best wakeboard helmet to buy!

I was wondering what helmet is the best for wakeboarding! for protection and looks.

Im a fan of the ace water helmets, I use that brand while snow skiing and snow boarding and I hve loved them in the past. Just started using their water helmets now that im intrested in sliders and they have worked great for me so far.

A Gath is good because it protects the ears, but they aren't the most stylish.
Plus you can get them with a Darth Vadar style face shield!
http://www.gathsports.com/products.shtml

Alex is right, the Gath's provide the best protection for the ears. I know two people who blew eardrums and consider Gath their only real option. I have a Protec with the flaps, and while the flaps aren't completely worthless, it is more of a slider helmet with a little ear protection.

Check out the Shred Ready helmets. Kevlar and plastic helmets designed for water. waterproof headphones in your earflaps too.

check it out www.shredready.com
tom

I have used both the Gath and Protech Ace Wake, the Gath does have better ear protection but give little for the head. I have broke my eardrum three times but since I started using the protech no problems and I gives way better impact protection. My choice would be the Protech.

I've been a fan of shredready, the adjustable strap offers a secure hold that doesn't flop around at all.

what 1 has the head phones

The headphone earflaps are an add on, you can fit them on the Shaggy, Sherlock, Vixen, Superscrappy, and AHM. They have a 2.5 mm jack so you might need a 2.5 to 3.5 jack for you device.

tom

You can add the earflap headphone on the Pro-tec wake as well.

I bought 2 shred ready helmets for my daughters and they love them.. They fit nice and the adjustable strap is excellent... Would suggest them if you are looking for a quality helmet...

Sweet helmets are the best. I have them, and use them for whitewater kayaking.

www.sweetprotection.com

those who are using helmets on a regular basis ,

can you tell us that the helmet is helping with the back/faceplants suffered on really hard falls??

or are you all using them to protect against board slaps,sliders,or beacause you all were already prone to concussions??

i dont want to get into to big of discussion about the bucketing effect of crashing,especially backwards,and actually getting a worse headache do to the helmet but would like some feedback from you all..

i tried to ride with onea few years back and the pain was much worse but the helmet was a cheaper one and didnt fit perfectly..

id like alot of feedback because if it can help even a little on eleviating the pain especially on threes and felt comfortable at the same time i might buy one .Id like some extra incentive to try raleys and spins again if i know it wont give me tremdous headaches and whiplash !??

thanks in advance

I have a shred ready vixen...this model is a girls helmet and fits really well.

OK Bill...there have been so many threads on this subject and I have put my .02 worth in. But I think it's time to my $1.00's worth in!!

Concussion is a change in the mental status resulting from the brain being jolted inside the skull due to a blow to the head. When the head receives a direct blow, the brain moves in the skull, and suffers varying degrees of damage. Think of it like walking with a glass of water full to the brim. When you stop suddenly the water moves and spills over the side of the glass. But when the brain moves it hits up on the side of the skull. This results in swelling and bruising of the brain and, in severe cases, hemorrhage. Again, there are varying degrees of injury.

If the brain severely swells it can exceed the capacity of the cranial (skull) cavity. This can lead to increased intracranial pressure. As pressure increases, blood flow to and in the brain decreases which results in inadequate brain perfusion that can eventually lead to permanent neurological damage or even death. Pressure can build up slowly over weeks and even months.

Not wearing a helmet also increases the chance of hitting your head on an object (your board, handle, or object in the water. Check out Tyler Killingsworth's story...fortunate young man ( and awesome rider!!!)http://wakeworld.com/Galleries/GetImage.asp?GalleryID=226&ImageID=100

No helmet prevents concussions. However, it is documented that they do reduce the degree of brain trauma compared to non-usage. Sure, your brain can still "move" in your skull with a helmet but the helmet acts like a bumper to your skull and the impact is less.

I prefer to error on the side of caution. I have a 10 year old and I want him to grow up with a mother. I used to get severe headaches when I fell without a helmet. Since wearing a helmet I don't hit my head hard or get headaches. And I am more confident and less afraid of getting hurt.

Hope this helps. I am a firm believer of helmets

so your saying that theres proof that wearing a helmet will increase concussions in our sport do to bucketing/rapid deceleration of the head hitting the water ???

