Jim, Helge is talking about a different helmet than the Wake helmet with the ear flaps. The Full Cut is more of a kayak helmet, where the shell covers your ears, not just a flap. I would
think this would protect your ears much better than the Wake helmet. However, it still has vents on the ears, so it's not complete protection. The Gath helmet, with the ear vents closed, would offer the most ear protection.