kelel01 1 #1 October 6, 2003 I need to buy a helmet very shortly, and I am a brand spanking new AFF grad. What kind of helmet should I get? Full-face or open? And what brand? I'm comlpetely clueless. Thanks! Kelly Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #2 October 6, 2003 It depends on what you prefer and what sort of helmet you'd like. Are you looking for the best protection available? That would be the Pro-Tec. Yeah, its not very sexy, but it really works. Are you wanting something to just keep your dytter in place and keep your hair from blowing everywhere? Then a Gath or a Frap-hat would work. Do you wear contacts and don't want to mess with goggles? A full-face would work. Or if you're planning on doing a lot of RW, a full face will keep your face from getting kicked, etc. They're nice in the winter too, but you can get around that with an open face very easily and inexpensively. Try to go to a gear shop and look at helmets, try some on, find the one that fits you best, looks like you want it to look, gives you protection and that you're comfortable with. Personally, I'm a big fan of Bonehead's helmets, but then again, that's like asking people what their favorite truck is. You have folks that LOVE their Chevy and folks that LOVE their Ford, both sides will tell you why one is better then the other.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #3 October 6, 2003 Don't buy any skydiving helmet until you've tried on several different ones. Every helmet manufacturer has their own sizing chart, and each of the different helmets on the market fits different head and face shapes better (example - the Hurricane fits thin faces best, the Mindwarp fits not-so-thin faces best, the Z1's run very small and won't fit folks with big heads, etc). I use an Aviator (an open face helmet) for all my skydives. It fits my head and face shape well. YMMV. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DeNReN 0 #4 October 7, 2003 May I suggest that before you spend a lot of $....to just purchace a cheaper skateboard, snowboarding type of helmet untill you have more experiance and figure out what will suit your needs best. I bought a cheap $20(Can) skateboard style one, just so i wouldnt have to wear the sweaty student gear ones.....it works fine and will do untill I have figured out what will suit me best........skydive specific helmets tend to be fairly pricey...so its best to buy one that will keep you happy for awhile....btw..flexvision goggles are cheap and work great. Blue Skies Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chrisky 0 #5 October 7, 2003 I may suggest to you searching for that topic, i remember reading many helmet questions recently. All subjects covered, fullface vs. open, altimount inside vs outside etc etc etc...The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open. From the edge you just see more. ... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ajmclean 0 #6 October 25, 2003 Get a Pro-Tec Half Shell from Sunshine-Factory.com for about $39. I just returned to the sport after a bit of a hiatus and that's what I bought. Once I figure out which discipline I'm going into, then I'll buy a different one. As the other post said, Pro-Tech will do the job. Blue Skies!Mack The Knife "IT IS SAID THAT THE WARRIOR'S IS THE TWOFOLD WAY OF PEN AND SWORD, AND HE SHOULD HAVE A TASTE FOR BOTH WAYS." MIYAMOTO MUSASHI, A BOOK OF FIVE RINGS. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites