Project Surf Helmet

Olaian Surf Helmet

Pros	Cons
Surfer look	Slides back due to bucket effect
PU Foam	No sun protection
Light, minimal, comfortable
Deflects water from eyes

Recommendation: While the new Olaian Surf Helmet by Decathlon looks good and provides adequate protection, Decathlon has made a couple of design choices that prevent it from performing exceptionally. However, despite its faults, it is a good option.

Only available directly from Decathlon.

Review

Protection

The shell is made of a combination of 80.0% Foamed Thermoplastic Polyurethane (a PU foam which offers a higher rebound capacity than EVA - about 2x as much) and 20.0% Polyamide (otherwise known as nylon). Essentially, the Foamed Thermoplastic Polyurethane is what we’re concerned with here as it is the material that provides the protection. You can read more about how visco plastics like PU can be used to deflect impacts in this paper.

The helmet’s closest counterpart to a flag football helmet that has been extensively reviewed by the VT Helmet Ratings, would be the Xenith Loop. The headband’s pads are also made from a PU foam, and the headband achieved a 5-star rating.

Therefore, compared to the other options for surf helmets on the market, we’re probably talking about pretty decent protection with this one.

Performance

The Olaian Surf Helmet by Decathlon is so close to being an excellent performer. It’s comfortable to wear, has a good look, low profile, and a well thought out back strap mechanism to help it stay put.

Furthermore, it creates a bit of a suction cup on your head due to the sort of stretchy bowl-with-no-holes liner. Something that also helps deflect water from your eyes.

Unfortunately, though, that lack of holes in the liner doesn’t allow the water that does get in - despite the suction cup - to escape, causing the bucket effect when your duck diving or getting rinsed.

The other bizarre design choice that was made is the thin brim. It is simply not large enough to provide any meaningful sun protection - in fact I’ve even been getting burned above my eyebrows wearing this helmet - making it somewhat pointless. And considering the brim is part of the liner, it could get caught during an impact, negating a little bit of the potential protection the helmet provides.

Conclusion

While the new Olaian Surf Helmet by Decathlon looks good and provides adequate protection, Decathlon has made a couple of design choices that prevent it from performing exceptionally. However, despite its faults, it is a good option.

Ride Engine Barrier Soft Helmet

Pros	Cons
Fits like a glove	Thin layers of EVA
Very light	No side-of-head/ear protection
Sun protection

Recommendation: A kitesurfing impact hat that also works very well for surfing, the Ride Engine Barrier Soft Helmet is super comfortable, and protects you from the sun. Unfortunately, for impact protection, all it offers is two thin layers of dual-density EVA. The lack of good protection though can easily be remedied by adding your own liner (check my discreet page for ideas - I used the Gamebreaker Stealth Helmet Liner, and cut it to shape). However, after much use, the stretchy, strap mechanism gets worn out, and it no longer stays on while getting pounded. Perhaps try replacing it with a buckle based strap.

Available directly from Ride Engine or Check the price on Amazon.

Mystic Impact Cap

Pros	Cons
Thick EVA	Uncomfortable
Unique look	Heavy

Recommendation: A watersports impact cap that can be used for surfing, the Mystic Impact cap is close to being a good option. Unfortunately, it’s neither comfortable nor light due to its fairly rigid, high-density pieces of EVA. Fortunately, the EVA is thick; and thick, half inch EVA performs comparably to thin, quarter inch or less non-newtonian foams like D3O.

Available directly from Mystic

Gecko Head Gear Surf Helmet

Pros	Cons
Unique fit system	No forehead protection
Durable shell	No impact-mitigating liner
Bouyant	Heavy

Recommendation: Questionable protection for waves of any size with a truly unique air bag-style fit system, the Gecko Head Gear Surf Helmet is an interesting, but heavy option.

Only available directly from Gecko Head Gear

Review

Protection

The protection the Gecko Head Gear Surf Helmet offers is questionable. Despite it’s fairly thick carbon fiber shell, which would certainly transfer some impact force to kinetic energy through vibrations and heat, minimizing some head trauma, the helmet has no liner.

If you think a shell is going to protect you, did you know that EPS is actually a liner? Yet the skiing and biking industries moved away from helmets made up of both hard shells and EPS to in-mold EPS. This is because the protection you receive from a helmet comes from the liner - the thing that actually transfers impact force to other forms of energy (think of car crumble zones) and decelerates the acceleration your brain is experiencing in the event of a concussion - concussions are brain acceleration-deceleration and rotational injuries - effectively slowing down the time it takes from the impact to your brain hitting your skull. Therefore, the Gecko is going to help you prevent a skull crack, but most likely do very little to mitigate the effects of a concussion. Ironically, I’ve had a friend experience a skull crack with a very minor concussion, and his recovery was relatively easy compared to mine.

Performance

Just ok. Although it appears to be designed for surfing, it moves around quite a lot due to its unique air bag fit system that you literally blow up with your own breath. But because your own breath can only offer a certain pressure, the helmet still moves on your head while getting worked under water or with super minor impacts (like if a small lip hits you in the head). Furthermore, the airbag, itself, isn’t all that well-designed either. Since it blows up just as thick on the top as on the sides, the more air you put in the bag, the more it pushes the helmet off your head.

On the good side, it does truly help your head float. So if you get knocked out cold, perhaps it will help save your life if you have something else to keep you on the surface with your face up.

