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FlyinDawg

Best freefly helment?

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Ever thought about using the search function?

Seriously, there must be tons of threads on this topic and it really does come down to personal preference and what fits your head best.

I jump a Z1 Evo when i'm not flying camera and love it, it fits small though and thinking about it now, i could probably have bought it one size bigger.

Other people will tell you they love their Boneheads, others will tell you they love Hurricanes, not to mention the Gath, there's that personal preference thing again.

Check out this link for some more info:

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=search_results&search_forum=all&search_string=Freefly+Helmets&search_type=AND&search_fields=sb&search_time=&search_user_username=&sb=score&mh=25

Your best option really is to try as many as possible, look what peeps on your DZ are jumping and don't be afraid to go ask them why they jump what they jump and if you can try it on.

Good luck ;)


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What Peej said is right on the money, but also think about what type of flying you want to do most. Solo's, vrw, bigways, camera, little belly and ff? I can freefly in my flat top pro loaded with cameras, my oxygen full face, my velocity open face and even my giro half shell. Some are for a specific purpose (cameras etc.) and some are more protective than others. It is all about what YOU like and what YOU are looking for in a helmet.:)


Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you.

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Peej gave you good advice but I agree with Brains too. You don't have to have a freefly helmet if you want to start freeflying. If you already have a full face helmet, you can jump with that. I have over 400 freefly jumps and I've never used an open face helmet on any of them. Sure, they're handy if you want to feel the breeze on your face or do camera, but if you are tight on funds at all, spend the money on freefly coaching.
She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

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Your best option really is to try as many as possible, look what peeps on your DZ are jumping and don't be afraid to go ask them why they jump what they jump and if you can try it on.

Good luck ;)


i can't try or ask peepz cos I haven't jump for 2 months and half. I know it's suck! I have been busy and I hate to rent a rig!
Flyin' Dawg or SkyDog


"To understand is to forgive, even oneself."

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There are plenty of trade offs when choosing a helmet.For aerodynamics like while freeflying I choose a helmet with less drag (small shell with a little bit of padding) the trade off is less shock absorbtion if you crash, but the helmet will still work well just not as good as a protec for crashing with. Pro tec helmets work and are typically the 'best for crashing with. The drawback for freeflying a protec is the amount of drag they have considering how aerodynamic they are while sitflying. Full face helmets: some have a velcro closure thingy that gets worn out over time and is a pain to replace and at higher speeds or you forget to latch the thing it can fly off more easily,same goes for the visor. Some full face helmets have overcome this problem like the bonehead full face. If you wear glasses or contacts like me I choose to wear goggles that don't allow wind into them in freefall and choose an open face helmet. I do like a chin cup of sorts. The padding: Some helmet makers have glued in padding which for the most part are non adjustable some are comfy. Some helmet makers have removable padding which you can add padding to (shims) till the helmet fits pretty snug on your noggin then you heat the pads in the oven, put the pads in your helmet and put the helmet on and the pads mold to your head very well. I choose Bonehead helmets. I like how the helmets feel and secure to my head. They are tough enough and I like the dytter(audible) to be inside the shell of the helmet rather than the outside. You can buy a new one or used one. If you buy a used one you can replace the padding without alot of hassle. New is best. So for your first helmet i'd suggest one that all you have to do is put the thing on and latch the chin strap or chin cup and your ready to go. If when you land your parachute and you face plant often, i'd choose a full face.

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I bought a Z1 evo which has been great overall. Protects from minor bumps and scrapes like banging head when getting out door or falling over on landing. Works well for mounting my audibles too.

However, I'm thinking of looking at a Gath next as I believe they actually offer some impact protection as they have foam in them as opposed to cloth.

EDIT TO ADD: My comment doesn't come as an experienced freeflyer but just from common sense :D

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However, I'm thinking of looking at a Gath next as I believe they actually offer some impact protection as they have foam in them as opposed to cloth maybe the new gath's have better protection, I had a friend by the name of Adria who was wearing one when she incidentally hooked it in with the old style gath, The head injury resulted in death. sorry buddy.

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Sorry to hear that. I may be wrong but they quote they use an EVA foam which is an energy absorbant material in their new helmets. It won't help in many situations I'm sure. But its got to be better than just a bit of plastic lined with cloth if, for example, I get a stray kick to the head or similar. Gotta stack the odds in your favour if you can :)

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Sorry to hear that. I may be wrong but they quote they use an EVA foam which is an energy absorbant material in their new helmets. It won't help in many situations I'm sure. But its got to be better than just a bit of plastic lined with cloth if, for example, I get a stray kick to the head or similar. Gotta stack the odds in your favour if you can :)

Thanks. and true. Several skydiving helmets arent made for heavy impacts anyway. Glancing blows, and incidental hard spock dock with a foot, hitting your head in and on the airplane, landing in trees, headbutting a car door, hard landing. A good rule to follow for me anyway is ' don't hit your head'! Pretty much all helmets are brain buckets and will protect your noggin a good amount.

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As a Gath helmet owner, I would not recommend one. They offer little to no protection. Not only from a foam lining perspective but also from a chin cup protection perspective.

I got kicked in the jaw doing some VRW and was spitting blood for an hour.

The only reason we chose Gath was that they look cool, and that was the only reason.

They also are like a an air scoope with the face shield down and sit-flying. I'm not impressed with my Gath.

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As a Gath helmet owner, I would not recommend one. They offer little to no protection. Not only from a foam lining perspective but also from a chin cup protection perspective.

I got kicked in the jaw doing some VRW and was spitting blood for an hour.

The only reason we chose Gath was that they look cool, and that was the only reason.

They also are like a an air scoope with the face shield down and sit-flying. I'm not impressed with my Gath.



Thats some useful info. Thanks. I might save my pennies and look at something else :)

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A Bonehead saved my noggin a few weeks ago when one of my fears came true. Skysurfer spinning a high speed helicopter, board connected with my head at high speed. Turned my head to the side moments before impact, board hit at eye level on the side of the helmet. Was'nt knocked out, vision was a bit blurred and a mild concussion ensued. right after the hit as i got my bearings back I was falling butt down relaxed (going in dead man position). shortly thereafter we continued the dive. Pulled high with pulsing head. Landed well. Helmet had a small crack 1 1/4" in the carbon fiber and I had some abrasions on the side of my head the size of the crack in the helmet. Also had a rail dent on the side of my head and an abrasion on my arm. Arm was hit and knocked out of the way prior to the board to the head hit. I think no helmet would have killed me. Reason we hit was off timing for the 3d trick on my move, I was flying tighter than normal, a bit too tight. Now that same move looks awesome, it's on!

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