Should we be wearing helmets?

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cjmcfall

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I have only been wakeboarding since the end of last summer and this past weekend I completed my first wake to wake jump. I landed my first attempt and crashed horribly on my second, think I had a small concussion. I caught my toe edge and slammed my face into the water really, really hard.

What do you think, should we be wearing helmets? If not, why not? I have also heard some horrific stories about riders rupturing their ear drums when they hit the water. A helmet that protects my brain and one to protect the ear drums seems to make a lot of sense to me!

I wear a helmet in most every other sport I play and don't care how dorky I look. Whatdya think?
 
D

DJ

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Re: Should we be wearing helmets?

If you are into EXTREME sports, get the equipment....

I've never found EXTREME watersports to be any fun.

Helmets do one thing-protect the cranium. They DO NOTHING for the neck. That's where the real potential for injury resides.
 

brick75

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Re: Should we be wearing helmets?

I think the only guys I've seen wearing helmets wakeboarding are the pros that are up on the huge rails and ramps. Kind of a given when you're doing that sort of thing.

I don't think you'd get any face protection from a helmet which is probably the most common "painful" bail in relation to the head. I suppose one could protect the ears. But hey it can't hurt to wear one, better safe than sorry right.
 

craze1cars

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Re: Should we be wearing helmets?

Google "wakeboarding helmet" and compare your options. There are many. Clearly there would not be so many for sale if they were not being purchased. Is not uncommon in my neck of the woods to see people wearing them...probably 20% do. I do not. Never said I was smart.

I have suffered the ruptured ear drum, which resulted in about 1 week of constant pus/blood mixture oozing out (I ruined two pillows while sleeping!) followed by about 2 solid weeks of total deafness in that ear. And hell yeah it hurt! It recovered fully. I have also suffered a few broken ribs from hard falls. And about every 2 months in-season I will suffer from fairly significant neck whiplash.

All in the name of fun of course!!!

Ironically, my worst injuries have occurred while running slalom course, NOT while wakeboarding. Crossing wakes at nearly 60 mph and then "tripping" at the high speed point has a tendency to create VERY spectacular wipeouts!! On that rare occasion, hopefully I skip like a rock, BUT if I hit the water at those speeds and suddenly stop...it is because SOME part on my body served as the brake! And so I float there and check all my systems while moaning and groaning...and hoping my brake didn't break!

Surprisingly I have not yet been notably injured on a wakeboard, but I'm not all that strong on it either as I'm an old guy and I'm late to learn that particular sport. Since I've never been very able to land the big high flying flips I don't really try them very often. And when i do attempt such a feat I fully expect to crash and often simply "assume the position" to minimize any chance of injuries...we all know how the "planned fall" rarely hurts. I also have never used rails or ramps. If I did I would ABSOLUTELY wear a helmet. But even on plain water it's the fanstastic surprises that'll bite ya. I assure you that I had NO TIME to react and plan for my falls when I unexpectedly tripped during a full-speed slalom run...much like your faceplant. It just sorta happens NOW.

Agree that the classic neck snap is probably my greatest fear. I have heard my neck popping like bubble-wrap a few times when head hit first and it bent FAR beyond "normal". That's scary. But so far it resulted in only whiplash from stretched ligaments. With age comes wisdom and I have been slowing down and probably will continue to do so. But I don't intend to fully stop for a few more decades if my body keeps soldiering on...

Wear a helmet if it suits you. You'll be far from the first to do so, and you will have the knowledge that anyone who criticizes you for wearing one is a full-blown royal moron.

In hindsight, of all my injuries, the only one a helmet would have helped me with would have been the eardrum. It would have been nice to have been wearing one WITH ear guards on that fateful day...that sucked.
 

lucky7

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Re: Should we be wearing helmets?

i too popped an eardrum. really hurt. i think a helmet is a great idea, though i dont have any wake helmets. didnt know they existed...
 

cjmcfall

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Re: Should we be wearing helmets?

Yeah neither did I, but I googled this weekend and found a bunch! Pretty cheap too (30$-50$).

I guess my main question is: Are there any reasons NOT to wear a helmet while wakeboarding?

Thanks for the help!
 

skibrain

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Re: Should we be wearing helmets?

ONe of my barefooting buddies has worn a helmet the last 3-4 years after a bad fall with mild concussion. I think it is a great idea for wakeboarding, especially where the fall after catching an edge is a quick body slam. it has got to soften the blow.

Wakeboard bindings tend to lock you in pretty tight which increases the impact. Bindings are probably 5x more aggressive than they need to be for most rec. riders. Only reason I could think of is Possibly there is more neck strain with the added surface area of your head WITH helmet taking a dive into the drink as compared to a head only. that is not based on knowledge or any experience I've had
 

shimano

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Re: Should we be wearing helmets?

