Thoughts on helmets

(malibuboats4) · (malibuboats4) **Join Date: Sep 2008** 03-21-2009, 1:55 PM

the other day i had my first concussion. i barely remember anything from that day. i remembered absolutely nothing for about three hours after the crash. so i think i might invest in a helmet, but will it prevent a concussion? what are some good ones to consider?

(wakeboardlf25) · (wakeboardlf25) **Join Date: May 2007** 03-21-2009, 2:08 PM

the age old question whether a helmet helps concussions or not...some say they help while others say it weighs your head even more which will cause a harder whiplash into the water. I personally don't use a helmet. but i have a friend that uses a mouth piece and he said he hasn't had any memory losses since using it

(innov8) · (innov8) **Join Date: May 2005** 03-21-2009, 2:13 PM

Shred Ready, I have rode in them all and Shred Ready is the best IMO.

www.shredready.com

(jasonpav) · (jasonpav) **Join Date: Dec 2008** 03-21-2009, 2:23 PM

+1 for shred ready

(michaelspsp) · (michaelspsp) **Join Date: Sep 2007** 03-21-2009, 2:58 PM

every time i had a bad spill i had an instant headache. which was pretty much every time i went out. lol. once i started wearing a helmet, i only had 1 spill all last season where i had an instant headache....

(pvsawyer) · (pvsawyer) **Join Date: Mar 2008** 03-21-2009, 3:43 PM

You should definitely wear a helmet when hitting obstacles; though, I'm not sure how much helmets help with face plant impacts. However, there is always a rare possibility of your board getting ripped off your feet and hitting your head (which actually happened to me- thank god I was wearing a helmet). In that scenerio, a helmet will help tremendously.

I say when in doubt, wear one. I took a graduate level neuropsychology class and have studied the repercussions of brain trauma. The possible residual effects of brain injury are quite frightening!

(hockey9) · (hockey9) **Join Date: Mar 2009** 03-21-2009, 5:18 PM

I had a buddy take a nasty spill and was out of it for a few hours also. Now we all have been riding with a Hyperlite helmet and so far no problems after the hard spills.

(wakerider111) · (wakerider111) **Join Date: Jul 2006** 03-21-2009, 5:40 PM

OHHH man... is this a heavy topic. do a search and there is tons of stuff. i have done my share of research on it and frnkly, until someone does an in'lab test with meters and stuff than there will be no proof for either argument.

but of the people who DO wear them, most will say they have had less problems since.

the funny thing is, when you get down to it and research the definitions of the cirtifications it will show that they ranked for speeds SLOWER than wakeboarding and for hiting rocks and other hard surfaces while kayaking not water impacts, BUT OF COURSE A HELMET SHOULD BE WORN IF HITTING RAILS NONE THE LESS AS SAID!
;)

i got a shred ready Phly on discount... i'll have to see how it works this summer ;) but i never had a concussion

OH and wakeworld has this article on the whole subject too
http://www.wakeworld.com/getarticle.asp?articleid=1499

(michaelspsp) · (michaelspsp) **Join Date: Sep 2007** 03-22-2009, 5:21 AM

i dont think is possible to have a in lab test. too many variables. angle of impact will always be different. I know a Osteopathic Dr doctor in France who told me Olympic divers when they get older have brain related injury symptoms. of course they hit the water with their heads a lot more than we do...i hope! when in doubt... and better safe than sorry in my book.