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Helmet Suggestions for an Intermediate Boater?

4K views 27 replies 19 participants last post by  10grtkids 
#1 ·
Hey!! After years of tackling the river and swimming (driving all my friends crazy) I finally have a combat roll -- well 50% of the time. However, I can't brace to save my life so I end up upside down a lot. What I lack in skill i more than make up for in bravery. 8) Ready to upgrade from the worst helmet on the market to something that will keep an upside down boater's head safe. Any suggestions? The biggest water I've done is Shoshone in Glenwood Canyon, I'll stay at that until i'm much more confident ... I love the WW park in Glenwood but can't stay in the wave to save my life ... that's another story entirely. Thanks in advance!!
 
#5 ·
I just got a Shred Ready TDub, and really like it. The low brim is great (except when walking up steep river banks since it blocks your view up a little bit). I was upside down in Lower clear creek and took a rock to the face. I think it would have been a lot worse in a helmet with less brim. I took most of it on the brim, and in the cheek. Sure a full face would have avoided the blow all together, but if a full face isn't for you the TDub is prolly your next best option (or maybe a Sweet). The HOG system in the Shred Ready's is also great. The low/large brim is also great on really sunny days. So thats my 2cents.
 
#7 ·
Ask yourself why you shouldn't get a full face. When you can't figure out a good answer, go out and buy one. I've come to really like the WRSI w/ face mask attachment. The Shred Ready full face is also a good deal. If you have deep pockets the Sweet Rocker may be the best, but I'm not sure if that's much better than the former options.
 
#8 ·
cause im goofy looking thats my reason. tdub kicks ass. very solid. smoked a couple rocks with past shred ready helmets. good retention system thats comfortable and extra coverage for the temples. if you are ugly or goofy you don't really need a full face. just my hay penny worth of thoughts.
 
#9 ·
I looked at a WRSI the other day and was pretty surprised by the lack of interior padding. For how popular they are, and considering that their mission is to provide the best protection possible for a low price... I think that WRSI missed the ball on that one....as have most whitewater helmet manufacturers.

Cascade has the best interior padding out there and a flexible plastic shell that absorbs shock. You can get two different types of face coverage for a Cascade: cage or chin bar.

The only reason that more people aren't wearing Cascade is because they are the most unfashionable old-school looking thing out there. They haven't changed their mold in their long history and they really should because they look like COMPLETE shit. However, I love a Cascade for serious creeking.
 
#17 ·
Actually the WRSI has LOTS of padding - it's in layers and not obvious like most helmets - it is supposed to absorb shock better than the solid layer kevlar/carbon helmets with minicell foam.

Check out the exploded view: Whitewater Research and Safety Institute
Yes, they have multiple layers of padding, but it is paper thin. My guess is that the total thickness was not even approaching 1/2" thickness in the helmet I looked at.

I want a helmet that can take a blow from a baseball bat. The Cascade is that helmet. I like the shell on the WRSI because it is plastic and that is what you need for long-term multiple impacts but that padding is LAME.

I have never, ever seen stars from getting my brain rattled in my Cascade and I have dragged my head along the bottom in some high-speed class V like the right hand side of Rigor Mortis. BAM!!! I nailed the shallow rock there once. No big deal.

I have seen stars in both of the other helmets I have worn and both of them have thin padding. Both times I saw stars in those pieces of shit, it was in class III whitewater.
 
#12 ·
I could not get the WRSI to fit. Too much pressure on the front of the head. Of course the only other line the store carried were the Sweet. Got a strutter - it has a good sized bill which will hopefully protect my face somewhat. Plus the fit was fantastic. Personally, I think fit and comfort play a big part in a helmet for any sport.

Just my $.02
 
#14 ·
So I don't work for WRSI and I had the same problem with the helmet putting way too much pressure on the front of my head. I took one out of the box and put the thinnest big liner in and it fit perfectly. I don't know what they are doing to the demo WRSI helmets but I was absolutely not getting one until I played with it for a while - now it fits like a glove.

I have to say the only bad thing about it is that with the rear retention I can't do pigtails anymore and I have to do a single ponytail braided and pulled through the center of the rear retention piece. Total PITA but I figure it's that much more secure with my hair through it.
 
#16 ·
WRSI Rocks - I didn't really want one but my wife wanted it for me. I'm sold since I took three solid head shots recently that would have rocked me good in my Shred Ready. I was impressed how much less shock I felt. The shock absorption was impressive.
 
#18 ·
ture you hear the bells from hell when you got rocked?

stars and bells suck. was scouting without my helmet during a late season scouting mission, slipped off a rock fell a good 8 feet straight to the temple. some blood and one hell of a hard time walking out of the canyon... helmets have to be one of the greatest inventions of all time. never been the same since that hit.
 
#26 ·
I have a wrsi and a Grateful Heads Hard Hit.

The Hard Hit's liner is shavable so with a little work you can make it fit like a second skin. I can wear it all day and it never gets uncomfortable.

The wrsi has about the same adjustments as a bicycle helmet and to be honest I have done a lot of work to make it o.k. to wear, but after a couple of hours I really want to take it off at scouts etc.

My advice is get one you can make nice and snug, will not slide up and you can wear comfortably for 4 hours. I don't know that you can do this for less than $100.

Good luck
 
#27 ·
All this discussion got me thinking. I should probably upgrade fro my 90's protec to something that might actually protect my head. I like the WRSI, but have a LG head.
 
#28 ·
Well, I bought the WRSI yesterday as it fit like a glove once I got all the padding in and situated right. I wore it this am for a couple hours literally swimming the wave, & it wasn't killing me by the end. Hopefully, it'll be the right helmet, if not, I've gotta bunch of kids who I'll pass it down to!! :))) Thanks for all your help, what an awesome forum!!
 
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