Head injury / helmets?

C

Chris123

New Member
Some sailng programs seem to issue helmets to novice dinghy sailors. Is there any evidence (as in, statistical data about head injuries) that would suggest this is necessary and/or prudent?
 
Helmets are becoming standard issue in many outdoor sports (think alpine skiing). Is it needed for dingy sailing? I don't think it would help much for the lake sailing I do. But it may be helpful in those areas where consistantly heavy winds are expected. I generally get bonked in the forehead by the boom at least once on every race night. I don't think it's done any permanent damage. And it's entertaining for my competitors.
 
yes but it dont half bloody hurt when you get smacked round the head whilst in a gybe! it was 4 years ago in about a force 4 and i was in my topper, i remember coming into the gybe and the boom was not going over! i lifted my head a bit to see where it was and it hit me straight on the top/back of the head! i had a lump the size of a tennis ball and also i reckon i was unconcious for about 10 seconds, i did however manage to sail the boat to shore where i collapsed immediatly on the beach, crying my eyes out (i was only 12) and had to go to the hospital straight away in my wetsuit and everything! it didnt half hurt and thats why novices should wear helmets! booms seriously are dangerous and probably can kill!
 
I used to have to wear a helmit my first 2 years of sailing while in a junior sailing program, i was really clumsey and i seemed to get hit in the head every day by the boom, and it got to a point where the head coach told me i had to wear a helmit or i couldnt come back, so yea i wore that for awhile, i wasnt the only one though, there was an older guy than me who sailed laser2's and he was always getting knocked out unconcious and he wore a helmit also.

but all in all they save a lot of pain and little kids dont always stay focused enough to know where the boom is. Yes i think they should be mandatory at junior sailing clubs .
 
I don't mean to sound glib about my head getting boom-bashed. It does hurt and, in some situations, it could be dangerous. But I think it should remain optional for grown-ups to sail with helmets. It is probably a good idea for kids to use helmets in Laser training, especially those in organized programs.
 
It's funny before seeing this post today, I was in a sporting goods store last night looking at skateboarding and baseball helmets for my kids to use on our boat. Nothing quite right - too bulky - any suggestions on where to find a purpose made, sailing helmet for kids? Or a padded boom wrap?

Thanks,

Dan
 
kayaking helmets usually do the job, over here in england we have a company called yak who supply them, search any kayak store.
 
You can buy padded baseball caps now, I saw some Qantas engineers with them on, haven't found them on the net yet, I will ask where they got them from.
The odd thump in the head tends to wake me up, I won t be wearing a helmet.
 
I have had several accidents involving with my head hitting or being hit by hard objects but rarely is it the boom!

It is usually, of all things, my 'low profile' mainsheet cleats! which happen to get in the way of my bollard during an out-of-control or not-quite-the-way-the-instruction-manual-shows roll tack!

The result is usually a golfball sized lump and, on one occassion, claret. Lots of claret!

I also have some metal plates in my face, the result of another non-sailing injury, of which I have to be careful. I looked for a while at helmets and face protection etc. The best helmet I saw was one designed for surfing and windsurfing: the Gath http://www.gathsports.com/hattech.shtml

I haven't got one yet, although, if she-who-must-be-obeyed keeps up with the nagging I might have to get one and some other form of face protection just for some peace and quiet!

Hope this helps.
 
Your in trouble when your hitting your face on the deck cleats, i've never done that. The Gath helmets are good, lots of people wear them where I surf over a rocky reef, I have been meaning to get one.
Have you noticed, Wabbit, that we have consecutive serial number boats, of course, mine is newer. :D
 
Darryn said:
... we have consecutive serial number boats, of course, mine is newer. :D
Click to expand...
... but mine came out of a fresher mold. Yours came out of a mold that was one hull older, one hull more distorted!


;-)
 
the best ive done is trip over my mainsheet which was very well knotted around my foot mid tack and fall head first into the edge of the cockpit just above the handrail, that one really hurt and i thought i cracked the gelcoat
 
I knew there was a good reason I pulled my mainsheet cleats off the boat....

Anyway, in the states, a lot of waterfolk use kayak helmets for sports other than river kayaking (kitesailing, high-wind boardsailing, etc.). One popular brand of helmet is Pro-Tec. We have a couple old Pro-Tecs that we've used for whitewater boating for more than a decade. They are fairly cheap (about $40 US), comfortable and are unkillable. Mine was even gnawed on by a baby golden retriever - and it survived. You can check them out at Northwest River Supply (www.nrsweb.com)
 
??? an helmet... on this lake where I am the must be like 600 kids in learning program & there as never been one incident about someone getting really injured with a boom... I guess canadians kids a just better :) hihih just joking ... anyways I think helmets are uselless... if your learning you will be on an appropriate boat where it's not too dangerous... also you wont be going out with it's blowing 20 knots... anways I just wantd to give out my opinion... I never saw any1 sailing with an helmet so I'm suprised...
 
L-P Gauhtier said:
??? an helmet... on this lake where I am the must be like 600 kids in learning program & there as never been one incident about someone getting really injured with a boom... I guess canadians kids a just better :) hihih just joking ... anyways I think helmets are uselless... if your learning you will be on an appropriate boat where it's not too dangerous... also you wont be going out with it's blowing 20 knots... anways I just wantd to give out my opinion... I never saw any1 sailing with an helmet so I'm suprised...
Click to expand...

This is getting closer to what I'm looking for -- hard statistical data that would say, one way or the other, that there are or are not head injuries that would be preventable with a helmet.
 
You know, if you have your head low enough to see daylight through the bailer as you tack and gybe you hardly ever hit your head :)
Darryn
169711- near new
South Australia
 
Braecrest said:
I used to work foredeck on a J41 for a guy who would always sail with a bike helmet on...
Click to expand...

Big boats are a different situation -- Booms and spinnaker poles are massive and move really fast under load, and there are ample stories of fatal head injuries there. More and more you see foredeck crew wearing climbing helmets, etc.

But I'm really asking about small one-design boats, and looking specifically for hard statistical evidence one way or the other. I'll summarize anything I turn up and re-post it here.
 
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