Ski helmet for skydiving?

[HydroGuy 0]

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Good list. May I add another one:

#11 - Decent protection against head injury.

Funny, I thought that one was the number one reason for wearing a helmet as well.

In my quest for BASE armor, I have seen some mountain bike helmets that look like they would be up to the parachuting environment...ie Full face protection, CE impact ratings, lack of snag points.

Paragliding helmets are another option.

Get in - Get off - Get away....repeat as neccessary

[rickjump1 0]

I bought a boeri ski helmet and it slowed me down in freefall so I gave in and bought a skydiving helmet. I felt the boeri gave me better protection, but my fall rate was more important than my head. I have used the boeri for base with no problems.

Do your part for global warming: ban beans and hold all popcorn farts.

[Canuck 0]

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Yup. ProTecs are absolutely the best protection you can buy for the money. There is one simple reason why most people won't wear one after student status: They aren't cool.

True...but I gotta say, even a ProTec is cooler than a frickin ski helmet!! Ski helmets look soooo gay! My teamate still wears a ProTec, and he's badass. If you got the skills, it doesn't matter what's on your head. Now, if he was wearing a ski helmet, I'd quit the team.

Get a ProTec: they're light, comfortable, provide excellent protection, lots of colors to chose from, and are easy to mount shit to (dytters, cameras, etc.)

Canuck

[FrEaK_aCcIdEnT 0]

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Ski helmets look soooo gay!

i think i have to disagree It seems i will be going the cheap route and getting the Leedom Scream helmet in Carbon Fiber. Ill just put some of that 200mph speed tape on the back to cover the goggle strap slot on the rear of the helmet. at 80USD brand new on ebay, i shouldnt be complaining

and they are snell certified

Leedom Carbon <---- Clicky

edit: and i dont know how light something has to be for it to be "light" but for my head size the helmet is about 16 oz.

ExPeCt ThE uNeXpEcTeD!
DoNt MiNd ThE tYpOs, Im LaZy On CoRrEcTiOnS!

[MooChooser 0]

check out www.gearguys.com they have that helmet for $66 with free shipping.

[FrEaK_aCcIdEnT 0]

thanks for the help, but they dont have any Carbon in the right size left. it was worth a shot

ExPeCt ThE uNeXpEcTeD!
DoNt MiNd ThE tYpOs, Im LaZy On CoRrEcTiOnS!

[headoverheels 291]

Have you tried that Leedom helmet in person? If it is like some of their other models, it has a dorky pullout control for changing ventilation. Whatever you buy, you need to try it for fit before purchase. You can probably do that at a local ski/snowboard shop.

[FrEaK_aCcIdEnT 0]

the closest ski shop to me is about 4+ hours away. Im going to risk the cooling abilities and for fit my head should fit thier medium size, based on thier measuring methods and thier size chart. if it doesnt fit then im willing to take a loss and it will go back to ebay. if it fits and the cooling operation sucks then ill order another one that isnt "cut" and find some other helmet to use as a summer helmet. Hope that makes sense.

ExPeCt ThE uNeXpEcTeD!
DoNt MiNd ThE tYpOs, Im LaZy On CoRrEcTiOnS!

[ltdiver 3]

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The cool factor is the downside of our culture...

Interesting that you should bring this up.

I was listening to the latest podcast on Skydive Radio, with Bill Booth being interviewed. He said basically the same thing as you, citing the use of, for example:

1) mini-rings (3-ring release system) instead of the larger rings that he first patent--skydivers would rather look 'cool' than have the easier release value of the larger rings. Larger rings have more tolerance were as smaller rings have less.

2) Micro-lines instead of Dacron lines--they may pack up smaller and have less drag (thus the smaller rig and cool swoops can be made, etc), but he cited 4 deaths in the last 2 years from hard openings that would not have been so if they had had Dacron (more give and shock absorbing value in the Dacron).

3) Collapsible Pilot Chutes. They allow (again) more speed, but -can- cause malfunctions that a non-collapsible one would not do.

Yes. Coolness is one of the banes of our skydiving community.

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[MooChooser 0]

Aren't rounds safer yet less cool than square canopies?
Ripcords are probably more freefly friendly than throw aways.

Its the same with anything though isnt it. And im sure skydiving has a lot fewer deaths and injuries related to "wanting to look cool" than many other sports/activities.

Also, I wouldnt put long swoops under the "wanting to look cool" label. Isnt it a dicipline in itself? If thinner lines and colapsable pilot chutes improve performance then they are improvements.

Anyone know of any deaths or injuries caused by mini rings?

[Andy9o8 0]

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Aren't rounds safer yet less cool than square canopies?

They're less cool except in a retro kind of way. But safer? They probably are more forgiving of poor body position at deployment than a square; you don't flare a round, so there's no flare to screw up; and it's pretty unlikely you'll fatally auger yourself into the ground under a perfectly inflated round compared to a square. Good canopy skills are important under any canopy, but I think more so under a square than a round, jump-for-jump. (Just my opinion; others may disagree)

But squares are safer than rounds in that they allow for much better penetration into the wind, precision landings in tight areas, and much softer landings when landed correctly. I've jumped plenty of rounds, but unless I was at a DZ with nothing but wide-open fields or desert around it for miles in every direction, if I had an out landing I'd much rather be under a square than a round.

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Ripcords are probably more freefly friendly than throw aways.

I'd like a rigger to comment on that.