PS..photo credits to Dave Wilsey (notsobueno) Look forward to some sequence shots this summer Dave!!!!

typical guy...not listening!!!

Actually, I guess until a scientific study is done on this subject, it will continue to be an on-going debate. It's really just a matter of what you have personally experienced in life. I have seen so many head injuries from so many sports but the common denominator between all of them was people not wearing head protection. This sport will continue to be a great sport in spite of what is on our heads. Ride on!!!

Its simple physics. Deceleration of your scull is the problem. The faster your skull decelerates, the worse it is. The energy of your brain smashing against your skull is what the problem is...nothing more. The amount of energy is a combination of your skulls speed, its mass, surface area, and the "hardness" of the water. Well, we cant change your skulls weight or the hardness of the water...so that is out.

The argument is that by wearing a helmet your are increasing the surface area and mass of your head which theoretically increases the deceleration effect.

To illustrate....

Imagine diving into a pool from the highdive. You cant change your weight, or the hardness of the water, or your speed. You can only change the surface area. If you dive perfectly...you barely feel it. Now imagine doing the same thing but holding a 3' x 3' piece of plywood in your hands. When you strike the water the surface area of the board would prevent penetration, and your would come crashing down onto the plywood and jack yourself up. Same idea as what your brain does inside your head.

So, I think I understand the physics of the argument, but I am still not convinced.

I don't currently wear a helmet, but do weekly in whitewater. Speeds are typically lower. Still, when you are getting pounded under water in a hydraulic the extra size of the helmet is an issue.

Still, many times I have went off waterfalls, where my speed was quite high by the time I got to the base. I am ALWAYS happy that I have my helmet on!

It is my theory that the increased deceleration that the added mass and surface area bring by wearing a helmet are MORE than offset by the additional cushion inside the helmet. The cushion allows your head(and brain)to continue to move even after the impact. Like dropping an egg on a pillow as compared to concrete floor.

I have no proof of it, but after hitting the water hundreds of times at speed with a helmet on I can tell you that its softer.

One thing that is a FACT, is that by wearing a helmet your are increasing the stress on your neck! You cant get away from that fact. I just dont think that the slight added stress on your neck muscles are significant enough to be a valid argument against not wearing head protection.

I can only imagine that wearing a helmet wakeboarding would bring a new level of confidence to my riding. I am sure I would push it harder than without a helmet, and therefore my skills would progress faster. Add to that the fact that I dont have to worry about getting sliced up by a wayward board.

Why don't I wear one? Got to be honest here....because I don't want to be the only wanker on the lake riding with one Pretty superficial, I know. Hell, I am in my mid thirties...shouldn't matter at my age....but nobody wants to look like a tool.

Oh well.

Hey...one more thing....the sweet helmets and a few others are now making waterproof ear buds that are built into the helmet. Listening to tunes while riding or any other water sport might make wearing helmets a little more popular.

Robert, where did you get your sweet helmet from?

Robert...great theory...thanks for your input.

you said "The argument is that by wearing a helmet your are increasing the surface area and mass of your head which theoretically increases the deceleration effect."

I guess I am still not convinced that this is true.. I guess it would be if your brain mass increased with the increased size of the helmet. It's like a bullet passing through several objects....the more objects there are to go through the more momentum it loses. Your brain would not have as much deceleration effect with the helmet even though it adds "surface area." That is only water surface area and the brain would not accelerate as much because of the added impact layer of the helmet so there would not be such a great deceleration. Anyway, just my theory. And I am too old to care about what I look like out there!! I would really like to see a scientific study done on this

when i first started learning hs3s, i would always go off-axis (leave early), and get my head slammed on the water. i got a concussion once and didn't try it again for a while. the next time i did try, i wore a protec helmet. again, left early, got off-axis and got slammed. this time, it didn't hurt. i tried again several times, and half the times, i got slammed....no concussion.

the helmet also helped w/ the whiplash factor.

now, am i saying helmets prevent concussions? no. i'm saying it helps to decrease the chances of getting one, but you can still get a concussion wearing one...i did.

