To Gath or Not To Gath, That is the Question...

Post by **onawave** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 9:22 am

Morning all,

Im considering if i need a gath helmet. Im off to indo for a month. Surfed there before, and the maldives, but im considering getting one for low tide surfing....?

has anyone got much experience with them? or would you recommend them anyway for a trip like this?

cheers in advance,

oaw

Post by **pridmore** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 9:29 am

worn one once and absolutely hated it, it depends on your ability and confidence of surfing these waves I guess....for me it feels very restrictive but in certain dangerous waves , I would probably consider it....maybe take it and decide on it depending on conditions....

Post by **wanto** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 9:42 am

onawave: were you the guy that went to the maldives then came back and wrote off your charter and surf guide? an american dentist from coogee perhaps?

either way, how about take one, you sound like you might need it.

Post by **onawave** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 9:53 am

wanto wrote:onawave: were you the guy that went to the maldives then came back and wrote off your charter and surf guide? an american dentist from coogee perhaps?

either way, how about take one, you sound like you might need it.

no mate, that isnt me.

went to the maldives about 5 years ago on a charter for about 10 days, and about 5 days on lohi's....

surfing was fine. im just more concerned about the so called "super fast" waves in the ments.....

prolly didnt do myself any favours by watching 2nd thoughts last night.... (awesome surf movie btw)

Post by **wanto** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 10:33 am

onawave wrote:for anyone interested this is the boat we are on.....

http://www.freedomsurfing.com/freedom3.php?boats

im very stoked looking fwd to getting some good waves....

in bali we are staying at impossibles. http://www.wavevoice.com/

and im looking to stay another week on the way back from the ments too.

prolly look to stay at ulu's on the way back.....

he likes to be wrapped in cotton wool. he should take a helmet.

Post by **onawave** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 10:52 am

nothing wrong with cotton wool...

well as long as i can afford it.

actually i think the main reason why we chose the freedom 3 is because its the fastest. we are thinking about hitting north Sumatra and you just cant do it in the slower boats.

so we pay more, but get to go more places....

hence the questions....

cheers,

oaw

Post by **surfanimals** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 11:10 am

onawave wrote:Morning all,

Im considering if i need a gath helmet. Im off to indo for a month. Surfed there before, and the maldives, but im considering getting one for low tide surfing....?

has anyone got much experience with them? or would you recommend them anyway for a trip like this?

cheers in advance,

oaw

If you want to were a Gath, wear it a few times in some nice calm waves at home first, it completely changes the surf experience.

The noise inside the helmet echo's and gives the outside world a different feel and sound and can be off putting and also, I found my focus was slightly out of whack just given the nature of the sensory changes.

You would not want to paddle out for the first time in some double overhead cause I can guarantee you'd wished you'd not done it.

I knocked myself out last year and was told not to surf for 3 months given the extent of the hit to my head, instead, I kept surfing but wore a Gath as a form of protection - and hated it !

Also, 60% of your body heat escapes through your head and wearing the Gath made my body temp rise and very hot and bothered - almost smothering.

Post by **Mr_momo_32** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 11:55 am

is it really they essential for your safety, a pair of booties and a pair of balls should do the trick.

Post by **carhoonah** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 12:01 pm

you're not wrong animals about the noise ... i got a gath in an attempt to insulate my ears (exostosis) and only wore it once or twice. first time in some quite solid offshore wind 4 footers ... imagined i was in a rocket what with the din going up the faces. thought i'd done $125 cold but now find it very handy when chainsawing brush etc. much more comfortable than standard hard hat

Post by **onawave** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 12:17 pm

is it really they essential for your safety, a pair of booties and a pair of balls should do the trick.

yeah, thats what im going to have to work on. polishing the brass ones....

Post by **Cookie** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 12:32 pm

They're hot, noisy and uncomfortable and can be bloody annoying when they fill up with water when you fall the wrong way. There is a reason you don't see everyone in them at heavy wave locations. That said, you only have to go head first into the reef or cop a board in the back of the head once for it to be worth its weight in gold.

Totally down to your own confidence in your surfing ability.

Post by **rightbrainpositive** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 2:07 pm

If you're asking the question, you have already answered the question..

Post by **Revolution** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 5:53 pm

Be interested to hear NCs opinion.

Personally if your not that confident with your surfing i think itd be better to come away with maybe a bruised ego from people poking fun at you and a few scratches on your new helmet than a piece of reef stuck in your head.

Post by **rightbrainpositive** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 6:32 pm

Revolution wrote:Be interested to hear NCs opinion.

Personally if your not that confident with your surfing i think itd be better to come away with maybe a bruised ego from people poking fun at you and a few scratches on your new helmet than a piece of reef stuck in your head.

True, true...

Although there are a few people that wear Gath's that people don't make fun of: NC's little bro, Laird Hamilton, Rusty Moran... does 'Camel' wear a Gath?

Post by **bumfluff** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 6:40 pm

Theres an undertow from some of you guys here that you need to not be a confident surfer to score a reef in the head or a board in the back of your skull.

Id say any one of us could come unstuck at any time whether youve been surfing for a week or a decade.

I copped a nasty concussion from a board to the head in the same sandy 3ft swell thats Ringa's laughing about. I dread to think what could happen to some of you guys in the really big stuff and on reefs no less.

My point here isnt to say your all wrong, i just wonder why Gaths are not more common in all kinds of conditions. I guess its just that they look so kooky and your an instant target to be laughed at because of how they look.

Post by **Revolution** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 6:44 pm

Kinda like wearing a helmet when skateboarding imo.

Post by **Kunji** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 6:47 pm

Some places in Indo, you really need a helmet and full steamer.

Post by **Butts** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 7:00 pm

^^^^^^
Coops, but when you've got hair like your yours, you DEFINATELY do NOT need a gath

More bounce out of dreads than a gath I reckon

Ming you your the silly bastard getting close to the action WITH NO PROTECTION

Thats what chambers said anyway

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To Gath or Not To Gath, That is the Question...

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