I had a stack three weeks ago and got hit (I think) by the boom head in the side ribs near my armpit. Very painful. I was wearing a kayaking pfd, but the boom still got me. Any suggestions of a pfd or impact vest that would protect this area?. I've seen pictures of the Mystic block impact vest but not able to inspect.

Not without losing mobility and walking around carrying buckets.

Its been a while since I have stacked at full speed... but I know its on the cards.
I have not got an impact vest but will possibly will get one of these for the winter storms:

forward-wip.co.nz/en/4-50n-impact-vest.html

Its also 50n buoyancy so I won't have to keep hiding from the local harbormaster

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srtgumbee said..
Its been a while since I have stacked at full speed... but I know its on the cards.
I have not got an impact vest but will possibly will get one of these for the winter storms:

forward-wip.co.nz/en/4-50n-impact-vest.html

Its also 50n buoyancy so I won't have to keep hiding from the local harbormaster

Looks like a great vest. Flare pockets too.

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srtgumbee said..
Its been a while since I have stacked at full speed... but I know its on the cards.
I have not got an impact vest but will possibly will get one of these for the winter storms:

forward-wip.co.nz/en/4-50n-impact-vest.html

Its also 50n buoyancy so I won't have to keep hiding from the local harbormaster

Looks like a great vest. Flare pockets too.

does anything have padding in the armpits / upper side chest? I think not....

keep ya wings in.....

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gofaster said..
I had a stack three weeks ago and got hit (I think) by the boom head in the side ribs near my armpit. Very painful. I was wearing a kayaking pfd, but the boom still got me. Any suggestions of a pfd or impact vest that would protect this area?. I've seen pictures of the Mystic block impact vest but not able to inspect.

What sort of stack?

If they are catapults, in my experience the best way to avoid injury was to keep holding onto the boom and you pivot over the front, which keeps everything away from hitting you. Problem solved.

yep, a catapult. From long ago (broken rib) I've learnt to always keep my arms straight and hold onto the boom. but somehow the boom still got me this time. At least i think that is what happened. I did wonder if it was a muscle strain. The pain was/is immense. No bruise.

Same happened to me 6wks ago. Result... 3 broken ribs (9, 10, 11), and I WAS wearing an Ion 'Collision' vest. Will be sticking to my ProLimit weight jacket in future.

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mikey100 said..
Same happened to me 6wks ago. Result... 3 broken ribs (9, 10, 11), and I WAS wearing an Ion 'Collision' vest. Will be sticking to my ProLimit weight jacket in future.

Which model of Ion Collision vest did you wear? Ion Collision SELECT 2018 (green colour) Vest is nice, but Select 2019 (blue colour) is BAD as it has only 1cm thick padding but 2018 model has 2cm thick padding. Thats why I returned back the 2019 model and ordered another 2018 model vest.

For some reason I tend to hang onto the boom when catapulted. I'm thinking now that maybe that's a good thing.

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remery said..
For some reason I tend to hang onto the boom when catapulted. I'm thinking now that maybe that's a good thing.

Hang on and sheet in with your back hand. It initiates a barrel roll and throws the rider away from all the hard bits (boom and board)

^^ Yep im with John340 on this have had many epic stacks. When i feel im about to catapult i sheet in n even give a lil jump WITH the catapult force. Seems to spin me over n away to leeward from board. I land with my back to the water in a fairly safe position. With no damage to me or my gear.

All well and good but what about the violent ones when you just dont see it coming??
Happens so fast you have no time to think "Hang on, I reckon I better hang onto to the boom and do a graceful pirouette" while smiling for your Gopro.

I dont see any of my catapults coming. Unless it a gumby re hook during a jibe .
Its always at speed with the fin hitting ground .
I dont even have time to scream .
Its a fact it takes more than 0.3 of a second to react to a feeling , by that time ive finished my pirouette airborne upside-down maneuver and flat on my back still in my harness lines . I must be a hanger onner . I even got stuck between boom and sail once still in harness lines . Its not like i knew what was happening at that time for that to happen .
I believe there are two types of people , ones that hang on while crashing and the others letting go .
I find it hard to believe that we have the capabilities of changing what happens between the time our feet leave the straps and hitting the water .