Right Joe, Whiplashes can also cause concussions and helmets help with this in an indirect way. Also, it's not the outside shell that helps with concussions. The shell only protects against sharp, hard objects hitting our heads. It's the inner foam cushion that protects by absorbing most of the energy in a crash. As Sir Isaac discovered, it boils down to how many G's over how long a period of time that determines extent of damage. When the helmet hits the water the outer shell stops but your head keeps going until it hits the inner foam lining. As the foam lining crushes from your head hitting it, the lining brings your head to a gentle stop. As this happens the liner absorbs the kinetic energy of your moving head and slows it down. So, in theory, the larger the helmet = more foam lining = more energy absorption on the polystyrene lining = less brain shaking. But big Jack-in-the-Box heads arent practical nor would anyone wear them. So the inner foam lining has been manufactured with denser, stiffer foam to make up the diference.

How many G's a helmet transmits to your head, for how long, with how hard the water is, and how much surface area there is is what makes this debate so darn fun!!!

I agree that they don't prevent concussions but they do make the difference between neurologic damage and a headache.

interesting i may try a few out and see how it works out ,my three crashes are epic so ill know pretty fast how well it works out..

now i have to decide which one to buy and get the correct size..

get one that is comfortable and you will wear. I hope more will read this thread and make the same decision. It can't hurt.

this topic is very helpful as i know i've thought about getting a helmet this yr to push my progression, i want to try sliders, and the fact i've had 6 concussions (not from wakeboarding) leads me to believe it would be a good investment!

i don't however want to look like a tool, so i need to find one that will accomplish this...

Justin...looks like you could have used a helmet on that profile pic!!! You may think you look like a tool but you will be a mentally functioning tool. Get one you think looks ok. Otherwise you won't wear it. You don't even realize you have one on until you crash, hit your head and you don't get a headache. Good luck.

i got this one from shredready direct..they even sent me earpads (to install myself) they dont normally come with earpads..anyways check these out http://us.st11.yimg.com/store1.yimg.com/I/mountainboards_1881_975435

ryan...which model is that helmet?

SoCal MOB, that was one of my first attempts at a tantrum...actually it didn't hurt, but yes I agree I probably would like one..I checked out the Pro-tec ace wake helmet, now i just need to find a place near me that sells them so i can try one on...

that is the Full Mental Jacket helmet in Gunmetal color with the special series chrome trim..you cannot buy a Full Mental in gunmetal anymore or with the chrome trim.they come standard 2006 as red, blue black and army green.you can only get them in gunmental if you call direct to Shredready and talk to josh..he will special paint you one..as for the chrome trim..you can buy the same stuff at pep-boys and super glue it on yourself..shredready had too many problems with the chrome peeling off typical of chrome door trim..but its cheap 10' for like $13 so when it starts peeling just slap on some new..otherwise the helmet normall comes with the boring normal black rubber trim...also this helmet does not come with earpads..i had josh send me the snaps and earpads to install myself..so its basically a custom helmet at this point for about $120..check out shredready.com

(Message edited by leykis1o1 on February 06, 2006)

I have had the same exact experience as Joe... and wearing the helmet has allowed me to progress my riding w/o concussions (and ear drum ruptures). Pre- helmet, no spins... post helmet HSFS3's, HSFs5's, toeside 3s and 5s. I never ride w/o it now.

I cam very clsoe to blowing out my eardrum on a 360 crash. Since then, I have had similar crashes and been ok.

Just my 2 cents.

YOu can also buy our stuff online on our website
www.shreadready.com

Full Mental Jacket does not come with ear flaps because the helmet covers your ears anyway.

tom
shred ready

Good Justin...they make a really cool mat army green one this year.

Ryan...that helmet is so cool...totally custom. I love the metalic paint and the trim. Great idea.

Uncle...wearing ear plugs will keep your eardrums from blowing out. I know it sounds like a lot of trouble but it works. How do you like Roseville. We are considering moving up there in the next few years.

it wasnt my idea it was shredreadys..they have dicontinued that color, and as far as i know only available in gunmetal color without the chrome trim by special order through shreadready direct..ask for josh

(Message edited by leykis1o1 on February 07, 2006)

wouldnt it be cool if you could use those headphone earflaps with a walkie talkie type system so you could hear what someone says on the boat

You can use the earflap headphones for a walkie talkies, like walkabouts and talkabouts. The orgianl idea was for communications, not entertainment.

tom

here is another brand i was considering.. http://www.gratefulheads.com/hawg_lg.htm these also come in many colors including gunmetal and many styles..but i think there strap system isnt as nice..

