Using a motorcycle helmet for skydiving?

[FallloutboyDAoC 0]

Just wondering if its possible to use a full face motorcycle helmet for skydiving too. Whats the rules and regulations on that? Thanks.

[Squeak 17]

sure ya can, but it would not be very compfy in freefall. they are a lot bigger than skydiving lids.
BUT they will offer you a rated protection, that way if you go in head first, you helmet MIGHT survive

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[Andy9o8 0]

(This thread should be moved to either General Skydiving or Gear & Rigging...)

We all used to wear motorcycle helmets in the bad old days - at least, until "cool" was defined by wearing a hockey helmet. DOT rated helmets offer very good protection for your noodle in case of a hard landing, a collision, whatever - probably better than most sports helmets. Problem is, they're a lot heavier than most skydiving helmets.

Back in 1976, my first freefall jump was also the first jump I'd made with a "smaller" 28-foot 7TU round mil-sup canopy, instead of the 35 foot T-10 I'd jumped on static line. Still very new to canopy control (to the extent a cheapo can be controlled.) As taught, I had my eyes fixed on the horizon just before landing, so I didn't exactly know what was directly under me. To my surprise, I landed on the paved runway, and fell backwards, hitting my head pretty damn hard on the asphalt. The helmet shell cracked, but I was otherwise fine (I guess ). I'm not so sure that would have been the case had I been wearing a thin little ProTec.

[GaryRay 0]

be careful about that too b/c of snag points on the helmet, skydiving helmets are designed to reduce the amount of places you can get a helmet snagged.

JewBag.
www.jewbag.wordpress.com

[JohnMitchell 14]

It's been done. Many of us jumped in open face motorcycle helmets in "the old days." Not a bad idea when so many jumps ended in a PLF.

A few folks have worn full face M/C helmets over the years. Most are bulky, relatively heavy, offer great crash protection, but interfere with looking down for cutaway and reserve handles. You can try it if you want to, but check that you can see all your handles and stuff.

[ryoder 1,384]

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Just wondering if its possible to use a full face motorcycle helmet for skydiving too. Whats the rules and regulations on that? Thanks.

The full face is where the problem will likely be.
Put on your rig, then put on the helmet.
Look at all your handles. Can you see all of them?

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[AggieDave 6]

Sure you can, but its very heavy and will wreck havoc on your neck on opening.

Me I use an open face MindWarp Pimpdaddy for most jumping. For swooping I wear a Pro-Tec Shovelhead, which is a fullface downhill mountain biking helmet.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[FallloutboyDAoC 0]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm not gonna use it for skydiving now. I was just hoping to save some money if i could.

[squirrel 0]

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Thanks for all the replies. I'm not gonna use it for skydiving now. I was just hoping to save some money if i could.

if you are looking to save money, you are in the wrong sport.

anyway, i dont wear a helmet at all, i enjoy the air. but then again, i only jump with my wife, no one else, and i fly a very big chute for my weight. barefoot too when weather permits. but i still get some looks with no helmet in the plane.

________________________________
Where is Darwin when you need him?

[NickDG 23]

Here's a vid I shot a long time ago. I called it "Door Time for Students" because it shows when students got some time to sit in an open door and actually look around. But I could have just as well called it, "Crappy Old Motorcycle Helmets on Parade."

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/videos/search.cgi?query=door%20time%20for%20students

BTW, I made my first jump in a football helmet with the face guard removed . . .

NickD

[BillyVance 34]

Damn, you look like that creepy quiet guy in Con Air. You know, the one that was locked away by himself on the plane?

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[Squeak 17]

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Damn, you look like that creepy quiet guy in Con Air. You know, the one that was locked away by himself on the plane?

Steve Buscemi

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[ryoder 1,384]

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Damn, you look like that creepy quiet guy in Con Air. You know, the one that was locked away by himself on the plane?

Steve Buscemi.



Dammit. I take the time to make sure I spelled it correctly, and the friggin rodent beats me to the post.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[Squeak 17]

Quote

Quote

Damn, you look like that creepy quiet guy in Con Air. You know, the one that was locked away by himself on the plane?

Steve Buscemi.



