VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

besides the hockey helmuts with duc tape.... (which i'm sure are original's so if i got one of those it wouldnt be original...unless i used another color duc tape?)

what is everyone using? i have been meaning to get one for ages, all the ones i have tried dont seem to work for one reason or another. i know "pro-tec" make a water- use lid, but i dont think its specifically designed for kite boarding. "Gath" make a surf helmut but the one i tried sounded like i was in a wind tunnel.

maybe someone is up to date on the helmut market that can shed some light?

I use this one and very happy with it. It's made for wake boarding, I guess the closest you can get.

I get something that's rated for more impact. Maybe a bike helmut??? Seems like a wake boarding or kayaking type helmuts are meant for more deflecting type protection, not the blunt impact on the ground that kiters could potentially face. I'm definately not an expert on this though...

I use a kayaking helmet called a Predator. Covers the back of my head, and my ears. And it has a small lip all the way around to direct water away from falling in my eyes. I bought it at the kayak store on government downtown.
I like wearing it.

Ditto on the Predator - I think it's sold as a white water kayaking helmet, and designed to pretect your head when you roll over in whitewater onto rocks, which I thought would be sufficient... I don't really notice it.

The Gath helmet has a soft foam liner. I'm no expert but I would think a rigid foam and plastic shell would be better when smashing head first into a hard object. Soft foam would provide next to no real protection, just relying on the plastic shell of the helmet.

Kiting impacts unlike kyaking are very high speed and even accelerating ones. Way different situations ...

PS I use a Duke skateboarding helmet but am not certain this is the best way to go.

When I started out I also used a predator helmet and found it to be very protective, major crack on the head from a board on a leash, so I know it can take a good nock on the noggin and keep on sloggin. Anyhow, it worked good for me at the time.

I use a basic Gath. I got bashed a few times on the head while wave sailing the oregon coast. Seems to work well. I would highly recommend this helmet for windsurfing. For kiting, it would likely be not enough protection for hitting trees and buildings

pros:
1. low profile, doesn't bucket water when you wipe out. other helmets I've owned used to cause wipe-lash.
2. closeable ear vents which provide ear drum protection when looping.
3. light
4. well built

cons:
COST