SoCal MOB- I, too, live in Roseville. Its a great area!! Let me know if you need any info between Roseville/Rocklin. I have a son in Elementary school, if you need school district info too.

Here is a link to a thread above....somebody asked what helmet I have...this has a link

http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/1/283170.html?1139412624

By the way, Shreadready makes very good helmets too.

by the way how do you keep the water out of the connections in the earflap headphone plugs?

ryan..the hawg looks like a full military helmet!!! Pretty cool though. Love the color blend.

I have a problem with my earflaps ALWAYS coming off when i crash and it gets anoying trying to snap them in the water. Any suggestions to help this? i thought maybe just super glue or something?

i just bought my ace wake pro tec helmet today from performance. its so comfortable! ill go try it out this weekend. if it doesnt rain the whole day and as long as winds are under 13 mph!

great decision sam...what color did you get. I really like the army green one they have this year. Have a great day riding. Let us know how you like it.

I have a skate TSG helmet. They cam out big a couple years a go and I like the way they look and the comfort while wearing them. I have a snow version as well. With the "wakeboarding" specific helmets I am still not completely sold as to it being that much better that your average skate helmet with a little extra neoprene or something. Skate helmets will work just fine for any wakeboarding application unless your one of those unlucky ones that has to wear a helmet because of constant ear drum damage. In that case you need a full body bulletproof riot gear suit. JK lol Take Care.

i got the blue one, they had a limited selection, like, i believe they had yellow red and blue. so i just decided to go for the blue. i wanted the black or army one but performance didnt have any!!
i got a light concussion last week from a bad faceplant so i thought i would spend the $$$ and get a helmet, after all, i would have to get one for sliders anyways.

good advice on this thread by the way. thanks to everyone for posting their opinions, much appreciated!!!

There is a new helmet designed just for wakeboarding and watersports coming out this spring. It has built in headphones, along with 2-way comunicaton and MP3 options. Website is Pulseheadquarters.com, it will be up and operating soon.

Problem with most of the helmets you are discussing is they are not designed to be used in the water. As a matter of fact, almost all the models discussed here are nothing more than a skate helmet dressed up to be a water helmet. Gath is one exception, but these helmets offer no real energy dissipation due to neoprene only liner.

Every emergency room in America reports all injuries. This data shows the top 3 head injuries to wakeboarders as lacerations to the head, burst eardrums and concussions. The first two can be prevented wearing any type of head protection that has an injected shell and covers the ears. Yes, soft ear pieces will prevent burst ear drums! But, in order to dissipate real energy, you need a liner made from EPS, EPP or PU. Only EPP is actually waterproof and will not absorb water. EVA will not pass any of the stricter sports certifications, and the list gets worse from here.

Any helmet is better than no helmet. Question is, if you have a choice, why not wear something that really does what it is supposed to do?

but any helmet will reduce the risk of getting a concussion. is that correct?

from what I understand and what people say, as long as they are multi impact certified which most skate/wakeboarding/snowboarding/BMX helmets are, you should be fine. If you want more ear protection from rails look at helmets that cover the ears with some kind of protection. As for the head, any of the above mentioned helmets will work. Take Care

sam....blue's ok and you can always spray paint it a different color.

wayne...I will be checking those out for sure!!

lol hell yea

Sam, to answer your question: No, not every helmet will reduce the risk of getting a concussion. A product like Gath for example will offer little to no energy dissipation due to neoprene liner, while a CPSC certified skate helmet will offer maximum protection. Problem with using a CPSC skate helmet is, it is not deigned for use in water! So, materials can and will deteriorate to the point where it will not pass any certification. Add to this that CPSC standard was written for bicycle riders, at impact speeds they achieve, hitting pavement/cement and the anvil shapes used for impact testing are similar to what a bicycle rider will see....not what a wakeboarder will impact.