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Farang said..

mikey100 said..
Same happened to me 6wks ago. Result... 3 broken ribs (9, 10, 11), and I WAS wearing an Ion 'Collision' vest. Will be sticking to my ProLimit weight jacket in future.

Which model of Ion Collision vest did you wear? Ion Collision SELECT 2018 (green colour) Vest is nice, but Select 2019 (blue colour) is BAD as it has only 1cm thick padding but 2018 model has 2cm thick padding. Thats why I returned back the 2019 model and ordered another 2018 model vest.

Tore my rotator cuff loading my windsurfing bag onto the scanner going to Fiji. So when I got back decided to upgrade my mountain bike. On the 2nd ride wiped off and did my ribs badly (pain full). After 6 months off the water, is was back in it, then only after two months, I got an usual catapult and got hit in the rib's (same spot as the MTB accident) with the mast and did them again.

Decided to get a vest, I've got an ion side zip collision vest (core or amp model I think- not to be confused with the vector amp or core under the kite board/windsurfing section). The collision vest (under the "wake board" section) seem to have a bit better protection under the arm pits along the ribs. As I wear a seat harness (mid hook height), I had to modify it slightly by pulling out the foam and cutting it shorter so as not to interfere with my harness as the wake board vests are padded for longer.

Farang- are you talking about the collision vest select FZ as per the link below?

www.ion-products.com/water/kiteboarding/protection/

I looked at these but couldn't find one - where did you get it?

Also has anyone tried the flying objects vest?

www.flyingobjects.com.au/products/windsurf/impact-vest/

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olskool said..
^^ Yep im with John340 on this have had many epic stacks. When i feel im about to catapult i sheet in n even give a lil jump WITH the catapult force. Seems to spin me over n away to leeward from board. I land with my back to the water in a fairly safe position. With no damage to me or my gear.

Pretty much the same for me too. When I catapult, I always land on the leeward side of my board and land on my back, usually still hooked in when on my back in the water. I then unhook, get my bearings, then get sailing again. I just seem to naturally land to the leeward side.

Hanging on and straight front arm punched my shoulder out the back when the sail hit the water and stopped.......and I didn't sail for almost two yrs.

Stuff happens.

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KJ said..

Farang said..

mikey100 said..
Same happened to me 6wks ago. Result... 3 broken ribs (9, 10, 11), and I WAS wearing an Ion 'Collision' vest. Will be sticking to my ProLimit weight jacket in future.

Which model of Ion Collision vest did you wear? Ion Collision SELECT 2018 (green colour) Vest is nice, but Select 2019 (blue colour) is BAD as it has only 1cm thick padding but 2018 model has 2cm thick padding. Thats why I returned back the 2019 model and ordered another 2018 model vest.

Tore my rotator cuff loading my windsurfing bag onto the scanner going to Fiji. So when I got back decided to upgrade my mountain bike. On the 2nd ride wiped off and did my ribs badly (pain full). After 6 months off the water, is was back in it, then only after two months, I got an usual catapult and got hit in the rib's (same spot as the MTB accident) with the mast and did them again.

Decided to get a vest, I've got an ion side zip collision vest (core or amp model I think- not to be confused with the vector amp or core under the kite board/windsurfing section). The collision vest (under the "wake board" section) seem to have a bit better protection under the arm pits along the ribs. As I wear a seat harness (mid hook height), I had to modify it slightly by pulling out the foam and cutting it shorter so as not to interfere with my harness as the wake board vests are padded for longer.

Farang- are you talking about the collision vest select FZ as per the link below?

www.ion-products.com/water/kiteboarding/protection/

I looked at these but couldn't find one - where did you get it?

Also has anyone tried the flying objects vest?

www.flyingobjects.com.au/products/windsurf/impact-vest/

Yes it is exactly that Ion Collision Vest FZ 2019 which can be seen from that link you provided - STAY AWAY FROM IT as its padding is only 1cm thick www.ion-products.com/water/kiteboarding/protection/vests/collision-vest-select/ !!! Get the 2018 model which is green colour as that is 2cm thick. They look exactly same except colourwise. Get this 2018 model, if you like protection: www.warehouse-one.de/index.php?cl=details&mnid=710d3fd6c01bc906ad81eb0af5886aa4&anid=e931bbd3baadc20c8175b9a61866d659&listtype=manufacturer&&lang=1

Register yourself on this shop?s website and they will email you a 10-euro discount code that you could use it before buying this vest. In many many European shops this vest was sold out. I found this shop to be the cheapest one in Europe.

