[Closed] Canoeing helmet

if you hit your head on a rock and knock yourself unconscious you will.

plus it keeps your head warm...

Not necessary where I paddle - no rocks in canals!

no and maybe
depends on situation useful in still water with beginners, rescues other boats lots of flailing paddles boats being lifted etc I always wore one in moving water/white water/surf it feels wrong if you forget to put one on. you might 'have 'to wear one insurance H&S and much warmer at this time of year

Not necessary where I paddle - no rocks in canals!

Shopping trolleys and old bikes sting a bit though 🙂

Makes you think, mind if I did wear a helmet it might make me take risks and try something like [url= http://www.epictv.com/media/podcast/kayaking-backwards-into-massive-waterfalls-fresh-tacos-%7C-fresh/268804 ]this[/url] 😉

Wear one.

I dont paddle without one. Even if on the flat instructing. You can always get clipped by someones elses paddle if in a group and you never know how deep the water is all of the time.

I used to race marathon and sprint kayaks when I was a junior, not safety gear required at all then. Only one death as fair as I'm aware of in the UK, and that was an epileptic kid who very sadly had a fit during the race.

Whitewater though, definitely wear a helmet.

I wear one for whitewater always but can't say it ever crossed my mind to put one on for canals. But I do use a very stable (slow) kayak for local canal paddling. Not sure if I'm being fool harder not wearing a helmet?

I would go without a buoyancy aid before I would go without my helmet.

On canals I wouldn't bother with a buoyancy aid or a helmet on the canal in an open canoe or a flat water racing kayak.

In a proper closed kayak, I'd wear a buoyancy aid, but probably not a helmet as I've never owned one though I can see why you would, you're normally completely upside down by the time you can bail out of a slalom boat.

Do you ever fall in or capsize?

Yes > wear a helmet
No > don't bother

Problem solved.

I wear two. One for canoeing and one on top of my 'everyday just walking around in case I trip over' helmet.

one on top of my 'everyday just walking around in case I trip over' helmet.

Aka your skull...

everytime someone starts a canoe helmet thread a baby porpoise dies

Depends with me, hot day, then I may skip the BA and helmet, usually I'll wear them though as you never know and also canals are busy and you never know who's walking by and being an Instructor it's generally handy to keep a professional image, in all honesty though unless your arsing about it's unlikely you'll take a spill on't canal in a canoe.

Spose it's horses for courses.

I'm more likely to fall off the edge of the pavement and hit my head on the kerb, than fall out of my kayak on a canal - perhaps I need a helmet for walking around town?

Do you ever fall in or capsize?

Yes > wear a helmet
No > don't bother

Racing boats are different though you can jump out of them before they turn over. You wouldn't wear a helmet in a rowing boar would you. I have covered hundreds of miles on canals with no head injuries and I know people who've covered hundreds more with no problems either.

gwaelod - Member

everytime someone starts a canoe helmet thread a baby porpoise dies

Liar they wear helmets so ner

[img] [/img]

That's a risk averse dolphin not a porpoise!!

FFS