VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

So I have been using a helmet most of this year after beginning without one. It only dawned on me to wear one when my brother said this: "once it is on you don't even know it is there so why wouldn't you wear it". So true, so true. Besides the dork factor (looks goofy) there really is no reason not to wear one. Here are some recent experiences I had that just solidify the need for helmets.

Last week at Island view I watched as a guy coming in from a session bent over to get his board, lost control of his kite, looped it into the beach and was dragged 20-30 feet. I ran to catch his kite and guess what buddy had a nice stream of blood running down his forehead from somewhere on his head. It all happened so fast he did not even feel it. He was also within 10ft of all those nice logs when this happened, could have been really bad. But I still saw him out the next week without a helmet.

Just this week after riding my skim for several sessions I switched back to the mako and right away started to boost some jumps. not having jumped for a number of sessions I forgot about kite position and ended up looping my kite down into the water while I was rotating backwards. I hit hard enough to bruise my back pretty good (felt like hitting concrete). With the helmet on my head did not feel a thing.

Also this week I was riding my skim in lighter winds (13-17kts) fell off in the shore break and the wave flipped my board right onto my head. It all happened fast as it always does.

So If you are not wearing a helmet because you are "too cool" just give it a second thought for me. Remember there are only two ways you are going to die kiting, being knocked out (major head injury), or being stuck out and dying of exposure.


Reuben

You make a couple of good points R57... But I think there are definately more than 2 ways to die while kiting...;)
I've been wearing a helmet for almot 3 years now. It's peice of mind... Being a Family man now, I realize that it isn't what you can prepare for that should concern you, it's everything else! Anyone notice all of the drifting debris in the water? Hit something with your head going as fast as we are and it's lights out!
An ounce of prevention will prevent a pound of pain!
See you at the Beach...

Good timely topic. Already the attitude to helmets here is better than elsewhere. I think the majority of windsurfers now wear them regularly and there is a good proportion of kiters (who probably need them more!)

I was pretty shocked at Florida. Windsuring sessions, n=2, maybe 20 sailors, helmet use 0 first time (I had forgotten mine) and 1 the second.

1st kiting session, at least 40 kiters (I counted over 30 in the air simultaneously), extremely crowded launch/land, probably at least 15 were raw newbies not riding yet and there was a bunch of riders with just a few hours experience. Conditions were 25 knots side-on to directly on-shore, and this was the first serious wind in many months, so even the intermediates would be rusty. Number of helmets? = 1 (mine).

2nd kiting sess, about the same number of people, helmets n=1 again. Oh, and EVERYONE launched with their kite on-shore and them in the water in the side shore winds that day. I figured the buddies wouldn't want to go into the cold, deep water (it was knee deep for nearly a km).

Kind of went with the no safety instruction other than "let go of the bar" and the 'wait for this blue kite to come by before you go". I had to ask about the last-ditch release directly. No reminder about not grabbing other kiter's lines or the danger of tangling other beach goers in the lines.

But then you don't even need a lid to ride a motorbike there

I used a helmet for a long time but stopped using it a few seasons ago. I never replaced it after it broke for a few reasons. It was a good tight fitting kaiaking helmet but no matter how tight I had it on, it seemed to yank my head when I hit the water. A couple times the whiplash hurt my neck. I also have had the kite-lines wrap around my head which is pretty scary. I couldn't stop thinking about the lines getting cinched up and caught on a helmet. Fortunately, that didn't happen.
I know that the chances of doing a header into an object are probably greater then having your dome yanked off but I'm still on the fence about getting a new one. I also enjoy not having it on during a nice day.

the Gath surf hats penetrate the water quite well. way better than an old protech kayak helmet i used to wear.

I got mine at Mountain Equipment Co-Op... They had a pretty good selecion when I was there last.

Coming down wave in Maui - hit turtle in frothy water at full speed with no way to see it - sorry universe! - head to mast to concussion - helmets are good things, stuff happens out of our control.

As I noted before...WSing without - kinda silly when things get windy, surfing without - well, sand vs. rocky beach I guess and size of wave, with that leash, probably a good plan...... kiting without? ....not too bright. I hate my tax dollars going to "not too bright".....

Key component: being aquadynamic....cuz you go into the water lots without hitting anything but water and your neck getting wrenched has affected my neck from the days wearing the hockey helmets....those large rims on some of these are the worst.

GATH is the only option in my view and no, I don't currently have a good selection unless you are a L or XL sorry

better to have a helmet then not, it only takes one time when not wearing one.

Yeah I have mine on now, just need to worry about that exposure issue when I go too far from shore. I do have a drysuit on but if one of the seals goes I could be a gonner. I'll likely invest in a life vest for some extra floatation.

Getting back to the buckets I use one when snowboarding and biking, on the water it's a no brainer.

I got hit by my paddle suping in the waves. The knock to the head, got me thinking about getting hit by that huge board, plus or minus the paddle. I plan on wearing my helmet when I'm suping in the waves in the future.

dangerdane wrote:Yeah I have mine on now,... I do have a drysuit on but if one of the seals goes I could be a gonner.

What in God's name are you doing...? LOL;)

I like the pic BK!

I'll go get a helmet at MEC tomorrow. I left the helmet I had at kook last year and it went "missing".

And yes, I did not feel the impact, nor felt the flow of blood. About a 3/4 inch gash on my head but no stitches. And yes, I'm an idiot for not wearing one but I'll fix that tomorrow. I was very, very tired after about a 2.5 hour session, my board was taking off N down the beach with the 3 knot flood tide so I ran, reached down to grab the board and powered up the kite. Tired, tide, not thinking.

I would like to thank both the fellows who ran down the beach to help me, I really appreciated it It wasn't fun getting dragged towards the log and wondering what to do in the split second I had and I deserve the shit being tossed out me. Tomorrow I'll have a helmet. So you won't see me a third time out w/o one.

Hey snarfer, good of you to speak up. I did not intend to drag anyone through the mud but it does seem the post had its desired affect on at least one person. Way to go. Like BK said you wear the helmet for the stuff you can't plan for. I still think you got off lucky, and you are not alone.



Reuben