Helmets have saved my life 5 times over the years. Once possibly twice kiting. So yes I'm wearing one.

This is a 12 yr old article from The Kiteboarder Magazine - whilst comparing with snow helmets, much seems to still apply - conclusion seems to be if your only concern is hitting water at speed, larger helmets may be a disadvantage. Hitting anything else at speed, they probably help .....

Head Case: Anatomy of a Helmet

By James Brown and Rick
Iossi

The demand for safer and more stylish helmets for kiteboarding has
been met by a growing number of manufacturers. We couldn’t possibly show all of
the various models available for water and snow use. So we designed this guide
to simply help you make good decisions when you go out searching for your new
helmet.

Purpose

Obviously you want to protect your skull and the
gray matter we call your “brain” from impact trauma. You also want to avoid
being knocked unconscious which puts you at risk of drowning or being dragged
into something. A helmet can help to do this by slowing impact by cushioning,
spreading the impact area, limiting piercing by sharp objects and abrasion.



Added Benefits

Shades head and eyes from sun and intense
heat. Keeps head warmer in cold conditions. If wearing sunglasses or goggles, it
can keep them from getting yanked off. You can put stickers on it! Some helmets
are even equipped with waterproof ear pieces/mic’s for communications.



Fitting

It should cover the forehead, back and sides without
slipping over your eyes, to the sides or backwards exposing the forehead. It
should fit snug, but comfortable without readily pulling away much. Straps
should hold it in place without any chaffing and have adequate adjustment
options to make it fit comfortably. After your first couple of sessions, you
won’t even remember it’s there!


Construction

Three basic
components - Shell, cushioning and straps

Shell should resist breaking,
crushing or piercing. Common materials are plastic or carbon
composite.

Cushioning ranges from soft single-layer closed-cell foam
(won’t soak up water) to high-density bike helmet style Styrofoam. The higher
the foam density among other factors, the better protection you will receive
from a violent crash. Bike helmet style foam is the best for land impacts, but
they should be replaced in the event of a crash. Even softer so called
“multiple-impact” helmets can be compromised by an impact without any visible
damage. Your head is worth replacing a helmet if you have a bad crash. Some
companies may give you a discount on a replacement helmet.

Straps should
be strong and have durable fasteners that won’t rust or corrode. Inspect your
connectors when putting on a helmet to make sure they are free of sand that can
readily cause the connector to open.


Features to look for

•
Impact resistant – the best is high-density foam.
• Durable materials – pick
something that can handle some abuse.
• Light-weight – you don’t want to feel
the weight, ideally less than 500 grams.
• Comfortable – pick one that feels
natural. Try on many different brands and models till you find the right one.
Soft, squishy foam can be very comfortable but offer less protection.
• Low
drag – helmets for water kiteboarding. Thicker, larger helmets can offer
excellent impact protection until you start to hit water when they can become a
pain in the neck, literally.
• Straps – get adjustable straps that don’t
chaff or choke.
• Fasteners – choose ones that won’t rust or corrode.
•
Compact – choose a close fitting helmet without protrusions.
• Goggle shelf
and strap (for snow helmets) – indent for the strap to rest in so it doesn’t
slide up or down and a strap to hold it in the back.
• Vents - for snow
helmets more vents are best for warm days. There are two types. Slide vents
allow on-the-fly open and close. Vent plugs that you can remove/replace before
your session.
• Ear pads - protect your eardrums from bursting on impact.

• Audio - most snow helmets offer standard or optional ear pads with
speakers for listening to your tunes. You can also wear regular ear buds
underneath the standard pads for snow or water.
• Style - pick a style that
you like. If you don’t wear it, you’ve wasted your money and lose all the great
benefits of wearing it.


What to avoid

Any protrusion like
bills or visors, lose or poor fit that may cause excess drag or “bucketing.”
Bucketing is what happens when a helmet scoops water or snow in a fall. It can
cause damage or paralysis in your neck - even in impacts just against water!
Avoid excessively large helmets for water kiteboarding that create too much drag
on impact with water, e.g. contoured bike helmets. Not all helmets on the market
are necessarily appropriate for water or snow kiting. You need to do some
homework to improve the odds of selecting a good helmet for water or snow
kiting. If you want a bill or visor, get one that can readily break away
completely.