Isaac, to answer your question: There is no such thing as a multiple impact standard that covers all the sports you list! All the major skate brands are modifying their helmets to meet CPSC bike standard vs. the old ASTM bike standard. ASTM does have a skate standard, but the only difference between it and the bike version is the shape of impact anvils (curb shaped vs. flat, etc.). USA snowboarding/skiing use another ASTM standard that again changes anvil shapes and impact speeds to align itself better with actual hazards. Canada and Europe use different CE standards for their snow, bike, etc. BMX uses CPSC by the way, same as all bike helmets sold in US. And, there is no wakeboarding standard anywhere! Currently ASTM is drafting a non-motorized watersport helmet standard, but I am in disagreement with it due to the differences between all the watersports.

In conclusion, there is a huge difference between helmets! It your head, so choose wisely.

wow, all theese helmet threads, and no one started a helmets are ghey thread? We must be getting somwere. Now if only the same would happen with life jackets...

Wayne, I don't understand what you mean by no helmets designed to be used in water. The Ace Wake is CE 1385 certified. Wouldn't the CE 1385 whitewater standard be about the best existing standard to base a helmet for wakeboarding?

SoCal,

Moving to Roseville was the best decision I have ever made! I can snowboard or wakeboard so much easier than living in SJ. Between the lakes, the Delta and the river, I have lots of choices.

I tried earplugs and it makes hearing very difficult and your sense balance is thrown off (at least mine was). Earflaps on helments is the way to go. Your hearing is just slightly muffled w/o any balance issues.

Ryan, you are right the CE 1385 standard is probably the best standard if you want a watersport helmet. But, this whitewater standard is based on you flipping over in a kayak and bouncing your head off boulders at river running speeds! Not impacting the water at 20 mph, or a rail, or, or? Also, CE 1385 helmets have to be thick (and most are heavy) to pass this certification.

The point I was hoping to make was that I do not know of any helmets designed for wakeboarding. Most helmets sold for wakeboarding are crossovers from other sports. Since you mentioned the Ace from Pro-tec, this is a perfect example of a skate helmet that they slapped an EVA liner in and call it a water helmet! EVA as an impact material has now been dropped from skate, hockey, lacrosse, etc., because it can't pass their standards.

In conclusion, the Ace is one of the better choices out there, based on what is available today. See attached image of a helmet that will be available late this spring that we have spent two years in the water developing. Its thinner, lighter, dissipates all the energy needed for wakeboarding and comes with add-on headphones, walkie-talkie, MP3 and a few other cool items.

Uncle Jessie, yes stay away from ear plugs, especially the ones for use with MP3 players! The amount of these being surgically removed from inner ears is on the climb. Appears that impacting the ear (mostly from jumps) causes these to pierce the inner ear. This comes from US emergency room data listed as wakeboarding accidents.

Wayne, I know (coming from motorsports background) not all helmets are created equal and I wanted the best protection for my noggin (had a few minor concussions already). I researched before I purchased and found the Ace to be one of the best available. It is a little bulky but have found its not too obtrusive when on the water. It definately helps with impacts and increases my confidence level.

That being said I think a helmet designed from the ground up as "wakeboard specific" is a welcome and overdue piece of equipment for our sport. If it performs as well as you describe, is priced reasonable and looks 1/2 way decent I would definately be interested.


Now, can anyone tell me where to find earflap headphones for the Pro-Tec? I've searched all over the net w/o any luck.

Ryan, hope you saw the helmet image I attached above, I think it will fill your requirements listed. Let me know if you have any questions.

I see the Protec add-on speakers around for $30, not sure why you can't find them. Remember, these add-ons are not water resistant in any way! You get those paper drivers wet and your done.

