I am looking to get myself a surf Helmet after a near miss recently. If anyone has some advice on the pros and cons of different models i would be very grateful. Cheers Oldboy.

Hey mate, I have an ION helmet, which I only use when I want to mount the gopro on it, but it is comfortable and does the job well and have had it for some time with no dramas. Cheers - Cooper

I use a Bern helmet at the cable and it's great.

Hey Lads
Many thanks for you help. I will check them out. I wasn't aware of either of those Brands.
Cheers Oldboy

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Oldboy52 said..

Hey Lads
Many thanks for you help. I will check them out. I wasn't aware of either of those Brands.
Cheers Oldboy

gath helmets . aussie made

Hey STM

Thanks for the tip. I have been looking at them online and they look the goods. I have to drop by Strapper in Torquay to pick up my SUP tomorrow so i will check one out then. I will always buy an Aussie product first if it stacks up. Great shots by the way on your point danger post. I was at the dawn service at Torquay on Anzac day the surf was pumping in. A bit chilly though. Cheers oldboy.

Yep I have a Gath 3-4 hours out and you don't even know its on... Till your SUP smacks you in the head :).

Also has vent covers to make the most of a Torquay winter swell.

Cheers
Rory

Hey Rory
Thanks for the heads up. Your the smart one already wearing a helmet. Got cleaned up recently when two young lads dropped in on each other at the same time and then crashed in on me as the wave started to closed out, one tangled mess. just go out of that one. While i was rolling around in the wash hoping their board or mime wouldn't whack me in the scone I started thinking helmet why don't i have a helmet on. Don't know why i haven't brought one before.
Cheers oldboy

Gath are the only ones light enough and tight enough that I would be confident in wearing in surf.

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Oldboy52 said..

I have to drop by Strapper in Torquay to pick up my SUP tomorrow so i will check one out then. I will always buy an Aussie product first if it stacks up.

Strapper have them - or they did a couple of months ago +1 for Gath.

+1 for Gath and NP also do a nice surf helmet as well. Wear it when surf is big or it is cold. Otherwise use a Balin surf hat.

Thanks for the advice Lads. I picked up a white Gath helmet at strapper this morning and tested it after that. Being a bit chilly this morning it was way warmer than no helmet that's for sure. As Rory said once I was out padding you just forget you have it on.
Thanks to all those who commented.
Cheers oldboy.

No probs Oldboy

Glad you bought the Gah. It has saved me once already. You're from Torquay... I had to cut short a surf trip to bells and Torquay several years ago when my mate took a fin to the head and got about 8 stiches...

Cheers
Rory

Yeah just ordered a Gath. A couple of close calls at my local rocky point break lately plus winter is nearly here. Figure if I'm going to wear something on my scone to keep it warm it might as well offer some extra protection.

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HumanCartoon said..

Yeah just ordered a Gath. A couple of close calls at my local rocky point break lately plus winter is nearly here. Figure if I'm going to wear something on my scone to keep it warm it might as well offer some extra protection.

I noticed Kathy has a plastic fin in her board.. So it wouldn't have hurt [much] yesterday with that near miss..

No worries oldboy52 , should get one myself .

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DavidJohn said..

HumanCartoon said..

Yeah just ordered a Gath. A couple of close calls at my local rocky point break lately plus winter is nearly here. Figure if I'm going to wear something on my scone to keep it warm it might as well offer some extra protection.

I noticed Kathy has a plastic fin in her board.. So it wouldn't have hurt [much] yesterday with that near miss..

More about those rocks lurking just below us DJ and my unfortunate knack for late take offs. Add a couple of love taps lately from my own supertanker and a few nasty shots of water into the ears...in the words of the great and wise Sam Kekovich... "You know it makes sense"

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Rory4053 said...
No probs Oldboy

Glad you bought the Gah. It has saved me once already. You're from Torquay... I had to cut short a surf trip to bells and Torquay several years ago when my mate took a fin to the head and got about 8 stiches...

Cheers
Rory

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Rory4053 said...
No probs Oldboy

Glad you bought the Gah. It has saved me once already. You're from Torquay... I had to cut short a surf trip to bells and Torquay several years ago when my mate took a fin to the head and got about 8 stiches...

Cheers
Rory

Hey Rory
No I am not from Torquay sadly. Good old Melbourne but I spend a lot of time there over the Summer with my 2 boys so I am there over the Christmas holidays and most weekends teaching my boys how to surf and finding my feet again after many years of beeing away form the surf. I can't beleive how good it was to get back up on the board. If it's not the best sport in the world I don't know what is. Needles to say I have had a lot of fun learning how to get the best out of my sup this Summmer. Despite pulling muscles in both for arms due to lack of fitness poor padding technic and being over eager to get on when I should be more patient and positioning myself better for the right wave. I think I keeped thinking I was 18 again once I was out there.
Many thanks for your input.
Cheers oldboy

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Oldboy52 said...

