Wakeboard helmet for kids
 

My 6 year old niece is going to visit for a week this summer, and I intend to try to teach her to wakeboard. Her mom has said its fine, as long as she wears a helmet. We are trying to figure out if she needs a wake specific helmet or if wearing her bike helmet would work. I hate to have to buy a helmet that she will probably only get to wear for a week (she'd most likely outgrow it by next year) but I also don't want to do something that would be unsafe for her. The helmet she has is shaped pretty much the same as a wakeboard or skateboard helmet, not like an adult bike helmet where the back sticks out farther. Does anyone know of any reason why using this would be a bad idea? Please don't respond if you just have an opinion but no specific knowledge on the subject. It's a safety issue so I'm looking for facts, not a vote :)

The water is softer than the concrete so most wake helmets have softer foam in them than a bike helmet. My son has an ACE bike helmet and wakeboard helmet the same size. Overall the wakeboard helmet is more flexible and softer. The exterior shape and hole placement is virtually the same.
My opinion is that a bike helmet will protect your niece well from hits to head by the board, handle, or swim platform. I don't expect it will hurt or help with head impact on the water at speeds for a 6 year old learner. The chin strap is a bit more likely to come loose in the water.

All three of my kids wear Berm wakeboard helmets. I have 2 different sizes for the three boys.

The more rounded bike helmets (not the slotted aerodynamic looking ones) might work all right as long as they don't absorb water. My kids wear this kind of helmet more for skateboarding then biking.

BUT....probably the biggest reason I bought the wakeboard helmets was for the ear protection. My oldest lost his hearing in one ear for a couple of days after a pretty good crash on the side of his face (before we had the helmets). The wakeboard helmets have flaps that protect their eardrums, the skateboard and biking helmets do not.

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Get a wake specific one. Fit is crucial. Any of the brands mentioned including Pro Tec, are fine.

We use em. ProTec Ace Wake. The ear flaps snap in and out. I second the comment on the ear protection. Had an 18 year old case a wake and blow out his ear drum. Bought mine here: http://www.xsportsprotective.com/protec-ace-wake.html

I hate to say it is a bad idea, but more so unnecessary.

The 6 year old will be able to stand up way before you plane off due to her being so light. This also means you won't be going very fast and she will probably have came to a complete stop before her head even enters the water. A child's head is more larger than ours by proportion and therefore more heavy. If I were to buy a helmet, I would get the lightest thing as possible. This will reduce her from having whiplash/sore neck if she has a bad fall. In the end though the only reason you will be buying a helmet is for a false piece of mind unless she wants to go 20+ mph and hit a rail.