gerryfuss 0 #1 April 25, 2004 Well, I finally got to jump this weekend, I jumped twice yesterday and once today. Have not jumped since early october so it felt really good to get back in the air. Anyways on the second jump yesterday (close to sunset) I had a bit of funny incident in freefall. As I was doing a front loop my helmet flew right off my head. The adjustable part on the chin strap was a bit loose and just before jump run I believe I theaded the strap threw the clip the wrong way. After I had deployed and was under my main for about 30 sec I actually got to watched my helmet go by. I saw where it landed but it was getting dark so it was picked up the next morning. Bit of damage to it but I think I can fix it. All and all a pretty funny experience. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites labrys 0 #2 April 25, 2004 I forgot to tighten the straps my Renegade once. It didn't fly off because it's pretty tight all around, but the chin guard got stuck on my nose, making the rest of the jump a battle to stay stable while i fought with the helmet Owned by Remi #? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Dougiefresh 0 #3 April 25, 2004 Ummm, gear check? What if it had been a leg strap? Not so funny then.Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. --Douglas Adams Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites JohnRich 4 #4 April 25, 2004 QuoteAfter I had deployed and was under my main for about 30 sec I actually got to watched my helmet go by. Been there, done that! One helmet came off my head while rear-floating on an Otter. I watched it fly over the tail and disappear. A year later, a student landed way out in a cow pasture, and he came walking back in, carrying my helmet which he found laying out there. The cows had eaten the foam out of the inside, and you could see tooth scrape marks on it. On another occasion, I felt it starting to float off my head in freefall, and spent the rest of the dive with one hand on my head holding it in place. I don't know why everyone else was laughing so hard in freefall... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites nbblood 0 #5 April 25, 2004 That also wouldn't have been to funny to an unsuspecting victim of an earthbound missile on the ground. Glad it worked out ok though. Blues, NathanBlues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Praetorian 1 #6 April 25, 2004 Quote Bit of damage to it but I think I can fix it. All and all a pretty funny experience. DO NOT TRY TO FIX IT AND USE IT AGAIN .. as Far as I know helmets are good for one good hit and one good hit only. you have no idea how it will perform if you need it, unless the manufacuter (or some other helment guru you trust) tells you otherwise its dead, go get a new one Good Judgment comes from experience...a lot of experience comes from bad judgment. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
labrys 0 #2 April 25, 2004 I forgot to tighten the straps my Renegade once. It didn't fly off because it's pretty tight all around, but the chin guard got stuck on my nose, making the rest of the jump a battle to stay stable while i fought with the helmet Owned by Remi #? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dougiefresh 0 #3 April 25, 2004 Ummm, gear check? What if it had been a leg strap? Not so funny then.Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. --Douglas Adams Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #4 April 25, 2004 QuoteAfter I had deployed and was under my main for about 30 sec I actually got to watched my helmet go by. Been there, done that! One helmet came off my head while rear-floating on an Otter. I watched it fly over the tail and disappear. A year later, a student landed way out in a cow pasture, and he came walking back in, carrying my helmet which he found laying out there. The cows had eaten the foam out of the inside, and you could see tooth scrape marks on it. On another occasion, I felt it starting to float off my head in freefall, and spent the rest of the dive with one hand on my head holding it in place. I don't know why everyone else was laughing so hard in freefall... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nbblood 0 #5 April 25, 2004 That also wouldn't have been to funny to an unsuspecting victim of an earthbound missile on the ground. Glad it worked out ok though. Blues, NathanBlues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Praetorian 1 #6 April 25, 2004 Quote Bit of damage to it but I think I can fix it. All and all a pretty funny experience. DO NOT TRY TO FIX IT AND USE IT AGAIN .. as Far as I know helmets are good for one good hit and one good hit only. you have no idea how it will perform if you need it, unless the manufacuter (or some other helment guru you trust) tells you otherwise its dead, go get a new one Good Judgment comes from experience...a lot of experience comes from bad judgment. