Which helmet, PT or Protec?

I have the Protec Wake Ace (with ear gaurds) and it is Ace awright. Very happy with comfort, safety and longevity. Great with sunnies too.

The Gath (original) I had previously failed dismally in every one of those features.

Dunno bout the Alpha units but the Protec are used by Oz armed forces etc and are definately rated/made for salt water exposure. They are an absolute bargain for the quality I reckon (spesh next to the Gath rubbish).


EDIT: Sight scope on the PT could be modified for some water cameras by the look. Could be handy if you have a barrel style helmet cam etc.

Do they go okay with gloves ?

Geez it a bit odd that you chaps remember my taste for kite fashion accessories. Are you 'interior designers' or sumpin?

I've been concussed waterskiing before, not something I wish to repat with a kite hanging off me.

I have squids and plan to be around for a bit

I don't under any circumstances want a burst eardrum or similar

and I like to go harder than my 39.8 yr skillz probably can justify



so I wear a helmet... etc.



Hope that's ok with the interior set?




Bah ha ha - just yesterdee I was lookin at my shiny new gloves (still in the packet) and laffing that I haven't even been out this winter. Despite my plans to get amongst it regularly and make up for trashing my knee last winter.. Ha ha ha, wish I'd got them on sale - in pink. That would have been soooo cool.

As funky said, burst eardrum happens quite often and results in 6 weeks off the water.

Then there are hidden sandbanks, your own board (even without a leash), concussions hitting the water from kiteloops and land if you get hit by a squall. I've been on the water when we got hit by a squall, not pleasant, got lofted more than 5 meters before I even had time to pull my safety, girl with me wasn't so lucky, she was just landing her kite and spent a month in a coma with swelling on the brain and that was using a helmet. Unlucky timing for her going in to land her kite right as the squall hit.

It's great to see you guys are too cool for helmets, cudos to you and your massive gonads, but when someone else has a brain that is smart enough to actually want to protect itself, then it's probably worth shutting up if you have nothing to contribute.

I've emailed the retailer on their thoughts (they sell both) but it seems communication is not their strong point. I may just err on the side of caution and go the Pro-tec, haven't read a bad thing about them yet.

Protec have been used by wake riders for hitting sliders for years and they seem to be one of the more accepted brands to use.

I'd be a little weary of the ones with large peaks on them (Capix make one like that as well). I've hit the water head first wakeboarding with a Capix and had it push down and hit my nose and I've read about other guys who've had them actually break their nose. Its one of the main reasons most of the guys who have Capix wear them backwards now. The peak on the Protec one pictured above looks small so it shouldn't be an issue, but definitely avoid the larger peaks ones.

I had the Ace Wake and sold it. I hated it.

I was learning kite loops at the time and after a couple of back roll kite loop slammings I got rid of the helmet.

In each crash the plastic adjuster band would come apart and the helmet would do the bucket of death thing and try to tear my head off.

Because the adjuster comes apart the helmet would push down on my face and drive my sunnies into my nose or forehead. The helmet is quite heavy so if you take a beating your head will rip around like a rag doll.

I used to use a Gath. In terms of comfort and usability it was good. The wind noise is pretty bad. It will be fine to prevent fin cuts and chops from the edge of your board. It has no real shock absorbing layer so it will be useless if you head butt something hard.

Helmets are a great idea in principle. I have tried several helmets and they are all crap. Mainly because they are all too heavy and catch too much water and wind noise. Even if they protect you from a life threatening impact, they make normal impacts from riding much more severe.