Importance Of Helmets

[RozeAY 0]

Yesterday I was making a simple 3-way RW dive with a teammate of mine and another jumper. After the open accordian exit funneled, the other jumper managed to kick me in the face exceptionally hard, breaking the lens to my full-face in half, not to mention the insane headache I've had ever since. Just imagine what would have happened had I not been wearing the helmet. Just wanted to let some of you know that helmets serve a purpose long after student status...they aren't there just to make you look "uncool."
Blue Skies and Soft Landings,
Allison

[SkydiveMonkey 0]

That's the reason why they're the law in the UK. Skydiving is inherently dangerous and any safety percaution should be taken, especially when you're covering your head
One tequila, two tequila, three tequila floor

[Spy38W 0]

Quote

any safety percaution should be taken, especially when you're covering the most important organ in your body.

No, they go on your head

[MrHixxx 0]

Then why don't my legs fit thru the face shield so I can pull the helmet up all the way?
-Hixxx
"Sous ma tub, Dr. Suess ma tub"

[SkydiveMonkey 0]

That was meant to be serious post, so I've edited it I'd do the same though.
One tequila, two tequila, three tequila floor

[JJohnson 0]

While I can certainly agree that a helmet adds some measure of safety, I cannot agree that it should be a required piece of equipment.
I ride a motocycle and in Illinois it is not required to where a helmet. I make this choice because the helmet limits my field of vision, making me feel less aware. It is my awareness that allows me to react to situations properly.
I feel the same way when jumping. Given most situations I prefer to not wear a helmet and I have been kicked and knocked witless. Each time I saw the foot or limb coming and braced for it, ducked it or blocked it. Had I had a full face helmet on I might not have seen the blow coming at all. Quite possible the result might have been worse.
I will wear a helmet when freeflying, but thats due to my own lack of skills in that discipline.
So while I do repect your choice to wear a helmet, I do not think it should be required. RSL's and Cypress would then also need to be required safety items as well. After that, you might as well make all reserve sizes be of a "safe" size.....where do you stop required safety?
JJ

[trmnljnky 0]

well put JJ. Safe attitudes and practices are far more important.
Byron

[RozeAY 0]

I completely agree with you as well - helmets should not be required. There are definitely advantages and disadvantages to both wearing and not wearing one. But in some situations I think they serve a useful purpose - for example learning a new discipline as you said. In my situation, I was jumping with somebody who has little to no RW experience and a low jump number (not that I have hundreds of jumps myself either). Sometimes your own awareness and control just can't stop some things from happening.
:-) Allison

[rhino 0]

I'm glad you are o.k. I pretty much always wear a helmet. The only exception is when I plan to pull high 14k and don't plan on doing any RW. If I am going to do anything other than a straight in on that landing I wear a helmet also. Until this year I didn't have a cypress. I figured a helmet was a good piece of insurance. Just bought a new cypress for my rig.. I will still be wearing the helmet 99% of the time.
Blue Skies and Smooth Rides!!
http://www.aahit.com

[dove 0]

I totally agree with freedom of choice. However, I always wear a helmet. Even if I am pulling high. Why? I have a friend who was virtually scalped when the plane crashed at the end of the runway. He was lucky to live. Thank God he DID have his seatbelt on. Just something to think about.
dove

[GrumpySmurf 0]

Then automotive seatbelts shouldn't be maditory either then, if one were to trust their driving skills, much like motocycle skills. I figure the helmet/seatbelts/etc are not there so much to protect you from your own screw ups (though I am sure they do), it's to protect you from so other dumb-f*ck on the road who's drunk and getting head from his g/f one late Friday night and runs a red light right into you.
Maybe the seatbelt/helmet debate in the US would go somewhat away if they made it manditory to spend a night in an ER or with an ambulance team on a weekend in the summer watching the trauma cases from car/motocycle accidents come in.
Oh well, one opinion, in a sea of millions.

[cheeseburger 0]

Well, freedom is always an iffy thing to give up, especially concerning doing what we're doing. As I'm told it's a bit of a different world jumping in other countries where skydiving is government regulated. That being said, you should think long and hard about not wearing a helmet. Not to say you're an idiot if you do, but as with anything else in the sport, it's an added risk. I've known many folks who've had helmets save them from you're occasional bumps in freefall and for that spectacular bif across the hard drought baked texas ground. I imagine that they'd have had a little rougher time without a helmet. As for limiting your field of view...well...Airspeed gets by just fine with their Oxygens... be smart, be safe, have fun
Cheese

[skymedic 0]

I believe that Seatbelts should be mandatory and that helmets should also be mandatory...only in that it reduces healthcare cost's due to the majority of the people that get injured due to the above incidents tend to not have health insurance...and the cost's of said Health care to them gets passed on to us as the consumer....
marc
BSBD

[skybytch 259]

Quote

So while I do repect your choice to wear a helmet, I do not think it should be required. RSL's and Cypress would then also need to be required safety items as well. After that, you might as well make all reserve sizes be of a "safe" size.....where do you stop required safety?

I agree. I wear a helmet on all my jumps now, but I'm sitting here looking at a picture of me helmetless on a 10 way RW jump... For quite a while I only wore a helmet when I was working with students; on some jumps I even went without an altimeter (and had a round reserve, no audible no RSL and no Cypres - hard to believe I'm still alive isn't it...). When I started jumping, AAD's and helmets weren't "cool"; I'm not saying that it's bad that they are today, just that times and attitudes change. But imho we don't need to mandate their use.
pull and flare,
lisa
--
I'll be in the bar... you'll find me...