Ryan, check out the shred ready can can ear flaps, they hold up in water, no paper drivers adn all connections are waterproof.

tom
shred ready.
listen to wayne he knows his stuff.

i recieved my Shredready FMJ in custom gunmetal color..i masked off and painted the visible fiberglass composite black added the "style guard" 1/4" chrome trim and this helmet is just sick..not sure if i will install the earpads..ill have to see how the helmet reacts to fallin

Uncle...I think we have pretty much decided on Roseville/Rocklin. Just a matter of when. I wear the "putty" kind of ear plugs. They are too large to "pierce" your eardrum. And what pierces your eardrums without ear plugs is the pressure of the water and air being pushed against your eardrum. Your eardrum is about 3 cell layers thick and although it is tough, it is also fragile in the wrong circumstances. But it does heal quickly too. I have to wear ear plugs because I have tubes in my eardrums from a sinus infection last year. You just get used to not hearing as well. And if I take a bad fall the plugs come out, not get pushed in. I have worked in the OR for 20 years and have NEVER seen earplugs pushed through the eardrum to the middle ear...and I have seen a lot of serious traumas.

Wayne.....I LOVE the helmet.

SoCal, you are right about the pressure of the impact bursting eardrums. This is the normal injury when nothing is worn over the ear to break rapid compression. By wearing almost anything over your ears, it will block the air pressure creating the injury.

Although the ER data I get does not list the brand of ear plugs that cause injuries, it is happening and shows up in top 5 head trauma related injuries. The biggest issue with ear plugs as I understand it is, under a the pressure of a major water impact they cannot block all the air from being rammed into your ear canal! How tight the ear plugs fit, material softness, how hard the impact, many variables, etc., make it hard to state clearly what will cause an ear injury with ear plugs in or not....But, they are happening!

Another thing we learned in testing helmets is some athletes who have had burst eardrums cannot wear anything covering their ear. As this causes equilibrium and balance problems, so for them we designed removable ear pieces.

By the way, I have never heard of a burst ear drum healing at all, let alone quickly? I did my tour as an Air Force pilot and saw a few rapid decompression injuries. I have never known a pilot with burst eardrums to recover, and in the AF if it happens, you never fly again!

Glad you like the helmet! Wait until you see all the cool stuff we designed to work with it. Oh yea, and no ear plugs.....

wayne,

very cool design. I have bought and used over 5 different watersports helmets, all used for whitewater kayaking. You are absolutely right about the speed differential. At best, I have a 15mph impact kayaking...and that is if I huck a fairly large drop. The difference is that when I do hit...it is into aerated water and therefore it feels much softer.

I do like my Sweet Protection helmets, they stand up to abuse.

The water scene (including whitewater) has been very frustrated with helmet designs. We are 15 years behind.

If you don't mind, I have a few questions about this new helmet:

1. How many sizes will it some in, and how do you plan on adjusting it for differing head sizes?

2. Is the cloth liner removable for washing (de-stinking)? Does it have a cloth liner?

3. What is it made out of?

4. Are the ear flaps removable?

5. Do you have a soft covering for the strap. I hate the fact that every helmet I have tried on has a thin strap made of stiff nylon.

6. Are you going to market it for other water sports as well?


Thanks!

wayne how far out is this new helmet from being sold and at that time where can i buy one...i might try using one full time to help with harder tricks with more head knocks and whiplash,basically for a little more confidence trying tricks for the first time..

Robert, in quick answer to your questions:

- Helmet comes in 4 sizes to fit from L/XL to kids. Has a patented fit system inside made from neoprene that allows for small adjustment.
- Liner is neoprene. New fast drying straight from O'Neill's factory. Not removable, but can be washed just like a wetsuit.
- Helmet shell is ABS, liner is EPP. Absolutely the best materials for this application.
- Yes, ear flaps removable.
- Strap is wrapped with neoprene, very comfortable.
- This is designed to be a boardsport helmet (wake, wind, kite & surf) only! Not designed to meet whitewater CE standard. As I mentioned earlier, I do not agree with thickness or coverage requirement for boardsports vs. whitewater.

Lots of design and material details not mentioned above. Keep checking www.pulseheadquarters.com for the latest on what's up. This web site should be up and running within two weeks. I will get into headphone/speaker system in helmet, headset, MP3 player and walkie-talkie (all waterproof) systems later. But, you will be abe to talk with the boat or ground crew from this helmet, or use the headphone system for our MP3 player.

Bill, we should be shipping to consumers by early summer. I have committed the first shipment already to schools and Pros, the waiting list is significant. I owe first delivery to each of these groups because they helped so much in development and testing.

Keep checking the Website for availability information, and the scoop on new items.

