12/14/2023 0 Comments Surfs up. your helmet.![]() ![]() Previous Head InjuryĪccording to the NHS, repeated trauma to the head can lead to Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Just as a wetsuit can help protect you from the coral, a helmet will help protect your head from any serious damage.Īs there is less water to soften your fall, and reefs often suck dry as they break, using a helmet over a shallow reef – especially in big swell – should be something that you consider. When surfing over coral reefs or a rocky floor bed, the chances of lacerations, concussions, and broken bones suddenly become a much higher possibility. Surfing in shallow water greatly increases the dangers of surfing. This is why it is becoming more common each year to see big wave surfers at breaks such as Teahupoo to wear helmets when it comes to competition time. ![]() More and more big wave surfers are turning to inflatable life jackets as an added means of safety, and helmets are next on the list. Not only is your hard surfboard and ocean floor a danger, but the immense weight and power of the lip of the wave is enough to give a surfer brain damage. The most common time to see a surfer wearing a helmet is during big wave surfing season.Ī surfer traveling at high speeds whose head collides with their surfboard or the ocean floor can experience loss of consciousness, rupturing of the eardrums, and in severe cases, death. Some situations are more common for surfers to wear helmets, in some of which a helmet is strongly advised. When Do Surfers Wear Helmets?Įven though you do not commonly see surfers wearing helmets, it does not mean there are no good reasons to do so. That being said, it is possible to come across surf schools, camps, and resorts that require or encourage their students to wear headgear while taking lessons from the school. This is true for both recreational surfers and professionals.Īs surfing is done in water and collisions are mostly avoided, most people do not see a need to wear a helmet while surfing. Are Helmets Required for Surfing?Īs it stands, there are no regulations about surfing with a helmet. That being said, one study conducted in Victoria, Australia, showed that only 1.9% of 646 surfers used headgear on a regular basis.Īlthough this is a very isolated and limited study, by pure observation it is clear that the number of surfers that wear helmets is in the single-digit percentile range. It is when you are surfing over a dry reef or on a rocky break with powerful waves that a helmet begins to have a purpose.īecause not many surfers wear helmets (which includes the big wave surfers that should be wearing them), there are no global statistics showing how many surfers make use of these hard hats. Most surfers do not use a helmet because they do not see much benefit in it, and in some way they are right. In fact, it is so uncommon that most surfers may never come across another surfer with a helmet on. Wearing a helmet while surfing is not a common practice. ![]()
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