Dammit. I take the time to make sure I spelled it correctly, and the friggin rodent beats me to the post.

lalalala
I love Steve Buscemi's work, he looks like the love child of John Waters

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[ryoder 1,384]

Quote

I love Steve Buscemi's work, he looks like the love child of John Waters

Remember "Fargo"?

Quote

Hooker No. 1: Well, the little guy was kinda funny-lookin'.
Marge Gunderson: In what way?
Hooker No. 1: I dunno... just funny-lookin'.
Marge Gunderson: Can you be any more specific?
Hooker No. 1: I couldn't really say... He wasn't circumcised.
Marge Gunderson: Was he funny lookin' apart from that?
Hooker No. 1: Yah...
Marge Gunderson: So, you were havin' sex with the little fellow, then.
Hooker No. 1: Uh huh...

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[NickDG 23]

>> Damn, you look like that creepy quiet guy in Con Air.
Shut up you little snot nose.

Let's see your FJC pic, hmmmph, probably in color . . .

NickD

[JohnRich 4]

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The full face is where the problem will likely be.
Put on your rig, then put on the helmet.
Look at all your handles. Can you see all of them?

How dare you.

I've been informed by some very knowledgeable people here that there is NO loss of peripheral vision with a full face helmet. And they can't all be wrong.

[ryoder 1,384]

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Quote

The full face is where the problem will likely be.
Put on your rig, then put on the helmet.
Look at all your handles. Can you see all of them?

How dare you.

I've been informed by some very knowledgeable people here that there is NO loss of peripheral vision with a full face helmet. And they can't all be wrong.

I have a Sidewinder O2, and a Factory Diver. I can see all of my handles with both. I doubt very many bike/auto crash helmets would pass that test.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[Beer 0]

I also highly doubt the visor will stay down, let alone on.
the relative wind in free fall is far different than cruising down the road.
I've had helmets that the visor flipped open looking back over my shoulder for traffic.
Try riding down the highway and look up (do it relatively quickly and with no traffic of course) unless you have a high dollar helmet it will probably be flipping up on you. But if you had a high dollar helmet you probably wouldn't risk damaging it skydiving.

Learn to be happy. You can't be there for anybody else in life if you can't learn to be there for yourself.

[Squeak 17]

Quote

Quote

The full face is where the problem will likely be.
Put on your rig, then put on the helmet.
Look at all your handles. Can you see all of them?

How dare you.

I've been informed by some very knowledgeable people here that there is NO loss of peripheral vision with a full face MOTORCYCLE helmet. When used for it created purpose And they can't all be wrong.

Fixed it for you

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[firstime 0]

i have done so many in air practice handle touches that if I couldnt see them I would be able to pull either handle without seeing them. I usually run my hand down the shoulder harness on every jump and it's pretty much memory at this point. Granted there is some limited visibilty with my mamba but not enough for me not being able to pull. To see your handles is a major plus but in a high speed mal, and a visual is not an option go to the muscle memory. Just me using plan B

[danielcroft 2]

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I also highly doubt the visor will stay down, let alone on.
the relative wind in free fall is far different than cruising down the road.
I've had helmets that the visor flipped open looking back over my shoulder for traffic.
Try riding down the highway and look up (do it relatively quickly and with no traffic of course) unless you have a high dollar helmet it will probably be flipping up on you. But if you had a high dollar helmet you probably wouldn't risk damaging it skydiving.

Arai helmets allow you to lock the visor down so that would be an option. I've been riding for a few years, I wouldn't bother with my helmet, too bulky IMO. I've been wanting to try jumping in my leathers though...

[AggieDave 6]

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I've been wanting to try jumping in my leathers though...

Then you would look like the WPST or what ever they called themselves. I'm not real sure they ever actually did a demo in their leather get-up, but everyone did make a lot of fun of them for a while a couple of years ago when the pictures and announcements were released.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[danielcroft 2]

LOL.

People already laugh & point when I show up to the DZ in my one piece leathers so, I figure I'm half way there...

[riggerrob 558]

Jumping without helmets fell out of fashion decades ago.
This past weekend, I limped away from a forced landing with only a mild concussion and a separated shoulder. I credit my old Pro-Tec helmet with preventing any further head injuries.