"Actually, I guess until a scientific study is done on this subject, it will continue to be an on-going debate."

It's not much of a debate. Some people take a little high school physics, ignore all the unknowns and mitigating factors, and proclaim that the larger surface area of the helmet makes it more dangerous. It's not a very credible argument in my opinion.

I wouldn't hesitate to wear a helmet if I wanted additional protection. I wear one at the cable park because I'm hitting sliders (and it's required), but I don't wear one behind the boat. But, knock on wood (and not my head) I'd probably start wearing one if my bells got chimed hard enough once or twice.

Robert, forgot to comment on Sweet and 15 years behind: Sweet is a wonderful snow helmet, I love the design and the co-bonding process used with Carbon. They have struggled here in US due to CE certification for snow only, most retailers (especially the larger ones) demand ASTM certification as a liability umbrella. They have done only okay in Europe as well, this is due to snowboarding style is not as popular as the traditional European ski looks! Also, the snow world has made a huge shift away from injection shell helmets to in-mold/bicycle style, see Giro for the leader in snow designs. Check out the Olympics for the latest on EC vs. US helmet designs.

You are also right about technology not making it to watersports! Problem is volume of units for all the watersports falls under the radar of the big brands who ether own or are developing helmet technologies. Just so you know up front, I own a helmet product development company who develops many of the larger brands helmet designs and technologies. Being an avid watersporter (is that a real word?), I decided to use what I know in developing a sport specific design. I also develop many other hardgood related products for many sporting good brands.

Thanks Wayne.

Best of luck to you in your endeavor. I am certain that you will be successful.

The best part about your system is that for the cost of half an amp, you can get better sounding tunes at 85'. Its the perfect situation really, the people in the boat can keep the tunes to themselves without blowing everyone out.

You know...about a year ago there was a post on this board about helmets, and I stated what I felt was really needed.

If you found that post, you would find that I begged for everything that you are integrating.

Good job.

the only reason i will be wearing a helmet is because i watched my girlfriends wakeboard come up and slice her head open last year..she had to have stiches..and ive seen a few pics on wakeworld of a few getting scalped..and if there is a added benefit of less jar when it comes to faceplants and such ..great...

Wayne..you are right with HUGE eardrum blowouts. With small to medium incisions they heal quickly. Larger ones take a fascia graft from behind the ear to make a new eardrum. They usually take, but sometimes not, so you can have a pretty large opening directly into the middle ear which leads to the inner ear where equillibrium is controlled.

Thank you so much for contributing your information to this thread. I am glad to see you have designed a helmet with the hard poly liner that our brains need to decelerate. Also, I think one of the reasons a helmet of this caliber has not been made yet is because the industry (us wakeboarders) have not pushed for one. We are only now gaining in numbers the people who recognize a need for better head protection. I hope it continues to grow and becomes the norm. Thanks again.

John...I am with you. No debate as far as I am concerned!!!

Wayne....save one for me...small/med

Robert, I can't find your old post on helmets, send it to me if you can, or your best memory of it? I can never have too much user input!

You will like the new 2-way system!

John & SoCal, you are right, there is no debate!

Just remember the difference between proactive and reactive when it comes to head protection. Many wait until after something happens, others prevent it from happening.

Wayne....

http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/245494.html

Sound familiar

http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/237510.html

http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/87797.html

Robert, WOW there is a lot of historical dialog on this! My favorite quote from the above threads:

"Sure helmets are restrictive and uncomfortable and so are condoms. Most of the time you won't need either, but the one time you do, you'll wish you had it."

Laughing.....this one was good!

I did see your original comments, and you are right on target with what is needed!

After reading all these threads, I am convinced now that Pulse needs to post some real data on impacting water! Everyone is quoting their feelings or comments, know one is quoting real impact data. I have a friend who owns the largest helmet impact testing lab in US, he used to be a professional water-skier. He has done some real impact testing from waterski's, so the data should also apply to wakeboarding. I will ask him to prepare a document stating his actual impact testing at different water speeds and post this on the www.pulseheadquarters.com website. Then when discussion groups want real actual water impact data on what happens to the brain with and without a helmet they will have somewhere to get it!