Full face helmet for foiling?

[sflinux]

A local guy started wearing one of these after taking the foil to the face (looks sweet).
https://www.outdoorplay.com/WRSI-Moment ... ace-Helmet
I found a used lacrosse helmet which does the trick. Rust has not been an issue.

[slowboat]

A local guy started wearing one of these after taking the foil to the face (looks sweet).
https://www.outdoorplay.com/WRSI-Moment ... ace-Helmet
I found a used lacrosse helmet which does the trick. Rust has not been an issue.

Yup, I think something like that is the way to go. I am looking hard at them.

[Kitetwin-1]

I hope it never comes to wearing one of these. Situational awareness and a little lucks I hope

[revhed]

Only alu foil riders are wearing helmets.

Fact check, statement FALSE!

Why would anyone even post such B S?
Even more so as is SAFETY issue!!
B T W I started thread a while back...
viewtopic.php?f=196&t=2397883&hilit=case+full+face
And visors great for sun shade.
R H

[revhed]

Some of the riders on KF are using hockey gear as protection. You'll never see this in Aust. Never ever.

So in a country as big as AU, you know every foiler?
Never say never anyway!
Again SAFETY issue, needs attention.
R H

[downunder]

Some of the riders on KF are using hockey gear as protection. You'll never see this in Aust. Never ever.

So in a country as big as AU, you know every foiler?
Never say never anyway!
Again SAFETY issue, needs attention.
R H

Cmon bud,

in AU they play "rugby" with no protection what so ever.

It is called AFL. Google it, you'll see what I mean.

A very much cultural thing called "eat a spoon of cement". Or, harden up (*).

Safety? Let me tell u about it: broken T12,13, hip, 3 times collar bone, wrist and ankle. What happens, happens. Protection can prevent it up to a point. No more, no less.

And no, hockey for obvious reasons is not played here that much. So good luck in finding a hockey helmet here. Even if one using it, read (*). Cultural thing, if not living here, not easy to understand. People die more at fishing or by shark than all kiters in the World. Just the other day, 4 people died at fishing. 2 kids. One by shark 2-3 days ago.

The only guys wearing a helmet are middle aged riders like me Jumping with full body protection? Never ever seen it with my eyes.

Lets invite Matteo in this please. Will be fun. Not.

[Kiteboarder89]

A local guy started wearing one of these after taking the foil to the face (looks sweet).
https://www.outdoorplay.com/WRSI-Moment ... ace-Helmet
I found a used lacrosse helmet which does the trick. Rust has not been an issue.

Looks good but still doesn’t prevent a freak accident from causing something to hit your nose or eyes... I am hoping for a solution with a full cage. At this point I think a lacrosse helmet is the way to go...
Also let’s say your board hits your chin in this helmet, it could prevent initial impact but then cause it to slide up right into your face.

[TomW]

I was looking into this a few years ago.
But now I'm doing transitions where I'd be afraid to get my lines tangled in the helmet face guard. Worried more about my neck too in high speed falls.

[RagingGrandpa]

Please see: viewtopic.php?p=1039522#p1039522

Collecting full-face helmet references... shopping for myself, after my foilboard recently chased me down and ran me over, leading to an ER visit. It could have easily knocked out teeth.

Does any manufacturer make a helmet with a face mask to protect the face? Back in windsurfing days, there were a few helmets with hockey like face guards to protect from the boom.....wondering if anyone knows of any water helmets with a face protection.

Yes, there have been some put together for the kayak market. I would look over the following article first and think about possible kiting variations and cervical involvment. I have no real experience or familiarity with face guards in kiting applications. Still frontal impacts and facial damage do occur in kiting impacts.

A few kayak models include:
Predator:

Alpine race helmets with chin guards seem appealing for closing the chin without adding much water drag, but I'm still concerned with the huge exposed area leaving opportunity for the board to strike my mouth.


You could add such a chin guard to just about any open-face helmet, a cheap and practical option... but perhaps with limited benefit.