Rory4053 said...
No probs Oldboy

Glad you bought the Gah. It has saved me once already. You're from Torquay... I had to cut short a surf trip to bells and Torquay several years ago when my mate took a fin to the head and got about 8 stiches...

Cheers
Rory

Hey Rory
No I am not from Torquay sadly. Good old Melbourne but I spend a lot of time there over the Summer with my 2 boys so I am there over the Christmas holidays and most weekends teaching my boys how to surf and finding my feet again after many years of beeing away form the surf. I can't beleive how good it was to get back up on the board. If it's not the best sport in the world I don't know what is. Needles to say I have had a lot of fun learning how to get the best out of my sup this Summmer. Despite pulling muscles in both for arms due to lack of fitness poor padding technic and being over eager to get on when I should be more patient and positioning myself better for the right wave. I think I keeped thinking I was 18 again once I was out there.
Many thanks for your input.
Cheers oldboy

Hey Oldboy.
Great to get your boys out on the water. Totally agree it's the best sport in the world!!!

I was in the same boat as you over Christmas with long hours and poor technique trashing my shoulders. I was given a couple of tips...
1. your paddle should be short enough that your top arm remains below your shoulder
2. Your bottom arm should be quite low to increase leverage and reduce strain.
3. Reach forward and bend forward using your core to straighten up as you pull back. More core less arm
4. Long strokes don't help as your power reduces past your feet

Also found that simple elastic exercise handles that you can attach to a door etc. can give you a huge number of exercises that return full range of movement to your arms and shoulders and can strengthen the rotator cuff muscles to better support your paddling.

They are cheap, effective and take up no space. I set some up near the tele. I'm off topic now but prob heaps of guys get this. And there would be plenty with much better info than I know to share

Cheers Oldboy
Rory

love my gath......you really are not conscious of having a helmet on.....and it keeps your hair do in place :)

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GizzieNZ said...
love my gath......you really are not conscious of having a helmet on.....and it keeps your hair do in place :)

#3 with a #2 on the sides...hmm yeah that's an issue

Oh sorry.....thought you aussies had gone all retro and gone back to mullets

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Rory4053 said...

Oldboy52 said...

Rory4053 said...
No probs Oldboy

Glad you bought the Gah. It has saved me once already. You're from Torquay... I had to cut short a surf trip to bells and Torquay several years ago when my mate took a fin to the head and got about 8 stiches...

Cheers
Rory

Hey Rory
No I am not from Torquay sadly. Good old Melbourne but I spend a lot of time there over the Summer with my 2 boys so I am there over the Christmas holidays and most weekends teaching my boys how to surf and finding my feet again after many years of beeing away form the surf. I can't beleive how good it was to get back up on the board. If it's not the best sport in the world I don't know what is. Needles to say I have had a lot of fun learning how to get the best out of my sup this Summmer. Despite pulling muscles in both for arms due to lack of fitness poor padding technic and being over eager to get on when I should be more patient and positioning myself better for the right wave. I think I keeped thinking I was 18 again once I was out there.
Many thanks for your input.
Cheers oldboy

Hey Oldboy.
Great to get your boys out on the water. Totally agree it's the best sport in the world!!!

I was in the same boat as you over Christmas with long hours and poor technique trashing my shoulders. I was given a couple of tips...
1. your paddle should be short enough that your top arm remains below your shoulder
2. Your bottom arm should be quite low to increase leverage and reduce strain.
3. Reach forward and bend forward using your core to straighten up as you pull back. More core less arm
4. Long strokes don't help as your power reduces past your feet

Also found that simple elastic exercise handles that you can attach to a door etc. can give you a huge number of exercises that return full range of movement to your arms and shoulders and can strengthen the rotator cuff muscles to better support your paddling.

They are cheap, effective and take up no space. I set some up near the tele. I'm off topic now but prob heaps of guys get this. And there would be plenty with much better info than I know to share

Cheers Oldboy
Rory

Hey Rory
sorry about the late reply. Work sometimes gets in the way.
Many thanks for your advice as it happens I am heading off to see a physio to get some woke don on the right arm as i fear my arm injury has morphed into a tennis elbow style complaint. The elastic exercise handles sound a great idea as i need to get some exercises to do every morning to get my whammy arms back into shape over the winter not hat you would know it in Melbourne today. I was thinking of also doing some flat water paddling over the winter just to practice better technique taking on board you advice point 1-4. Whats frustrating is the older you get the easier it is to injure yourself. As a younger man i was very fit heavy set across the shoulders chest and arms and rarely ever injured myself so it came as a bit of a shock when the doc said yeah... you are just getting older so you have warm up warm down stretch..etc **** i would just jump on and go for it as i had always done in years gone by. A bummer that.
Cheers Rory many thanks for the advice oldboy.