That Flying Object vest looks pretty nice too, but how thick is its padding - 1cm is nothing at all?

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Farang said..

mikey100 said..
Same happened to me 6wks ago. Result... 3 broken ribs (9, 10, 11), and I WAS wearing an Ion 'Collision' vest. Will be sticking to my ProLimit weight jacket in future.

Which model of Ion Collision vest did you wear? Ion Collision SELECT 2018 (green colour) Vest is nice, but Select 2019 (blue colour) is BAD as it has only 1cm thick padding but 2018 model has 2cm thick padding. Thats why I returned back the 2019 model and ordered another 2018 model vest.

Green one.

Wow - even 2cm thick padding did not save your ribs ...so that 1cm thick collision vest is only for decoration purpose... I dont know any thicker one which would be fully padded.

OP here. I've tried to find the vest options mentioned but can't get any of them in NZ. We seem to only have mystic, some NP and different (lesser) ION models. Any opinion on the NP high hook or mystic block vest?

If there is a skiing/ wake boarding shop that you can get to,
take your harness, put it on & try on some of the wake boarding
impact vests. you maybe surprised that there is a few that wont
interfere with your harness hook. if you use a seat harness.
they have heaps of thick padding every were. I got a follow,
they are made by jet pilot.

We have Jet Pilot here. Can't see that model listed. Thanks for the suggestion re ski/wake/boating shops. Will look into it..

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gofaster said..
OP here. I've tried to find the vest options mentioned but can't get any of them in NZ. We seem to only have mystic, some NP and different (lesser) ION models. Any opinion on the NP high hook or mystic block vest?

I've got the Mystic one. It does the job - basic padding and some flotation. It fits underneath your harness. Its identical to one of the Dakine models. NZ Boardstore has them.

Then I also have a Gul Hydr8 , which has more flotation (and consequently more padding), and also a front pocket and an attachment for a water bladder at the back (the reason I bought this one). This one goes over the harness. The Gul is available from NZ Sailing in Silverdale.

mine is a follow beacon, cody hesse. I guess that's the guys name who its named after.
rated to 50n or 50s, 70kg & over, suitable for all sailing comps aswell witch is helpful.

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ka43 said..
All well and good but what about the violent ones when you just dont see it coming??
Happens so fast you have no time to think "Hang on, I reckon I better hang onto to the boom and do a graceful pirouette" while smiling for your Gopro.

Started out with 2 hands but one got ripped off the boom..no damage to me. I don't really want to repeat it though..

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gofaster said..
OP here. I've tried to find the vest options mentioned but can't get any of them in NZ. We seem to only have mystic, some NP and different (lesser) ION models. Any opinion on the NP high hook or mystic block vest?

I've got an older Neil Prdye buoyancy vest ( 2017 ish?). I got one of the new ones and they have more padding but I wanted the pockets and camelback tags that were on the old one so I swapped for an older model. I don't stack it very often although I did do a slow mo catapult onto the boom once. I ended up pretty sore but no real damage.
For general use I love the Neil Pryde ones. That's the older model in the pic above.. actually I think that was the stack that killed it. It was pretty old ( 8 years with lots of use) and already failing but the next time I went to use it the side seam was ripped open to show the padding.

Great photo there!
So the neil pryde one has quite good padding around the sides/armpit area?

OP here. I got the Forward wip impact vest in the end. Fits very snugly, doesn't ride up and has quite a lot of flotation. Great product with lots of useful features. If its good for the AC guys its good for me. Went out today in very gusty conditions and felt relatively bullet proof... (looks a bit like the those vests the armed police wear)

I have been using Safety Marine for years - they can customise no problem, I get extra padding over a collarbone plate - and great prices -
safetymarineaust.com.au/home/content/foam-pfd-type-2