The Surf Helmet Discussion

[kruff]

OK, this is a fairly serous topic about Surf helmets and why there are not more people wearing them, myself included. In 18 years of surfing the most serious injury i have got from surfing was a board rail (mine) between the eyes while going over the falls resulting in 4 cute stitches. That was 10 months ago. A few inches to the right or left or a different part of the board and it could have been an eye or in the temple resulting in concussion and drowning. It has not changed anything dramatically in my surfing aside from being less lazy (or more aware) when going over the falls.

Then 6 months ago, a friends 14 year old son, copped a rail in the side of the head while surfing, which crushed his skull, literally. In the MRI scan, it looks like he has had a bowling ball, dropped on his head from 6 ft up. Nasty. Thankfully and miracuasly, he is ok, metal plate included.

It got me thinking how we're only ever 6ft away (leash) from that and I dont think we ever hear about those surfing injures. Also, the fact that pro's don't wear helmets (in <12ft surf), means that the vanity in us would rather take on the risks, rather than bear the ridicule of being labeled a kook for wearing a helmt. I mean you dont have to be surfing 12ft pipe to have that happen. It could be 3ft Manly too. You can also drown in a puddle of water if you get knocked out - it does not have to be a 2 wave Mavericks hold down.

Was not that long ago that bikers, cyclists, skaters, skiers and snowboarders also had same issue around head safety and image. Now that's all changed. Why is it not so in surfing? The same arguments apply: Yes biking, boarding or surfing without a helmet feels great, but a crushed skull and brain damage is not so hot - and will pretty much end surfing and probably destroy your life if there's brain damage thrown in.

So why do surf helmets get so much flack?

[diggerdickson]

I got one in the 80s, but they dont make one big enough for my head so bloody uncomfortable, I never gave a toss about fashion but those gath helmets were really uncomfortable, I would come out of the surf with a shocking headache. I would wear one in decent size surf if they fitted my head

[Karlos]

I think you need to post a pic of your noggin digger.

[Grooter]

Do they really get flack?

I don't wear one myself and I don't why anyone would care if someone does.

To be honest I have always thought those who wear them do so due to having a previous injury (once bitten twice shy etc), having a basic predisposition to concussion, or just being plain cautious.

[swvic]

If memory serves me well, I think NCs li'l' bro' wore one for a time after a head injury. I briefly wore a mate's Gath to see how it felt and didn't like it. Duck diving was a real issue and I thought a heavy go down might increase risk of neck/spine injury because the helmeted head had greater resistance going into the water. In short, it felt like a float.

[Roy_Stewart]

I always wear one regardless of wave size and it has probably saved my life twice, after a couple of surfs one gets used to them.

[Roy_Stewart]

If memory serves me well, I think NCs li'l' bro' wore one for a time after a head injury. I briefly wore a mate's Gath to see how it felt and didn't like it. Duck diving was a real issue and I thought a heavy go down might increase risk of neck/spine injury because the helmeted head had greater resistance going into the water. In short, it felt like a float.

Yes then he took it off and rode with a mohawk.

[Animal_Chin]

I always wear one regardless of wave size and it has probably saved my life twice, after a couple of surfs one gets used to them.

Two reasons to ban helmets right there...

[WANDERER]

Concussions are serious business and shouldn't be laughed off in the same way getting a few stitches or a scar is.
CTE is a massive emerging issue among Gridiron players of all ages in the US, and I imagine it's probably an undiagnosed issue amongst our sportspeople and general population here as well.

I'm thinking about taking the question to my doc, seeing as I have had a shitoad of concussions from various sporting incidents including basketbal, skateboarding and surfing over the years.

I had a gath back in the late 90's after a few head injuries, but the thing was horribly uncomfortable and gave me the headaches that someone else has already mentioned. Though I don't wear a helmet these days I'm still very cautious about any threat to my noggin.

http://www.subtlebraininjury.com/blog/2 ... sease.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_tr ... phalopathy

[daryl]

at the other end of the scale...
skin cancers on your feet, who puts sun cream on em,especially the soles?
It killed Bob Marley.

Did he sunbake face down,

[daryl]

at the other end of the scale...
skin cancers on your feet, who puts sun cream on em,especially the soles?
It killed Bob Marley.

Did he sunbake face down,

stubbed his toe playing soccer,lost nail,got sunburnt.

vulnerable achilles heel syndrome, damn

melanomas love feet, seen them big, alongside the arch

[Nick Carroll]

I think NCs li'l' bro' wore one for a time after a head injury.

Nah, no pre-existing injury. Tom started wearing one at Pipe when he realised that what he wanted to do out there was a serious threat to his health.

Some of the boys chuckled about it but not after they saw what he was actually doing to Pipe in the process. For a little while then it almost became a minor status call: "Yeah I charge soooo hard I have to wear a hell-met, because I am a hell-man."

Yeah I am a bit with Hatchman, I didn't know helmet-wearers got flack, I hardly ever see anyone wearing one and why would you bother about what someone was wearing on their head anyway? Unless they used it as an excuse to drop in on you, "Oh sorry I didn't hear you through my helmet."

Tom used to tell me the helmet was a worry at times especially from what swvic mentions - catching water under the edge and getting a neck wrench, which would even happen occasionally while tube riding.

But wearing one in normal surf, unless under medical advice due to some pre-existing condition, I don't know if I would enjoy surfing as much if it were accompanied by that much fear of consequences?

[Beerfan]

If it'll make me do a snap like nick's little bro, i'll wear one!!

[Grooter]

I always wear one regardless of wave size and it has probably saved my life twice, after a couple of surfs one gets used to them.

Two reasons to ban helmets right there...

[ajohnsen]

There's a chick I see out at Maroubra occassionally who wears a helmet - if I looked half as good as her, I'd get one in an anorexic second. But I don't. And I'm a bloke so if I looked like a half-hot woman, that'd be kind of weird. Looks like I'm not getting one.

Besides, as Ron says, you lose free'n'easy and we've lost enough of that - driving with a blood alcohol level of .18 for example.

[Trev]

Besides, as Ron says, you lose free'n'easy and we've lost enough of that - driving with a blood alcohol level of .18 for example.

>><<

[alakaboo]

I got a surf helmet (Gath) when I went to Tonga. But I realised that:

They only provide protection from cuts, not from impacts, apart from spreading the force a bit. There's very little padding in them.
They have a tendency to fill up with water when duckdiving, meaning you have to keep your head down which feels unnatural. Learning this fact meant nearly having my head ripped off in 8ft surf and going backwards over the falls...
They really cut down on your hearing and peripheral vision.

Only wore it once, and felt like I was less comfortable with it on.

If anyone wants it, it's an XL. Digger, if your head doesn't fit in that, we definitely need a pic. I've got a big noggin and it's loose on my head.

[kruff]

A lot of interesting points. I have never tried one and it seems that most people who have, found them to almost be a hindrance, in particular with the head dragging. This image of my friends sons MRI scan, really spooked me. I never new that a rail in the skull could ever cause that amount of damage (not from a shortboard anyhow). I started snowboarding with a helmet on ten years ago and I actually think it progressed my boarding as I had the courage to go harder. But it does'nt seem to hold true for people who have used helmets. Almost everyone here seems to have given it up after a few goes. Having a young family to look after also weighs in - bugger it, I'm going to give it a go.