No helmet = no launch ?

[Yoda]

No fit = No helmet for me. I'm not opposed to wearing one, but getting the correct fit is paramount.
Every year I go to a very large tradeshow where just about every water helmet manufacturer under the sun is in attendance. I've literally tried on EVERY helmet brand available and there's not even one helmet that I could get to fit correctly (both men's & women's versions). I've also tried on several wakeboard & kiteboard branded helmets and I couldn't get any of those to fit either. One of the main problems imo is most of the water specific helmets come in either one, two, or limited size options and need to be fitted with pads & shims to make it fit correct. Bike & snow helmets in comparison generally come in four to seven size options, so there's less fitting issues or challenges. Even with the fit- kits and DIY mods, I've yet to get a helmet to fit right, so I refuse to use one.
Fact: An ill fitting helmet can be as dangerous as not wearing one.
If Engine was smart, they would get into custom helmets too.

[sloughslut]

I wear a helmet kiting but not moutian biking, so if some a hole says you cant ride down this street or go on this trail with out a helmet thats dumb. i pay taxes and have health insurance (some times) its seems kiting i am only one wearing one. its mostly for sun protection and other people f#$%ing me up. One time at sherman some jerk said he would not lauch me because i had a helmet and he thought i was a kook (which i still am) and it was really windy for a 10m. He sat there and watched me self launch by the picnic table then i went kiting. I also agree its not gonna prevent a broken back!!!! I feel bad for the guy who is hurt, but i feel worse for people geting blown up shot and gassed in wars. I see alot of video with rebels in wars without helmets maybe they should not get bullets unless they have helmets!! :character-beavisbutthead:

[Sonny]

Bbbut Sonny, you look awesome on that board floating 2 ft off the water! That alone is enough to guarantee the coolness factor, helmet or not :D (j/k)

It feels better than it looks. I'm hooked on the foil board. ::) Unfortunately, it's only good at 3rd AVE every other week in Spring and Fall due to the extreme low tides. :(

[le noun]

michael: I'm gonna respond to this thread with the same car driving analogy as yours.
I feel like you are mixing up 2 things: active safety and passive safety.
Active safety: things that will prevent an accident to happen.
Passive safety: things that will help you survive an accident if an accident occurs.

Now, to go back to your example:
No, I would NOT let a friend drive if drunk, but I wouldn't take his keys away if he tells me he's not putting his seatbelt on.
You see, there are things you can do when kiting to PREVENT an accident to happen: like not launching somebody on a 13m by 25mph of wind because "that's the only kite they have" or to be able to punch out without even thinking about where your safety is.
Wearing a helmet is not gonna prevent an accident: it will help in case an accident occurs and only for your head. Like somebody else said: it wouldn't have helped the poor guy at third with his broken wrist, pelvis and back.
Punching out in a heartbeat would have helped.

Don't get me wrong: I do understand your concern. If you wear your seatbelt in a car, why don't you wear a helmet while kiting/snowboarding/on a bicycle?
But to NOT launch somebody because they're not wearing a helmet... hmmm.
I'd rather have people making sure that the guy knows what he's doing.
If I see a guy giving me the thumb up at third while his kite is still fluttering or when he's way too much inside the wind window I usually put the kite down. walk to the guy, and ask him if he's a beginner and if he needs somebody to help him out for the launch and to the water or if they are competent enough to be riding here.

So again, giving somebody a launch only because they are wearing a helmet regardless if it's a 13m in 25mph wind is, to me, the same thing as letting your friend drive drunk... as long as he's wearing his seatbelt.

[le noun]

Fact: An ill fitting helmet can be as dangerous as not wearing one.

Also true.

[michael]

However, imposing a fast and hard rule on fellow kiters even for safety reason is not what I would recommend.

Thanks
Alex

Many countries require seat belts to be used while driving. The law is strictly enforced by police.

It seems the reasoning why this law is needed is no different than mine. I can't find any difference: in both cases we are talking about safety of someone; whether he wears a helmet or a seat-belt affects nobody but him alone; both activities are more or less equally dangerous, with more or less equal chances for an accident.

The difference is the lack of authority to set laws and enforce them. There are no laws at all. Everything is optional, "lets-be-nice-to-each-other" etiquette and common sense.

Naturally many people resent any regulations. Perhaps even on this forum some people hate wearing seat belts and find the law stupid, such that only a jerk could come up with such an idea. You can still travel to a third-world countries where it's perfectly fine to drive without seat-belts. I would not find it surprising a notion over there "hey, look - most people here drive without seat belts, so it must be safe enough, and only a jerk like you could lecture us about safety".

Obviously kiting is not as common as driving, so a government would not impose anything. However, seeing people without helmet makes me feel like a third-world country that hasn't developed yet. But even in those third-world countries where seat belts are optional there are people who wear them anyway. I guess I am just one of these.

[Tony Soprano]

Brian Lake wears a Helmet when foil boarding.

Many at Crissy wear helmets.

I have seen a kite boarder at Crissy knocked out on the water and held up by another kiteboarder till he came too during the big air event several years ago.

I know that you are easier to see if down in the water with a white or orange helmet.

Over the years I have seen many with head gashes from fins , flat water and the surf.

I wear a helmet to help keep my glasses on, my bald head from sunburn, and to prevent getting knocked out from my surfboard clobbering me in the surf.

Some wear them as required by there spouse and life jacket too.

[nick_80044]

I wear a helmet to help keep my glasses on, my bald head from sunburn, and to prevent getting knocked out from my surfboard clobbering me in the surf.

I used to lose my Sea Specs regularly until I started wearing my helmet again. So that's a good incentive.

I don't ride in the surf--I suspect a helmet is a must there because of the danger of getting whacked by the board. Agreed?

[MehYam]

But to NOT launch somebody because they're not wearing a helmet... hmmm.
I'd rather have people making sure that the guy knows what he's doing.

This. Knowing what you're doing is a far bigger factor in safety than wearing a helmet. I feel confident of my ability to punch out in a hurry, I've been tested once in a situation where I had to. Plus the idea of saying "no, I only launch helmet-wearers"... just kind of douchey. This is a risky sport with dangers that cannot be controlled, we acknowledge this and accept the risks. Just like you acknowledge it when you cross the street or step out of the shower.

I stopped wearing a helmet a few years back because a brimmed hat offers better sun coverage and just feels better. All that said, I'm still thinking of moving back to a helmet anyway, but I imposing a hacked up "law" at a spot will just never catch on. Even if it was a good idea, this is the wrong crowd for it.

A better approach for Michael would be to say "I wish you were wearing a helmet, I hope you understand the risks" but launch them anyway.

[Yoda]

If Engine was smart, they would get into custom helmets too.

Look what I found...http://coyledesignandbuild.com/
Not cheap, but it could be the ticket. Plus it's high on the cool factor. I wonder how well it would hold up to water applications. If Chris Craft can make it work, I'd think Coyle could too. ;-)