Rock climbing as well. Can’t say that I remember a single one being worn, but it’s rare to see people without one. The motorcycle crowd it’s more of a you can’t tell me what to do attitude more so than I don’t believe it will protect me. If I had to guess I would put the surfers closer to the biker mindset than the rock climber. I’m on my fourth helmet for my mountain biking career and still feel like I have CTE. Just a guess it would have been much worse without one.

I've never seen anyone in the line-up wearing a helmet on either the East or West Coast, but that's because the seafloor is usually soft sand or deep enough that a surfer wouldn't even touch bottom. Even at Mavericks where the surf can be huge, you just aren't seeing it (it's really deep there).

It does kinda make sense on the North Shore where the reef is sometimes just inches underneath the surface. I can't say whether or not someone would be heckled there, but I imagine whoever did wear one there would get some sideways looks.

I remember my father telling me there was an unwritten piece of medical advice doctor's shared. It suggested not wearing helmets while riding donor-cycles. He said it was better to be dead than a vegetable. I don't have the confidence to ride a motorcycle. And thanks to Steve's thread that's another thing I won't do in addition to sky diving.

I rocked up to some of the Bukit peninsula reef breaks in Bali wearing a helmet whilst bodyboarding. I felt like a douche but had just recovered from a concussion (no helmet snowboarding...) which took me around 1 year to come back from...

I think Tom Carroll wears one. Not particularly useful, maybe for protecting your eardrums? I wear one when wave-sailing, but that's only for GoPro filming.

Would have thought the case for rockclimbing helmets was pretty straightforward - it protects you against rocks being dislodged from the cliff, rather than the risk of falling on your head.

TC and others started wearing Gaths back in the 90s.. makes sense at places like Pipe where there's a good chance of getting your noggin bounced off a coral head.

To the OP's question about the reaction to somebody showing up wearing one, I've never seen anyone wearing one.

I have seen some beginners wear them in recent years. I can think of a few reasons why not to wear one. Water dripping into the eyes would be a concern.

It's not the same as a land based sport where the biggest danger is the impact with the ground. The potential benefit seems a lot smaller.

I personally have never worn a helmet surfing, but I mostly surf beach breaks. I think helmet use might be higher in areas with shallow reefs. If i was surfing a sharp shallow reef I would consider wearing one. I havent seen anyone with a helmet at my local beach, but if someone wants to wear one thats perfectly fine IMO. We are all there to surf and have fun.

Most surfers would say its not cool to wear a helmet. Because of that its probably going to be a long time before helmets are widely accepted. I'm not one of the cool kids so I think if someone wants to wear a helmet thats their choice, if it gives them more confidence and allows them to have more fun in the lineup its all good.

Similarly you almost never see street skateboarders with helmets outside of contests where they are required if you are under 18. But there are exceptions like Andy Anderson who always skate with a helmet. I doubt he get hassled over it these days since he is so good, but he probably got made fun of for it growing up.

I always wear a helmet snowboarding. I don't fall that much these days but I have hit my head in a fall before and its not the most pleasant experience.

THIS.
We had a couple new arrivals from ‘Fly over land’. First thing they wanted to do is learn how to surf.
I kid you not, each one of those 3 ended up with Stitches on their heads within a month or so.
Not from being thrown on rocks, but being hit in the head by their own board.

Ironic that this thread is going right now. Two surfers collided today at a beach in Ventura. One died and one's in the hospital (head injuries both).

Disclaimer that I'm not saying helmets would have prevented this.

I mostly see older people and a few young kids wearing helmets. Not a bad idea if you surf crowded areas or if your one of those surfers that like to get smacked in the brain bucket with your own board. Very few peeps wore helmets skiing, until Sonny Bono cracked is grape skiing, now it’s part of the kit.
Big wave riders have been using them for sometime.

That is some ignorant shit right there (the doctor that said it, not you). There are MANY accidents where a full face, properly certified helmet will not only safe your life, but prevent you from being dead or a veggie. Not to mention, not ever motorcycle accident is at high speed. I kinda enjoy my face in one piece and would rather not test it's ability to stay intact while possibly having it slide on the ground trying to help me stop ;).

Also, not everyone is riding like the squids in tshirts and jeans with no helmet doing wheelies on the freeway at 100mph.

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~Brad

Reminds me of the Seinfeld bit

"Why do they (skydivers) bother with the helmet…If you jump out of a plane 20,000 feet in the air and the chute doesn’t open, the helmet is now wearing you for protection… later on the helmet is talking to the other helmets saying ‘good thing he was there or I would have hit the ground directly’ ”

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

I have been windsurfing for 43 years. Except for a few high wind places like the Gorge helmets were not common until a few years ago. I got a helmet last year when I started windfoiling. It is comfortable and no issues with water in the eyes. I will be sticking with it.

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Andrew Inkpen

Windsurfing is different than surfing. You're not dunking your head underwater every 15 seconds.