Helmet advice

[andyflylife 0]

I spent ages looking for my first open face helmet to replace the Pro-tec i got on AFF.
Tried a gath but to be honest they seem really flimsy and a Medium was to small and a Large to big!
Was going for a bonehead but ended up getting a Z1 EVO from Parasports italia. http://www.parasportitalia.com/EN/headwear.htm
The fit is really small... so if you would usually wear a large you will probably need a XL. Mines ok and looks cool in a French soul flyer sort of way
Tried lots of different helmets before i purchased it and to be honest didn't find anything as comfy as the Pro-tec. There cool i think too if you jazz them up with paint and tye pull ups on the top!

Blue skies

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[skybytch 259]

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why the hell are skydiving helmets so darn expensive?

Economics. If there were millions of skydivers, all skydiving equipment would be less expensive. Since it's a small market there needs to be a higher profit margin on each item sold to make it worthwhile for someone to produce/sell the item(s).

[hottamaly 1]

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The funny thing is that most helmets with or with out rating made for another industry other than skydiving cost half as much? why the hell are skydiving helmets so darn expensive? I can understand carbon fibre, but some helmets that are just plastic with some thin padding cost almost two hundred bucks. The Boeri I have been using was $100 and I would bet $$ that it has much better protection than many skydiving specific helmets.

If I may add my .02 worth with this question, I work for a helmet manufacturer (skydiving) and because we don't MASS PRODUCE our helmets, all are hand made and the market for these helmets is so small, we can't cut corners and can't get the good materials discounts that someone making thousands of helmets a year might get. Thus, we can't make them as cheaply as the " general sports"
manufacturers can. Also, ours are made in the good ol US of A and we all know labor isn't cheap compared to overseas.
Regarding haveing them tested, does everyone want to jump a larger profile helmet? If we were to conform to the criteria of safety rateings all of you are wanting, it would be as large as a motorcycyle helmet. I don't know if this helps in your understanding of the process but that's our story.

Skydiving gave me a reason to live
I'm not afraid of what I'll miss when I die...I'm afraid of what I'll miss as I live

[pilotdave 0]

We don't need to conform to the same standards as motorcycle helmets. We need to conform to the non-existant standards for skydiving helmets. Our helmets don't need to survive being dragged along a highway at 80 mph, but they do need to protect our heads from the types of impacts that happen to skydivers. Without standards, testing, and certification, there is no way to ensure the helmets will do what we expect them to do.

Dave

[kelpdiver 2]

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why the hell are skydiving helmets so darn expensive?

Economics. If there were millions of skydivers, all skydiving equipment would be less expensive. Since it's a small market there needs to be a higher profit margin on each item sold to make it worthwhile for someone to produce/sell the item(s).

Are they that pricy?

You have the protec at $45. Lots of options at 200, high end is 400? That's no different from the motorcycle world.

How many helmets does a skydiver buy in a 5 year time span? I buy roughly two Shoei motorcycle helmets for about $600 total. That's probably higher than the norm, but there are a lot more bikers than jumpers.

[Tonto 1]

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Sorry to be a geek, safety, its what I do for a living.

Want to be safe? Don't go about bashing your head into stuff.

Putting a helmet on means you somehow intend to do this - or why else are you wearing the helmet?

It's like drugs. Just say no.

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[pilotdave 0]

Same way we have no need for seatbelts in cars, hard hats at construction sites, safety glasses, and any other type of safety equipment?

Just say no to having accidents, right?

I'll have to use that one at work. "Naaah, we don't need crashworthy seats. We'll just tell the pilots not to crash."

Dave

[Tonto 1]

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We'll just tell the pilots not to crash."

We do. We tell skydivers dozens of ways others have died doing exactly what they're about to do - but they go off and do it anyway.

Skydivers are generally quite unconcerned with what others say. I look at this past weekend. Student has 15 jumps. Priorities of landing have been taught.

They are

Land

1. Under a level wing
2. in an open area
3. flare for landing
4. preferably into the wind.

Now I see the student upwind at 500 feet. I see them turn to downwind and continue to 100 feet. I see them now recognise that they're downwind - and start doing that svincter kick, wobble legged, rubber neck "I am so fucked now" thing in the harness, and then bury a toggle to get into the wind dispite knowing what a flat turn is or that they should not be turning at that altitude. I see them smack into the ground, loop through their lines. I've been running for 20 seconds now - cos I know they were going to do what they just did. I get there, and shout.. "What the fuck are your priorities of landing!?"

Student answers "level wing, open area, flare for landing, preferably into the wind.. I fucked up.. I'm sorry."

He's OK.

I'm fucking fuming. Again.

I don't understand it. I'm tired of teaching the same shit to people who just don't listen, or don't understand, or don't want to understand, or cannot apply what they have learned, or just want to fuck up. I was the same at 15 jumps, worse at 150 jumps. I still have the patience to put into my own AFF students, but the masses?

You can tell them to wear helmets. I'll tell them not to crash. Maybe between the 2 of us we can make a difference.

t

It's the year of the Pig.