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Freddofrog said..

Jasonwave said..
Kiting in front of my kids = helmet, to be an example
...

This hypocritical logic always baffles me.

It implies when your kids aren't around, you don't care what example you set to other kids. They're not yours so who cares.

And it also teaches your kids to only do the right thing when people are watching. I'm sure you don't intentionally mean to do this, but that is what you are unwittingly teaching them.

So I should'nt wear a helmet when with the kids ? them neither perhaps ? I dont see the logical conclusion of your venim.


Reading in context, I think my position is quite clear - just like cycling or skiing, its helmets 90% of the time, but just occasionally its nice to leave it on the beach but those moments are carefully chosen. If anything, that is the moment of personal hypocrasy. And when the kids are old enough, and skilled enough, then we discuss conditions when taking the hat off may be considered. Untill then, its helmets for everyone when together.

It depends what style of kiting you're doing in my opinion. If you're only doing wakestyle (air tricks) I wouldn't recommend wearing a helmet ever.

i found that hitting water at high speed while wakeboarding has the same effect with the helmet or w/o it. i'd be more concerned with the neck injuries from hard impacts causing protrusions in the spine.

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Commie said..
i found that hitting water at high speed while wakeboarding has the same effect with the helmet or w/o it.

It might seem the same to you, but physics would argue otherwise.

I make a choice every time. During winter high winds and obstacles near lunch area found that i like to use helmet and just don't give a **** what anybody have to say about that. But during summer light winds everything is just if i could say less risky and found it to be overkill and don't like it.

It's great to have choice

I think we have to be cautious in advising against wearing of PPE.

If you jump on Google Scholar and try a few searches, you'll see there isn't a lot of evidence in the literature on the extent and specific types of injury; but there are studies that refer to the influence of environmental factors (and some make mention of contacting hard objects as a cause of injury).

publications.waset.org/7011/pdf
"Kitesurfing is a sport where injuries occur to an extent of 5- 7 times per 1000h of practising during recreational kitesurfing, according to this and earlier studies. • The lower extremities (knee and ankle) were the most frequent locations of injury, but rib fractures and shoulder injuries were also reported frequently. • Jumps and tricks were associated with about 40% of the injuries reported in this study and many were also influenced by environmental factors or equipment issues. • Physical, environmental and mental factors determine the participant’s ability to perform well and avoid injury. Many of these factors cannot be controlled, but specific physical training, practising techniques and being aware of environmental conditions have positive effects on both performance and avoiding injury. • This information can provide a foundation for further studies of kitesurfing and complements the earlier studies. A prospective study of kitesurfers of different levels of competence would be useful to obtain more detailed information on injuries and their causes, connected to specific elements of kitesurfing."

As they often do, the researchers highlight the need for more studies europepmc.org/abstract/med/22824840
I wonder if manufacturers contributing to a research fund would be an effective way for them to give back to developing a culture of safer practice in the sport?

In relation to the "physics" discussion yesterday, I wasn't able to find the follow up studies mentioned in this project which may have offered us some actual evidence around the biomechanics involved in the sport www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:239141/FULLTEXT01.pdf

Finally, I think it's worth observing that this recent small UK study comes out of the neuroscience/neurology literature...meaning there has been enough kitesurfing/kiteboarding related head injuries for the team to consider the topic worth of research tra.sagepub.com/content/16/1/23.short

Full study here tra.sagepub.com/content/16/1/23.full.pdf+html

"All of the injuries resulted from high energy impact with land rather than in the water and represents an area for future safety guidance"

It would be VERY interesting and useful to hear what these people have to say about the merits (or otherwise) of us wearing helmets!

No helmets.nxt thing the gov will legislate and it will b law to wear.nxt thing fines.say no to stack hats whilst kiting.its our choice to look stupid or not.like people riding pushbikes along soft sandy beaches with stupid helmets on.just say no

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Commie said...
i found that hitting water at high speed while wakeboarding has the same effect with the helmet or w/o it. i'd be more concerned with the neck injuries from hard impacts causing protrusions in the spine.