[Kris 0]

I think it should be personal choice.
For myself, I wear my Bonehead if I am working with students (sets the example), or doing anything other than a solo that I don't want my ProTrack on (2-ways & bigger and just general "funnin'-around dives).
There's something to be said for jumping on a beautiful summer day with no helmet so that I can feel the wind in my hair.
Kris

[scottbre 0]

Quote

I ride a motocycle and in Illinois it is not required to where a helmet. I make this choice because the helmet limits my field of vision, making me feel less aware. It is my awareness that allows me to react to situations properly.

You know what you call a motorcycle rider without a helmet?
An organ donor
20 million bathtubs can't be wrong. . .

[Scratch 0]

***I ride a motocycle and in Illinois it is not required to where a helmet. I make this choice because the helmet limits my field of vision, making me feel less aware. It is my awareness that allows me to react to situations properly[/post]
Silly boy.
Everybody falls.
Some get back on, some don't, some can't.
I see you are bucking for the third option.

[GrumpySmurf 0]

That's one thing I guess that is different about the land up north - since the healthcare is publicly funded - the taxpayers have to cover the burden of injuries due to a lack of helmets/seatbelts/etc - so the law was written to make them manditory. Personally, I would not disagree if Health Managment groups refused/reduced coverage due to an obvious lack of a seatbelt or helmet in an accident (I don't want my premiums to go up due to someones choice to not wear a helmet and end up a vegtable in a hospital bed) -
As for helmets for jumpers - maybe make 'em manditory till the 'C' or 'D' - by then they would have gotten the majority of their smacks anyways (by the looks of my Bonehead, I certainly collected quite a few), and will be a good position to say yes or no - rather than arbitrary decision not to.

[skymedic 0]

Many health systems do denie claims, even here in IL, if the rider of both car's and motorcycles are not wearing the appropriate saftey gear....
on the other point...a person that rides a motorcycle and crashes with no helmet and dies.....usualy has too much trauma to the organs and tissues to be a viable candidate even if they are just "Clinicly Dead" and not Biologicly dead..
marc
BSBD

[billvon 2,464]

>I believe that Seatbelts should be mandatory and that helmets should also be mandatory...
>only in that it reduces healthcare cost's due to the majority of the people that get injured due to the above
>incidents tend to not have health insurance...
I think that's a dangerous argument, because the logical corrolary is that skydiving should be illegal (or, at least, good health insurance should be mandatory for skydivers) for exactly the same reason. Skydiving's dangerous, and serious injuries are common, even when all the gear works right.
-bill von

[billvon 2,464]

>Maybe the seatbelt/helmet debate in the US would go somewhat away if they made it manditory to
>spend a night in an ER . . .
Hmm, I've done that, I still don't think they should be mandatory. My girlfriend spent two months working in a trauma bay as an orthopedic surgeon, she still doesn't think they should be mandatory - though we both use seatbelts (and usually use helmets when we jump.)
-bill von

[nacmacfeegle 0]

I'm all about freedom of choice, however in order to make a considered choice, you have to consider 'everything'.
Aircraft occassionally crash, asl Omri.
Things inside crashing aircraft fly around at high speeds.
Think about gnarly exits and funnels.
Think about off landings.
Think about those high wind days when you know you really should stay on the ground, but haven't jumped for ages.
Think about canopy collisions.
Think about riser slap.
Where are you gonna put your audible?
Personally, I wear a helmet cos thats the way I was raised (mandatory in the UK), and it helps keep my specs in place..
Cya
D

[GrumpySmurf 0]

Or your bloody gov't gets with the times and learns this thing called, "Public Heathcare."
I remember one canuck company I worked for where my monthly premiums were like $5 CDN - which covered prescriptions and a private room in a hospital - that was all that was needed. The taxes sucked, but you knew you were covered no matter how stupid you were.
I used to ride along with an uncle of mine that was a paramedic in the SW portion of British Columbia, during the summer off after my 2nd year (he figured it was great experience for me as I was about to head into med school). It lead me to discover my feelings on helmets, seatbelts and that the medical profession was no place for me - too much futility for me, personally.
I even buckle my rig in (and cover it up to keep the sunlight off it)- especially with how I drive - plus a potential 20+ pound projectile in the passenger compartment is not my idea of a good time.

[skymedic 0]

Quote

I think that's a dangerous argument, because the logical corrolary is that skydiving should be illegal (or, at least, good health insurance should be mandatory for skydivers) for exactly the same reason. Skydiving's dangerous, and serious injuries are common, even when all the gear works right.

There are far far more Drivers,both motorcycle and automobile, than our meer flash in the pan skydiver community.....So to me this is a moot point...
marc
BSBD

[bill2 0]

I think that's a dangerous argument, because the logical corrolary is that skydiving should be illegal (or, at least, good health insurance should be mandatory for skydivers) for exactly the same reason. Skydiving's dangerous, and serious injuries are common, even when all the gear works right.
___________________________________________
Good point Bill. this type of reasoning is being used in motorcycles as if motorcycle riders are a burden on society due to the cost of accidents. Start thinking this way and you're on a slippery slope, leading to potentially outlawing skydiving/motorcycling/whatever high risk sport you do because of the cost to society. You might wake up one day to a legal requirement to post a million dollar bond in order to jump. Just as you can make choices to drink heavily or not, and the government can't, and shouldn't step in until you might harm someone else, you should as an adult be able to make the decision to wear a helmet based on factors that don't include financial blackmail.