I don't want a full face helmet!

[JoeBobinNC 0]

I'd like to purchase a Bonehead Mindwarp. Seems like a good product at a reasonable price, with a good rep. This helmet seems popular with the Freefly crowd, but not so much with the RW folks.
As you can see form my profile I'm a noob, and many of my jumps are solos and hop and pops, but relative work really interest me. Will having an open face helmet handicap me in the future if decide to seriously pursue RW as my first discipline?

It doesn't matter if a cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice.

[Kris 0]

Nope, it's personal choice. There are those who wear full-face helmets to freefly in, and those who wear open-face helmets to do RW in.

I use my Mindwarp for all my jumps (Birdman, RW, FF) because I can't stand having my peripheral vision cut off. For that reason, I prefer open-face helmets.

Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and
Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

[JoeBobinNC 0]

Reduction in my field of vision and visor issues are my main concerns as well, not to mention the cost of a good full face helmet.

It doesn't matter if a cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice.

[Avion 0]

I have an Oxygen A3 and a Z1 Evo. I got them both used for about half price. I got the A3 first, and thought that's all I would use. I love it in the tunnel. My instructors told me, I would do best to jump with a open face helmet for a while, untill I got my landings consistent, because the lense can affect your depth perception. So, I got the Evo.

As it turns out. I really like feeling the wind in my face when jumping. So much in fact, that I have lost interest in using the fullface in the air, and now only use it in the tunnel. Go figure

They say the full face, is better protection when doing RW, if you get kneed, elbowed or kicked in the face. Maybe, when I get to that point, I'll try it.

Cheers

Edited for correctness

[skybytch 259]

I've used an open face helmet for the majority of my jumps; only added a fullface to my gear bag a year ago for tunnel time and 4 way. I prefer the open face because I can hear the exit count (and be heard if I'm the one giving it), feel the wind on my face and have nothing restricting my peripheral vision. I do like having the fullface on when doing 4 way though; protection from stray elbows and knees is a good thing.

Buy and jump what works best for you... not what others think is cool.

[tso-d_chris 0]

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Buy and jump what works best for you... not what others think is cool.

Good advice. Also bear in mind that not all helmets fit the same heads well. If possible try before you buy. I have found as a general, but far from universal rule, Bonehead helmets tend to fit larger head sizes best, while Parasport helmets tend to fit better on smaller heads. But, it is not always true, so try one on first.

If you are not doing hard core RW, there's no reason an open face helmet would not be sufficient.

For Great Deals on Gear

[tbrown 26]

I started jumping when motorcycle helmets were the norm. Then we went to hockey helmets, then Protec helmets came out. Then a lot of people went to the stupid leather hats. All those things do is hold together the pieces of your shattered head when you're already dead.

I'm glad to see people wearing hard hats again. I'm still comfy with an open faced helmet and wear a Mindwarp myself. But I took a good bite out of my tongue last year carrying a base formation out the door when I caught somebody's knee on the chin. So if you want to get serious about team 4 way, you might want to consider a full face over getting kicked in the face.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[Remster 24]

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Reduction in my field of vision and visor issues are my main concerns as well

Try the helmets. My Z1 gives me no restriction whatsoever.

That being said, you dont have to jump a full face.

Remster

[bob.dino 0]

...as long as you're prepared to take the occasional whack to the face and not miss a beat (if he does get into competitive RW).

[Kris 0]

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...as long as you're prepared to take the occasional whack to the face and not miss a beat (if he does get into competitive RW).

That's a good point. RW can definitely get hairy when you're trying to crank points and doing a lot of piece rotations, etc. I've seen some hard-core 4-way people come down with cracked full-face visors more than once.

Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and
Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

[Thomas... 0]

Im need a helmet for myself as well.. thinking about an Evo Z1 open face helmet or an Ion, dont know which is the best, but I heard that you RW with an Evo Z1 is fine

[Reginald 0]

Either open face or full face is okay. However, a full-face helmet is a VERY good idea for serious RW. I’ve personally wacked a few of my friends in the face with a knee doing 4 way. A full face will provide a lot more protection! Personally, there is no way I’d let anyone spin a 360 two inches from my face with me wearing an open face helmet.

"We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

[DancingFlame 0]

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because the lense can affect your depth perception

Just flip the visor up. Now lense cannot affect anything.
I prefer full-face helmets for RW. Even for soft-core RW

[skydiverek 55]

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Just flip the visor up.

Or remove it.

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

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Just flip the visor up.

Or remove it.

A good point. I own an original Factory Diver, but hardly ever wear it. When I DO wear it (generally in the wind tunnel), I normally jump it with the visor off and goggles pulled over the top of the helmet.