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kris 0 #7 April 25, 2004 Wrong. Skydiving helmets aren't designed for real impact protection, unlike a motorcycle helmet to which you are referring. As long as the helmet isn't cracked it's okay to use again. I've dropped my Mindwarp and it came through like a tank. The ONLY skydiving helmet that will protect your noggin in an impact is a Protec, and it's a polycarbonate single-layer shell. If it isn't cracked it's good to go as well.Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tetra316 0 #8 April 26, 2004 Wrong again!! The warning label inside the protec helmet explicity states if the helmet has an impact to replace it immediately or have it inspected by the manufacturer. NEVER reuse a helmet that been in an impact. You have no idea if there are any hairline fractures that you can't see and that would not proctect you at all on a second impact. I'm amazed at how many people think they can reuse a helmet after impact. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kris 0 #9 April 26, 2004 Eh. So I was off on the Protec. Thanks for the knowledge. I would be curious as to how many DZ's replace their student Protec helmets after they've taken an impact. But it doesn't change the fact that a Bonehead, Gath, Oxygn, or Z1 isn't going to provide any 'real' protection in the case of a large impact. They're great for smaller knocks and scrapes, but that's about it. They have saved some peoples bacon before in rare cases, but they're not designed for it.Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tetra316 0 #10 April 26, 2004 Very true. So why can't a helmet company make a helmet as safe as a protec but also stylish like a bonehead? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kris 0 #11 April 26, 2004 I've often wondered that myself and I've come up with two possible answers: Cost and liability. It takes a lot of money to develop, test, and certify to a standard, and who's standard are they going to go with? DOT? I doubt it. Snell? Possibly. Now comes liability...in a sport where everyone stays uninsured, and no warranties are issued on most of our gear, finding someone to step forward and say that "Yes, our helmet will protect you!" is a pretty big challenge. My helmet (Mindwarp) saved me from some pretty serious possible damage during a nasty opening on my Stiletto last year. I would buy a helmet offering more protection were it available. Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bosveld 0 #12 April 26, 2004 The other day at our DZ a guy's camera helmet came off, right after exit. The wind was pretty strong that day, and altough we checked the spot and searched, we couldn't find it. The next week somebody phones the DZ looking for the owner of a helmet that came off. He phones the jumper and wants to take him to court because apparantly the helmet hit his car while he was driving past the airport and made some considerible damage to his car. Luckily it hit a car and not a pedestrian! Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, will be true! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riddler 0 #13 April 26, 2004 QuoteCost and liability. You forgot the most important aspect. Looking cool! If protecs were the coolest looking helmet, everyone would wear one.Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FrogNog 1 #14 April 26, 2004 QuoteVery true. So why can't a helmet company make a helmet as safe as a protec but also stylish like a bonehead? I think it's a size thing. Big helmets are less cool. Protecs have quite a bit of foam inside, which makes them pretty big. So far I have gotten by with my black Protec fine. Maybe when I get better at freeflying I'll realize how bad it is aerodynamically. BTW, if I'm wrong about it being a size thing, then in theory someone should be able to make external "helmet liners" to make a pro-tec look more like a mindwarp. -=-=-=-=- Pull. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
justdumi 0 #15 April 26, 2004 Ok so then what constitutes an impact considerable enuff to necessitate the replacing of a helmet? ============================ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Praetorian 1 #16 April 27, 2004 I know Sport Bike riders who consider even knocking your helmet off the table enough to write it off... funney how none of them have ever dropped their helmets.. any hit that would have hurt you without the helmet probably did something to it. The foam/plastic lining absorbes energy as it gets crushed and will not spring back, any hit the helmet takes before the one you need it to take lessens the amount of energy it can absorbe by deforming and reduces the other property of helmets IMPULSE elongation helmets spread the lenght of the hit out, more time for the same force delivered lessens the Peak force deliverd (even 2 miliseconds over 1 reduces the peak force to HALF) Good Judgment comes from experience...a lot of experience comes from bad judgment. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tetra316 0 #17 April 27, 2004 Yeah what he said....I know I would seriously think about replacing mine if I banged my head hard on the aircraft on exit or slammed into the ground. After all they only cost about $35, well worth it to me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
