2018 12:35 am

any way of figuring out how sharp it was?
Not trying to attack any brand though maybe it sounded that way. Sorry.
I have heard of some riders squaring off trailing edges to 1.5mm or even 2mm to avoid cuts. Wonder how sharp was the edge or tip that caused the injury.

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K-Roy
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Re: A case for full face?

Postby K-Roy » Wed Oct 17, 2018 12:45 am

it was the front wing, he fell on it throat first as the board buckled under him.
it was factory setting, no sanding, its not sharp to touch (like the trailing edge on the mast) but of coarse landing on it with force, physics change...

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juandesooka
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Re: A case for full face?

Postby juandesooka » Wed Oct 17, 2018 12:51 am

Board buckling under him ... back to my surf/sup example, it's not the speed that tends to get you, it's the slowing down!

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NYKiter
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Re: A case for full face?

Postby NYKiter » Wed Oct 17, 2018 2:46 am

Yikes. Scary. We have had guys blowing ear drums so I always have the gath with ears...


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