When you catch a edge you can slam extremely hard,I've done it and always wear a helmet now,Gives me a little more confidence.
 

Guma

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Re: Should we be wearing helmets?

I wear one as well, for the same reason that someone already mentioned. Caught toe side edge, SLAM, and couldn't hear for 3 days. Got an ear flush kit from the drug store and all sorts of dark dried blood came out. Get one with ear flaps, some have them some don't.
 

RAT Attack

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Re: Should we be wearing helmets?

I think that question should be answered by YOU!
I have a motorcycle & live in a non-helmet law state ( Ohio ), and I am always on a motorcycle forum that says " always wear a helmet ". I can't stand when people try to tell you what to do. If you feel it is the best thing, then buy one & let that be that.
Just my $0.02 though.
 

ThreeMileBayWaker

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Re: Should we be wearing helmets?

I've never worn a helmet while boarding, I think i've killed my brain enough while in college playing Rugby. Can't even remember how many times I've been knocked soo hard I've seen stars, no lie. I eventually started to wear a scrum cap which helped a little bit.

Maybe I'll consider one for boarding when I hit myself nice and good to deem it necessary.
 

Bumpus7

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Re: Should we be wearing helmets?

Don't forget seat belts. :rolleyes:
 

kyle f

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Re: Should we be wearing helmets?

A helmet is worn by most riders when riding rails or kickers... where you could really bang your head off somethign solid.

As for riding the wake behind the boat. A helmet really won't do anythign except protect you from anything in the water. The sudden stop when you slam into the water will still cause your brain to crash against the inside of your skull, and nothing you wear is going to counteract that.
 

brick75

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Re: Should we be wearing helmets?

I wonder if wearing some type of ear plug would do the trick to prevent the eardrum rupture issue? Seems like it might. Would suck if you had tunes comin at you from the tower though I guess.
 

Nugglet

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picture.php


my 3rd time wakeboarding i did a wake to wake jump that ended similar to this...

lol,,, i wasnt getting any air no matter how hard i cut so a guy told me to "stiffen up & stand tall at the wake",,, i did with a hard cut and it shot me into the air like a cannon... i was pitched wayyy too far forward,,, bailed out,,, & caught my front edge... WHAM!!! instant concussion...

i for one will be wearing one from now on when attempting anything bigger than 1 wake jumps,,, havent gotten one yet (still fixing the wakeboat) but for now behind smaller boats i mainly just practice switch riding,,, ollies,,, ollie 180's,,, etc...

i dont care how it looks,,, i'm getting old (38) & dont ever wanna give my noggin that floggin again WITHOUT a helmet... plus it'll give me more confidence when jumping wake to wake & attempting my 1st invert :eek:
 

kyle f

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Re: Should we be wearing helmets?

Well, if is a matter of confidence or comfort, by all means strap the helmet on. All I am saying is, if you compare it to say a football helmet, you head smackin the water has more cushion than the inside of a football helmet. However, even football players still get concussions due to the sudden stops or sudden acceleration of the head from a hit.

I have also wondered about the ear plugs, but I have been afraid to wear anything in the ears as I have feared taking an impact and getting somethign jammed in the ear cannal that can't be pulled out by normal means and having it do more damage than if it wasn't there.


When it comes down to it, this sport is not golf. Its not a matter of if, but when you will get an injury. I have pulled a few muscles, sprained a finger, and got the wind knocked out of me... and I not even tryign anythign big. My friend managed to break his finger getting it hung up in the handle. If you go big the injuries just get worse, and head injuries from riding wake is not very common, but nothing says it can't happen.

On a side note, as far as I know, any event sponsored by the US Ski association that has rails or kickers involved requires a helmet be worn to compete.
 

cjmcfall

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Re: Should we be wearing helmets?

What I am taking away from all of this is that it's better to be safe than sorry.

It seems that the possible injuries from not wearing a helmet with ear protection out way the possible injuries of wearing one. Time to go shopping.

Thanks for the help on this and see you on the water.
 

kyle f

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Re: Should we be wearing helmets?

Is there a helment that provides ear protection? All the ones I have seen are just "brain bucket" style.

I would defenately be interested in the ear protection side of things for behind the boat.
 

mrtjoec

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Jun 7, 2010
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Re: Should we be wearing helmets?

I have been wearing wresting headgear for the past 15 years of wakeboarding, works real well to stop the broken ear drums.
 

URDADDY

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Oct 19, 2009
Messages
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Re: Should we be wearing helmets?

Accidents happen. Of course you should wear a helmet and guard the ears as well. I did the slalom thing years ago and was pretty good. Ended up breaking my hip on a pair of skis trying to show off jumping the wakes. Accidents always seem to happen by accident...
 
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