Show us your Gath or head gear for the surf.

General Discussion
21

I find that helmets are definitely more comfortable than no helmets. 

It depends on circumstances, in very large waves the water is deep and fewer people around. Maybe helmets really make no sense there. The most impact danger comes from your own surfboard and other surfers and their gear, and in crowded conditions. 

But the real problem is the sun. I found the Gath Helmet with flip-up visor the best thing since sliced bread. And also the ONLY thing that protects my eyes from UV and salt spray, and gives zero visual impairment when you actually catch a wave. Just flip it up and you have nothing in front of your eyes when you want to see clearly. I have tried all the sunglasses, goggles, contact lenses, it all sucks compared to a flip-up visor.

But I still don’t like logo’s on my stuff, I paid for it after all, and they don’t pay me, so the logo’s usually get covered up. Hence the paint on the blue helmet.

The small static visor on the other Gath helmet is not nearly as good against sun, but that older helmet has been modified for night surfing. With a waterproof torch, it can be ornamented with custom art work while out in the water. Even without a torch, the glow lasts hours if charged up well before a session.

I cannot find my sons old helmet at the moment, it has a gash in the plastic where it was hit by a longboard single fin when he was duck-diving and a longboarder ran over the top of him. He could well have been killed without the helmet. Totally normal madness at the ‘Superbank’. 

Sun protection by helmet is the only thing that works well for me, I’ve tried various hats, forget it, they get ripped off and cover your eyes when you don’t want it.

The helmet also has an amazing impact when it is cold, particularly in dry cold offshore winds with warm-ish water.

No sunscreen is needed above eye level at all with a flip-up visor helmet, no stinging, less pterygia, less blood-shot-stoned look for the rest of the day! 

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22

+1 for No Logos Mr Mik, people pay more for a t shirt with a logo and it’s a 1/4 price for a plain one.

 Nice touch with the glow paint too.

out of the 2 Gaths, one with an external visor and the other has an internal visor. 

Which one do you prefer ?

23

The glow in the dark helmet has a small fixed visor. They don’t make it any longer. It’s about as good as a hat re keeping the sun at bay.

The newer blue flip visor Gath is as good as a hat plus sunglasses.

24

Remember when surfing was some trunks a board and some wax. They have glow in the dark rattle can paint if you feel some how that will make you safer.  

25

Pretty rare to see someone in the USA wearing a helmet in the surf.

When I was in West Oz nearly 20 years ago, I had an Andycapps custom made helmet, and used it often.

 

Took it to Indonesia,  was on a boat off of Sumbawa and one big day I took some gas, and felt no tug on my leash, and surfaced, looking shoreward to see where my board might be, and the fin cluster landed on my head.

 

Would have been many stiches many miles away from any doctor, instead of a ding on the helmet.

26

Now it’s about 150 trunks and several kilos of wax at the same spots.

Glow in the dark paint is exactly what I used. And when I eventually become that frustrated with the hordes of people in the water that I ACTUALLY go night surfing, I expect that I will not be only one out there surfing. Being visible is definitely going to be useful during night surfing. 

I reckon’ I’ll use a board with Shark Shield, too. In case the glowing helmet attracts unwanted attention by big bitey’s. 

The last time that I really got frustrated with the over-crowding, I started to paint the helmet glow in the dark, but some sanity (not much, really!) returned before I actually went night surfing. I think it was too cloudy and the moon phase was wrong by the time it cleared up. Next time, no excuses, the helmet is ready. 

27

No helmet for me ever. Looks like exchanging a neck injury for a head injury. I’m not sure which is worse. Same age and surf history as Shark only Calif. sun, not tropical sun. I bet he has surfed way better waves than me, too. Like most my age I abused my skin. I hate sunscreen but use it if Im in the sun for long periods. I often wonder if sunscreen will cause cancer. I see guys white faced in the early morning with the sun at our backs… No cancer yet. Annual check, etc I don’t work outdoors, but am outside at every opportunity. I always wear a hood when surfing for ear protection and hat when outside, but my face is full of sun/age spots. Northwest European ancestory. Fog people. I know a guy who used to wear a helmet all the time. He was hit in the head with the helmet on and woke up under the water. The helmet was cracked. I don’t know why he doesn’t still use it. Go pros look like just another thing to cut yourself on. Plus, the surfing videos are usually pretty lame. Mike

28

I should say. I don’t know why he didn’t buy another helmet. Mike

29

All the blind surfers I know surf at night…and golf for that matter also.

30

Wore a Gath with the pull down UV visor for a couple of decades, back when I surfed shallow reefs both tropical and local.  Key is to get a snug (not tight) fit, if it slips on easily, it will be too loose in the water.  Once you get used to wearing them, no big deal.

As to keeping the visor clean from water marks, or sunglasses and such, use RainX on them, the same stuff you put on your auto windshield, works great.  The visor is great, wear it down until a set approaches, lift it up and go to work.  Nothing else provides full face protection.

In the US, Gath’s associated with kooks.  In West Oz, where many of the older surfers had notches and scars from the sun damage cut out, Gath’s with UV visor were common, often colored up by their kids…chargers going over the Margie’s ledge with flowers and bumblee helmets on…lol