addicted 0 #1 September 10, 2004 I'm looking into buying me my first own helmet. Until now, I've used the DZs Pro-tecs , but I want to get my own now. Safety is important, but I'm tired of the Pro-tecs, so they are not to consider. The helmet should be good for freeflying, but I also want as much chin protection as possible, without having to wear a full-face. Will a helmet like the rat-hat be unsuitable for freeflying? how about normal chin cups? are they any good for protection purposes? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr2mk1g 10 #2 September 10, 2004 Where'd you jump? At least the country... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #3 September 10, 2004 Quotehow about normal chin cups? are they any good for protection purposes? Nope. Not beyond keeping your chin from getting stratched. QuoteSafety is important, but I'm tired of the Pro-tecs, so they are not to consider. Well, Pro-Tecs are the only helmets commonly used in skydiving that are actually certified and tested and meet government impact standards. Obviously not DOT standards, but still better then everything else on the market besides large/heavy motorcycle helmets.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LouDiamond 1 #4 September 10, 2004 What Dave said is pretty accurate. However, there are after market inserts that can be fitted into helmets like Pro-tecs,Cascade, etc that are even more protective. We use them at work as they have been approved for use. They are a lot more comfortable and are easy to install. Something like that will protect your head from an impact 100% better than any skydiving helmet will. You want chin protection so a full face is really the only choice. Again, you can get an upgrade kit for a normal full face. Your best choices IMO for full face and open face would be the Bonehead havok or boomerang (full facehelmets) or open face with some chin protection ,the rat hat and the new Optik Illusion Again, any skydiving helmet being sold today will not provide you with the head protection you're looking for. If they did they would look like motorcycle helmets."It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required" Some people dream about flying, I live my dream SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterrig 1 #5 September 10, 2004 10 - 4 on the ProTec! A few years ago, we had a student who had a 'hard' landing and hit her head on a concrete culvert (long story). Put a pretty good gouge in the ProTec but, she only had a slight headache afterward! They aren't really 'stylish' but, they give good protection. They are used in a lot of various sports activities and aren't 'high-dollar'. Anyone buying a helmet, needs to shop around to find one that meets their needs. Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FrogNog 1 #6 September 10, 2004 I'll try and make my standard rabid pro-tec rant short. Protec: ugly, cheap, tough, protective, comfortable. (YMMV on the comfort.) -=-=-=-=- Pull. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vapor 0 #7 September 11, 2004 I'm firmly in the 'Yes I know they're safe but they're ugly as shit' camp regarding Pro-tecs. For RW I jump a ParaTec FreeZR, which has the most padding of any fullface I've seen, is a living room compared to a Z1, and has an easily removable visor if you want to use it as an open-face. I just today put the first two jumps on a Hurricane, which is a little on the small side, but comfy enough and low-profile. If you have a smallish head and can live without chin pro, you might want to check it out. Nearly everyone at my DZ jumps a Skypimp, because a) it's the mfr's home DZ and b) they rock. If you're willing to wait a bit, Dave can whip you up a helmet customized for YOUR head and with whatever bells and whistles you want. ---------------------------------------- 'Of course it hurts. The trick is not *minding* that it hurts.' - T.E. Lawrence Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hookitt 1 #8 September 11, 2004 Google Snowboard helmets and take a look at all the really nice helmets you can get for well under 100 bucks That's just a quick search, you can probably do much better.My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yoink 321 #9 September 13, 2004 QuoteGoogle Snowboard helmets and take a look at all the really nice helmets you can get for well under 100 bucks That's just a quick search, you can probably do much better. spot on advice... I've just got a £30 snowboarding helmet that's way more comfortable than any open face skydiving helmet I've found and has good shock resistance. Watch out for snag points though... snowboarders like random pointy plastic bits on their helmets, but a quick application of brute force and a couple of minutes with some sandpaper sorts those out. Something like this... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