Agreed. As for as all watersports, the only real helmet to wear is a motorcycle helmet. The normal helmet is just a fashion accessory which makes you feel safer and hence act more stupid. At least once you are in the water.

I do wear a helmet if it's gusty and I'm launching/walking on a stone beach as it does protect against abrasions and stones in case of an unfortunate fall, however, I do have to say that a modern (bow) kite has never created any serious power even if it drops right in the window if it's depowered...

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bfg said..

In relation to the "physics" discussion yesterday, I wasn't able to find the follow up studies mentioned in this project which may have offered us some actual evidence around the biomechanics involved in the sport www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:239141/FULLTEXT01.pdf

Kit3kat said..

Commie said...
i found that hitting water at high speed while wakeboarding has the same effect with the helmet or w/o it. i'd be more concerned with the neck injuries from hard impacts causing protrusions in the spine.

Agreed.

@bfg I'm not entirely sure if you are talking about the "physics" that I eluded to in my post above, but for the sake of the following I'm going to assume you are.

Helmets are bigger than your head.
A helmet attached to your head makes the surface area needed to penetrate the water in a crash larger (than without helmet).
A larger surface area needed to pentrate the water equals a more rapid deceleration of your head.
A more rapid deceleration of the head gives you a greater chance of concussion and/or whiplash when crashing into the water on a trick (than without a helmet).
*Not to mention the scenario when the helmet catches the water underneath it and acts as a small parachute.

Although the amount may seem/feel minimal to some it is most definitely a factor/ problem for people. In the past if you were riding the cable park and not hitting the rails or ramps (only doing air tricks) you didn't have to wear a helmet (for this reason). The reason everyone has to wear a helmet now is purely for insurance purposes.

Obviously there's also danger entering and exiting the water that a helmet can save you from Kiteboarding. Everyone must assess their own level of risk and weigh up the pros Vs the cons of wearing a helmet based on their own scenarios.

Try www.surfsafetyaustralia.com.au if you are looking for approved water sport helmets.

Approved water safety helmets might have passed a test, but all the helmets available in Melbourne are garbage.

The full Protec range (Wake, Ace, Predator) have a stupid plastic clip thing at the back of your head that explodes in a crash (the Predator has a crap elastic band at the back). You get whiplash and injuries to your face and nose where the helmet is forced forward. It's even worse if you're wearing glasses and the helmet and glasses get crushed into your face.

Mystic helmets make no attempt at a retention system. They're just a foam bucket that sits on your head. You would be better off with a $30 skate helmet from Kmart.

I ended up buying a Neil Pryde helmet for my recent foray into the world of hydrofoils. These are the least worst helmets. The ratchet retention system works in most cases ... unless you have a big crash.

The Gath surf hats are fine as a hat. They will stop minor dings to your head. They're really just a plastic lunchbox with pretentions. The wind noise is appalling. I have tried on the Gedi in a few shops and found it heavy and uncomfortable.

The worst thing about helmets, as had been mentioned, is that the bucket effect causes the helmet to stop when you hit the water causing whiplash. Watersports helmets are fine for kayaking because you're moving at the same speed as the water. You get no bucket effect and there's a real risk of bouncing your scone off a boulder.

We are moving fast above the water. When we hit the water is relatively stationary. What we need is a streamlined helmet that is light and doesn't catch the water, and doesn't ridiculously amplify wind noise.

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jpungar said..
Helmets are fantastic. They keep me safe. I don't wear one, but they help me spot who to avoid kiting near.

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kiteboy dave said..
This guy died close to where I used to live. 28 years old. 15kts. Helmet would have saved him.

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/General/Redcliffe-Kitesurfer-Slams-into-Concrete-Wall/

wearing one permits having space to do your unhooked tricks, specially in rush hours

Helmets can b dangerous with your periferal vision and the interference with your hearing.yes they will probably save u injuries with hard objects its all about choice dont give up your right of choice as with pushbike helmets.i was riding on soft beach sand minding my own business and these nazi coppers pulled me up.wheres your helmet.i pulled out my medical certificate and they didnt know what hit them.nanny state or wat im abig boy i can decide where and when.on a freeway highway yes .beach park my back yard NO

A foil to the head convinced me I should wear one . . . at least on the foil.