A baseball face guard would offer better coverage, as an add-on to a water helmet. Could get heavy pretty fast though... would need to choose carefully.


Cricket face guards seem like the best option I've seen so far, regarding add-on face coverage. Titanium available for weight savings also.


So then the task is to pick a good open-face helmet:

$20 ebay helmet

They say its CE certified conforms to EN1385 2005. This helmet looks identical to NP helmet which also claims the same certification and as pointed out, EVA lining

It's the same helmet as NP's! The dead giveaways are the vent pattern, the unique pattern on the ear covers including the hearing holes, and the "twist tightening system"/"ratchet wheel".
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Water-Sports-Sa ... 3074300716
http://www.npsurf.com/products/protecti ... l#color=C1
I know of many brands that source from the same suppliers. NP is also a Pryde Group brand which is HQ'ed in HK, China, so they may have relations with the same factory.

Gath Surf Convertible

Just thought I would give an update on this. Using the "least worst" NP Surf helmet I was still getting neck pain from crashes, and deafening wind noise on strong wind days. It has found it's way to the back of the cupboard.

I am now wearing a Gath Surf Convertible with a neoprene hood underneath. The bucket effect is minor compared to other helmets.

The provided ear covers really amplify the wind noise. I got around that by removing them. It's winter here and I have some surfers ear to deal with. A neoprene hood worn under the helmet protects my ears and reduces wind noise considerably. It's also a fair bit warmer.

So now, the Gath Surf Convertible is the "least, least worst" helmet. I am pretty satisfied with it. I look like a dick, but removing the helmet won't improve that much.

I know the Gath is not certified in any way, but the certified helmets are all grossly not suited for kiteboarding, and greatly amplify the more likely sources of injury.

Sweet:
The "Strutter" (open-face) has a huge visor, no bueno.


The "Rocker" model looks reasonable if the visor is removed:

Sweet protection helmets are nice looking, established brand and well protecting their users.

For example Strutter is baseball-cap like helmet with small volume (bucket effect) with carbon fiber shell.
https://sweetprotection.com/sp_eu/catal ... egory/157/
- web page lists only current models but from shops you can probably find older colorization themes if those suit better.

Unfortunately I can not fully recommend buying blind, for example sweet helmets (strutter and rocker) does not suit for my head, too narrow from side. But all my friends have Sweets for white water kayaking and kiting. One uses Rocker also for winder sports (kiting and alpine).

[alowishus]

Cmon bud,

in AU they play "rugby" with no protection what so ever.

It is called AFL. Google it, you'll see what I mean.

A very much cultural thing called "eat a spoon of cement". Or, harden up (*).

Safety? Let me tell u about it: broken T12,13, hip, 3 times collar bone, wrist and ankle. What happens, happens. Protection can prevent it up to a point. No more, no less.

And no, hockey for obvious reasons is not played here that much. So good luck in finding a hockey helmet here. Even if one using it, read (*). Cultural thing, if not living here, not easy to understand. People die more at fishing or by shark than all kiters in the World. Just the other day, 4 people died at fishing. 2 kids. One by shark 2-3 days ago.

The only guys wearing a helmet are middle aged riders like me Jumping with full body protection? Never ever seen it with my eyes.

Lets invite Matteo in this please. Will be fun. Not.

Interestingly, some people think wearing a helmet in sports like AFL actually increases the head impacts and severity as it can change the style of play, players feel tougher etc.. Are the Aussies right? Who knows?

I took the net off my kids’s trampoline after one broke his leg, not one single injury of any kind since in 7 years.

I always wear a helmet now “just in case I get knocked on the head and drown” even though i know the risk is absolutely minuscule (to put the family at ease). But it’s an awesome feeling to kite in just board shorts and maybe a shirt for sun protection. Probably naked is even better.

Beginner foilers should definitely wear whatever they feel necessary until they can control the foil and crash safely. Then get rid of anything unnecessary.