Safe to repair a Phantom X w/snapped chin?

[nettenette 10]

OK -- the story.

I was using my beloved Phantom X as a paragliding helmet. It fogged up completely on launch -- to the point that I couldn't even make out the shape of nearby buildings -- and the left visor latch wouldn't budge. At around 50 ft, I ended up shoving it up on top of my head, mushroom-style, so I could see to land. At around 20 ft, it worked itself loose and fell to the cold, hard ground -- right onto the chin.

The helmet survived in brilliant shape but for a snap clean through the chin.

BTW: Before you ask, I did contact Square-1. Being an honest sort, I told them that the damage occurred while paragliding. They told me that their helmets don't fog (um...) and that, since I was paragliding and not skydiving, the best they could do is a 30% discount on a replacement, so I'm seeking a less spendy alternative.

What I'm asking is this:

- Is the described damage safe to fix myself?
- How would this best be done?

Thanks!

XO
AO

[davelepka 4]

You would be hard pressed to repair a helmet like that in any 'graceful' way. The problem is that you need a 'strong' repair, or you risk the repair coming loose and the chinbar breaking or coming loose due to a minor impact. If a foot to the helmet will cause the chinbar to break off and contact your face, you almost would have been better off just taking the foot to the face, it's probably not as sharp as the busted helmet.

The problem with making a strong repair is that there's not alot of surface area there. If you tried to epoxy the chinbar along the fracture, it's not going to be very strong. You would have to epoxy it, then build up the area with some fiberglass to make it as strong as an unbroken helmet, and that's the 'ungraceful' part. It would be big and lumpy, and look like shit. It would also be heavier than an unbroken helmet.

From what I can see, 30% off a new one brings it down to about $200. Just buy another, and be more careful with it. If you really want to go ape-shit with recycling, trim off the sides of the helmet with a dremel, add a chin strap, and make an open-face helmet out of it. But still buy a new one.

[riggerrob 558]

Most motorcyclists and rock climbers scrap a helmet after one serious crash.
That is because helmet liners are designed to crush at a different rate than your brain.
The perfect helmet disintegrates - into dust - leaving your skull intact.

Do like I did - after my last plane crash - and buy a new helmet.

[Abedy 0]

I'd scrap it and buy a new one - it's safety gear after all.
You might consider the FreeZR. It's similar to your previous helmet. Mine has never had any fogging issues and I've used it since 2006. But even if there's a little fog (on very cold days with humidity up in the 90% range) it's very easy to lift up the visor and everything is OK.
Just looked up the price: It's near the prize of the (undiscounted) Phantom.

The sky is not the limit. The ground is.

The Society of Skydiving Ducks

[BlindBrick 0]

Rob and Abedy's advice is based on a very mistaken assumption. The reason other atheletes replace their helmets after a hit is that those are impact protection helmets with sacrifical liners that are good for one impact. Skydiving helmets are not true impact helmets and don't have such systems.

So the question becomes can you repair it well enough that freefall won't break the repair?

-Blind

"If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

[Ronaldo 0]

Can you post a picture of the damaged area?

Engineering Law #5: The most vital dimension on any plan drawing stands the most chance of being omitted

[davelepka 4]

Quote

Rob and Abedy's advice is based on a very mistaken assumption. The reason other atheletes replace their helmets after a hit is that those are impact protection helmets with sacrifical liners that are good for one impact. Skydiving helmets are not true impact helmets and don't have such systems.

No, but they are worn for the purpose of protection, and a damaged-then-repaired helmet will have a decreased level of protection in comparison to one that is 'intact'.

Another angle, is that what they're talking about is replacing a helmet after even a minor impact, as the foam liner is crushed and useless for the next impact. While the exterior may look 'OK', the liner is not, and the helemt is comprimised.

I think any helmet in any sport needs to be retired when it's suffered severe structural damage (to the point of seperation) to the shell. Liner talk is one thing, the shell breaking into two peices is another.

Skydivers like to bag on skydiving helmets because they're not built or certified the way that motorcycling helmets are, however, they are built for two seperate purposes. Motorcycling helmets are designed to absorb imact at high speeds with hard, solid objects like roads, curbs, cars, etc. Skydiving helmets are desgned to protect you from mroe casual impact with softer object, mostly other jumpers, and maybe the occasional door jamb. They are not intended. nor designed or advertised, to survive or protect you in high speed collision with just about anything. Your brains and your parachutes are there to prevent that.

For their intended purpose, skydiving helmets do a fine job.

[Abedy 0]

Quote

Rob and Abedy's advice is based on a very mistaken assumption.

I should have elaborated a little.
It's obvious that helmets in skydiving are not really meant for protection from "impact" as there is no sense in attempting so.
But they are thought for protection from blows and bumps, some of which might be dealt with quite some force - which leads to "should be in good condition so it won't prematurely break in places it should resist."

Just my 2 Eurocents

The sky is not the limit. The ground is.

The Society of Skydiving Ducks

[PiLFy 0]

Quote

Quote

Rob and Abedy's advice is based on a very mistaken assumption.

I should have elaborated a little.
It's obvious that helmets in skydiving are not really meant for protection from "impact" as there is no sense in attempting so.
But they are thought for protection from blows and bumps, some of which might be dealt with quite some force - which leads to "should be in good condition so it won't prematurely break in places it should resist." You should buy a German helmet. Zey are much better.

Just my 2 Eurocents

FIFY

I agree w/Abedy's point. If you cracked the chin piece all the way through? You might get sliced to the bone by a subsequent kick to the head doing RW. Or, a hard off-landing, for that matter. That being said. I don't feel those helmets give much protection to start with. You could try 100mph tape & crazy glue or epoxy. You could even bridge the repair from behind w/a suitably strong strip of plastic. I'm too cheap to pay $350 for a non-Snell certified lid. I'd repair it.