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And im sure skydiving has a lot fewer deaths and injuries related to "wanting to look cool" than many other sports/activities.

Don't be so sure of that.

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Also, I wouldnt put long swoops under the "wanting to look cool" label.

A long swoop, properly done, is a beautiful thing. But if you try it before you're ready for it, or with a canopy that's too hot for your experience, you could break yourself. And if you do it in the middle of a landing pattern of other jumpers, you could break someone else.

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If thinner lines and colapsable pilot chutes improve performance then they are improvements.

Anyone know of any deaths or injuries caused by mini rings?

I think Bill Booth has commented on these issues in these forums. I suggest you do a search.

[GravityGirl 0]

That helmet looks like a good low profile helmet.

But do me a favor. Don't just put tape over the snap. REMOVE IT! Tape comes off over repeated exposure to 120+ mph wind.

Consider that your lines are deploying from your back and often brush up the backside of your head.

And I have to agree with Cocheese. Skydiving helmets are expensive because they are not mass produced, but they DO cater to all of our demands as skydivers. Most of which were listed in his post.

And for those of you who were teasing him about #11 and skull protection... that's just cheezy. (pun intended). We all assumed we use a helmet for head protection.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peace and Blue Skies!
Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

[janette 0]

I used a boeri snowboarding helmet before I got a fullface. Now my husband wears it. I would reccomend it -- it was cheaper and has better protection than most skydiving helmets. The only things I didnt like about it...

It was pretty warm on hot summer days (but many helmets are)
It makes your head look big compared to other helmets without much protection (but if you're going to wear a helmet, might as well go for function not fashion...)

www.rhythmskydiving.com

[FrEaK_aCcIdEnT 0]

i would remove it, but its not just a strap or a snap type davice. its a slot in the actual rear of the helmet. maybe i will get some bondy like stuff or something similar and just fill it up and do some painting.

or i might just get out the trusty hack saw (providing it fits and im keepin it of course) and cut them off. then get the bondo type stuff and transition the edges back in just do a lil touch-up paint. here is a picture of a black Leedom Scream helmet from the rear so u get an idea of what the goggle strap holder looks like

im betting a little file work would be good enough after cutting the little flaps off. just to smooth the edges out.

Rear View

after looking at it better, and i plan one of these 2 options, i think im just going to settle for a black one and pay 60 shipped so its easier to paint as far as color matching goes

ExPeCt ThE uNeXpEcTeD!
DoNt MiNd ThE tYpOs, Im LaZy On CoRrEcTiOnS!

[GravityGirl 0]

You may also consider the Pro Tec Snow or the Gath Convertible. They are both affordible, have crash test ratings and you won't have to mess with them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peace and Blue Skies!
Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

[Elisha 1]

THIS looks VERY promising.

Although, they all look like they aren't "true" full face in the skydiver sense, but good enough with goggles.

[ntacfreefly 0]

I've been looking at the Full Face Ace for comp swooping. I have yet to try one on but I believe it's similar to what JC uses.

To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders. ~ Lao-Tzu

It's all good, they're my brothers ~ Mariann Kramer

[Elisha 1]

Who's JC?

[bob.dino 0]

JC Colclasure. Pro-Swooper, among other things.

[MB38 0]

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THIS looks VERY promising.

Although, they all look like they aren't "true" full face in the skydiver sense, but good enough with goggles.

Those are almost exactly what I described in my previous post, good find. My BASE buddies who use helmets like that removed the visors, but that's not necessary. Anything to protect the 'ol noggin.

I really don't know what I'm talking about.

[Elisha 1]

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JC Colclasure. Pro-Swooper, among other things.

OK. Thanks. The shape of this helmet looks similar to a Z-1 or Oxygen (maybe a little different than a Mamba).

[FrEaK_aCcIdEnT 0]

well i got my Leedom helmet today and looked it over. the cooling apparatus was a catch point and as i thought the goggles strap holder was also a catch point. so I ate some spagetti and pondered how to tackle the situation....

well the results were to pull the thing apart and remove the cooling system (piece of sliding plastic).

also went with cutting off the goggle strap holder. here is teh results. i couldnt stand the stryofoam(sp?) showing in the rear so i painted it black with a permenant marker, i know it looks like crap. already thinking of ways to hide it. possiblly some fake hair off a haloween mask. im thinking of a blue mullet hanging out the back maybe not...

here are the pics.

Helmet rear 1

Top with removed cooling slider

excuse the finger prints, i was working between bites of spagetti and garlic bread. so my greasy mexican hands made for a smudged helmet.

it fits snug and perfect. hopefully tomorrow i get to test it!

ExPeCt ThE uNeXpEcTeD!
DoNt MiNd ThE tYpOs, Im LaZy On CoRrEcTiOnS!

[crazydiver 0]

You can put a cool sticker over the showing styrofoam. Or find some cordura from a local rigger and glue it in there facing out with black or whatever color you want.

Cheers,
Travis

[MooChooser 0]

what does it look like on your head? is it big?
Lets see a pic.

[FrEaK_aCcIdEnT 0]

damn i hate puttin my ugly mug in a pic, but ok.....

and i didnt get to test it today. the winds were movin! early bird load landed off and first tandem load landed way off. so no AFF today. Try again tomorrow.

ExPeCt ThE uNeXpEcTeD!
DoNt MiNd ThE tYpOs, Im LaZy On CoRrEcTiOnS!