The Top 5 Safest Wakeboarding Helmets
Wakeboarding, just like most extreme sports, is not for the faint-hearted. Although it can be exhilarating to participate in it can also be quite dangerous. In fact majority of all wakeboarding injuries affect the head and neck area. To put this in perspective, concussions account for one in nine wakeboarding injuries while head lacerations account for one in four wakeboarding injuries. An eardrum rupture is also one of the most common injuries you can sustain while practicing the sport. Looking at those statistics it’s clear that there’s need to protect yourself when wakeboarding, and it’s safe to say that purchasing a wakeboarding helmet is a wise investment.
There are a few things you need to know before you buy a helmet. Most helmets are designed to endure low-impact hits, so they won’t protect you from very high impact hits. Full-cut helmets are preferable over side-cut helmets since they protect both your head and your ears in one snug shell.
The WRSI Moment Full-Face Helmet is one of the top wakeboarding helmets you can find out there. It’s a full-cut helmet so it protects your ears and your head in a single shell. The great thing about this helmet is that it’s very comfortable, it’s adjustable, it’s lightweight so it doesn’t feel like a heavy burden on your head and neck, and it has brilliant ventilation to allow air to circulate easily when you’re wearing it. The inner, protective padding of the helmet also dries very quickly which is a plus. The only downfall is that it might be a bit difficult to adjust if you’re not used to it. However, once you’re used to it adjusting becomes easy. This helmet comes in two varieties; one has vents to enable circulation and the other doesn’t. So you can purchase one depending on your personal preference.
The Pro Tec Full-Cut Water Helmet is another helmet which provides the full head and ear protection you require while wakeboarding. In fact it’s so good that US Navy Seals use it; that says a lot about its quality. It’s durable, easily adjustable, and has pretty good ventilation. The only con of this helmet is that the adjustable straps on the rear which are meant for you to use to fasten your head snugly can apply a bit of pressure to your skull. This causes discomfort for some. However, this can be easily remedied by cutting off part of the strap.
If you prefer side-cut helmets then the WRSI Trident Composite Helmet is a great choice. You don’t get built-in ear protection. However, it’s comfortable, light-weight, has a good sun visor, allows great air circulation, and it has quick-drying inner padding. It’s also a stylish helmet, so if you want to look good while protecting yourself this is the helmet for you. The main downside of this helmet is that it’s a bit small. So it may not fit some people well.
The Bern Baker Water Hard Hat is also a really good wakeboarding helmet. It’s a side-cut helmet whose greatest advantage is its light weight. You can wear it on your head and literally forget that you have it on. It’s also very easy to put on so you don’t waste time fidgeting with straps and levers. If you like to record your wakeboarding escapades then this is the perfect helmet for you because you can easily mount your Go Pro camera to the helmet and capture your experience. It’s difficult to think of any downsides to this helmet except for the fact that since it’s a side-cut helmet you don’t get any built-in ear protection. But it comes with removable ear flaps so you can attach and detach those as you see fit.
Pro Tec is a well-known name in the helmet industry. One of the better side-cut wakeboarding helmets they manufacture is the Pro Tec B2 Wake Helmet. It’s a very sturdy helmet. When you put it on you can feel that it’s sitting snugly on your head. It has hard outer shell molded for a high-density plastic to provide you ample protection. It also has removable ear flaps to prevent eardrum rapture in case of an accident. One of the worst things that could happen is for a helmet to slide off when you tilt your head. The 4 point chin strap ensures that does not happen. Its comfortable and keeps the helmet in place.
When buying a helmet it’s always a good idea to try one on or at least enquire about the size if you’re ordering online so that you get one which fits you perfectly. Wearing a helmet gives you the freedom to enjoy wakeboarding without worrying about your safety. While style matters ensure that you purchase a helmet which provides you ample protection, after all that is the main reason for buying one in the first place.