When should you start wearing a helmet?

[Droste14]

At what point in jet sking did you start wearing a helmet? I'm not doing anything crazy but im workin on that. I've been doing alot of subs and working on various jump stuff. Sometimes the waters smacked me hard enough for me to think I needed one but yeah idk.

Been playing with the idea of buying one but im not sure if i need to spend the money yet!

 

[Aircraftsalz]

Ear drums are very important... Surf riding I always wear one...

I use to ride flat water without, until 8 wks ago when I was out doing something I had done lots of times before... My ear hit the water=broken ear drum

8 wks later I'm still not 100%

If your doing anything that could result in hitting the ski, being hit by the ski, or hitting the water I would suggest a helmet

 

[Droste14]

See like I'd like to say we do some pro/extreme tubing here and ive been rung a few times flying off a tube. Thats a little more force into the water sometimes then off a jet ski but then you have the weight of the ski and also the hull. I could see how even if you were just riding normal and fell and hit right you could pop an ear drum like that. I just cant decide if a helmet would be an over kill or not.

 

[Matt_E]

I always wear a helmet.

 

[DK-Freestyle]

I only wear a helmet for racing and V-Wakes. Never for flat water, just because I feel like I can ride more comfortably without it. I've seen lots of people blow out ear drums/ smash their face in the chin pad, etc, but it's freestyle, you're bound to get hurt eventually.

 

[rizk828]

i taught my son to ride with a helmet since day one. he's 19 and an aggressive rider but will not ride without his helmet. i very rarely wear mine, even though i know i should. imo learn to ride with it from the start. its a good habit you want to keep.

 

[tor*p*do]

surf = always
flat water = only when going nuts

 

[gc4]

im into wearing a helmet.. im not nearly competent enough to get away without one as im always landing sideways/getting flung around. i like riding without one as i find the helmet causes a lot of drag for underwater stuff, but whenever i go out looking to barrol roll, etc. i make myself wear one.

 

[Droste14]

I'll see In the next 2 weeks if I start getting into some more tricks. I've been limited since I've been putting off the hydro turf for my ski but I started it last night. I've never been hurt from my ski other then hitting it cause I don't have turf for it haha.

 

[tipafew]

Surf I always wear one.
Flat water.....pretty much only when trying back flips since I suck at them.

 

[Droste14]

I still have a 650 in my sn so back flips and rolls are obviously not gonna happen. But there is always a chance something can happen!

 

[yamaha415]

Once she knows where you live and has your phone number

 

[O2VW1.8T]

For v-wakes and barrel rolls. For back flips as long as you hang on you shouldn't hit your head. Anytime time im on a jetski i'll try anything but dont really like wearing a helmet that much...

 

[onlyFX-1]

There is no point in NOT wearing a helmet. It takes 2 seconds to put on, plus you never know when something will go wrong. Its like owning a gun, better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it

 

[Matt_E]

For v-wakes and barrel rolls. For back flips as long as you hang on you shouldn't hit your head. .

Don't be so sure. There have been times where I've hung on and still fell out. The worst was in shoulder-high surf and I became disconnected at the apex of a backflip. I fell right under the ski which then proceeded to fall from 10+ft up onto my helmet.
I had a headache for the rest of the day. Without a helmet, this could have been fatal.

Even on flatwater, I hit my helmet on the pole often enough that I never accidentally forget to put it on.

 

[tipafew]

In Pismo 2 years ago I had a barrel roll go bad and the ski landed right on my head. That helmet saved some serious injury because even with the helmet on I was seeing stars.

 

[Freakrider]

IMO the min to wear is a Lacrosse helmet with the cage removed, it is less than a pound in weight and feels like nothing on your head; it offers some protection and provides shade over the eyes...surf and big air go with the full helmet...never ride with no helmet.

 

[Waternut]

I wear a brain bucket when I ride flat water because I enjoy the wind passing over my ears and it's cooler in the warmer months. I have only worn a full face in the surf. I consider subs to be borderline need one. Nose stabs need one.

As for holding on and it not hitting your head... Totally not true. I've hit my head more times with both hands on the bars than anything else. Clipped my face on the chinpad a couple times on backflips, hit my temple when the ski rotated back onto me after a nose stab, and I even hit my face on the top side of the pole by the bracket when the wave kicked the nose of the ski up faster than I expected and I was connected to the ski with both hands and both feet (visualize that one lol). Thankfully every time I've been hard I was wearing a helmet except the temple incident where I wasn't.

 

[Droste14]

haha yeahhh i might just go ahead and order one. for the price it wouldnt be a bad idea to atleast have it laying around if anything. too bad i wont be able to have one by next week tho so ill have to try and keep it moderate

 

[Idok]

most of the time here....we ride surf only and close quarters.......have had skis kiss each other a couple times but knock on wood never a crash