Simba Surf Sentinel 1 Helmet

Pros	Cons
Well-designed for surfing	Water drips in eyes
Excellent coverage	Difficult to achieve ideal fit
Light	Thin EVA liner

Recommendation: Some protection with great coverage for big, heavy, fun waves, inspired by tortoises and the helmets of the ancient Greeks and Romans, insanely light for it’s thick shell, designed to help your head deflect and penetrate water… this is the first modern surf helmet that makes me wonder what the future could hold. It looks like Magneto’s helmet, but you’ll discover there’s a good reason for that on your first paddle out.

Available directly from Simba Surf or Amazon

Review

Protection

Although the Simba Surf Sentinel 1 helmet looks like it’s going to protect you well from head traumas like concucussions, unfortunately the protection it offers is questionable. Despite it’s fairly thick plastic shell, which would certainly transfer some impact force to kinetic energy through vibrations and heat, minimizing some head trauma, the helmet sports a super minimal, EVA liner. The liner is an even thinner layer of EVA than the Gath Surf Convertible, and therefore likely less protective than the Gath. To learn more about the protective qualities of EVA, and how those qualities are severely compromised as you lower the thickness, please see how a quarter inch (6.25mm) of EVA as measured by independent parties will absorb very little impact. Unfortunately, the Simba surf helmet liner measures at less than half of a quarter inch!

If you think a shell is going to protect you, did you know that EPS is actually a liner? Yet the skiing and biking industries moved away from helmets made up of both hard shells and EPS to in-mold EPS. This is because the protection you receive from a helmet comes from the liner - the thing that actually transfers impact force to other forms of energy (think of car crumble zones) and decelerates the acceleration your brain is experiencing in the event of a concussion - concussions are brain acceleration-deceleration and rotational injuries - effectively slowing down the time it takes from the impact to your brain hitting your skull. Therefore, the Simba is going to help you prevent a skull crack, but most likely do very little to mitigate the effects of a concussion. Ironically, I’ve had a friend experience a skull crack with a very minor concussion, and his recovery was relatively easy compared to mine.

That being said, if you’re looking for a helmet with the most coverage, this is your best option, and your only option that offers any coverage of the face. Furthermore, if you choose this helmet, make sure to add your own, more protective, layer underneath the helmet or check out my discreet page for ideas. And hopefully Simba updates the liner soon.

Performance

This is where the Simba Surf Sentinel 1 helmet really shines. It’s a well designed helmet for surfing, offering good peripheral vision, channels to drain water preventing the bucket effect, and a spine across the top to help your head penetrate the water; while, it also happens to be extremely light weight. I experienced no negative limitations duck diving, very little movement getting worked underwater, and actually would usually forget I was wearing it.

Just about my only complaint, in fact, is that the helmet only comes in three sizes, so if you’re in between sizes, it’s hard to achieve a decent fit. I don’t know if you saw Lakey Peterson fidgeting with her Simba at Pipe last year? That’s a good example of what will happen if it doesn’t quite fit you right. If you are near the top range of a size though, I bet you’ll be very happy with this helmet’s performance. If you are not, you’ll really have to finnagle the pads in between the contours of your head and liner or come up with your own creative solution for pads to get it to fit right (I would highly suggest constructing your own pads that also add some more impact protection).

Conclusion

The Simba Surf Sentinel 1 is a well-designed helmet made for surfing, but lacks the protective-liner necessary to make it on my top list. That being said, all Simba needs to do to make this an exceptional helmet, is update the liner and offer some in-between sizes. I should also mention it works great over wetsuit hoods.

DMC Soft Surf Helmet

Pros	Cons
Designed for surfing	Water drips in eyes
Extremely light	Loose fitting
Neck sun protection	Awkward, lace-up back

Recommendation: No different from the new V2 version, the DMC Soft Surf Helmet offers low to moderate protection for any size wave. Decent coverage, despite the gaps, and neck sun protection too. Insanely light, but it’s so light it’s hard to achieve a decent fit. Because of this it’s impossible to avoid water dripping in your eyes. However, it works well over wetsuit hoods.

Available directly from DMC Fins or check the SBR sports price or Amazon.

Review

Protection

The DMC Soft Surf Helmet is made from Vinyl Nitrile. A fairly popular material used in helmet liners in a wide range of sports, including soft shell skiing and snowboard helmets. VN is unique in that it is a closed cell foam that comes in varying densities which offer different impact absorbing qualities. All characteristics that are quite useful in surf helmet construction. VN won’t take on any water, and the varying densities can be used in conjunction with each other to control varying degrees of impact energy - from low density for minor impacts (which can also double as a comfort liner) to high density for more G force.

Oddly, the DMC doesn’t appear to take advantage of these unique-to-VN material characteristics. As far as I can tell, the DMC is made from a one, very thin medium density layer. Good enough for bumps, but most likely not something that will suffice for high speed impacts. For that, you will probably need 2-3 layers of different densities. Plenty of room for improvement on a next iteration though.

Performance

The DMC Soft Surf Helmet is an overall excellent performer. It’s insanely light and minimal, and works well on your bare head or over wetsuit hoods, especially due to its ultra-low profile.

There are only about 2 things that could be better in terms of performance. The first is that it’s sort of hard to achieve an ideal fit and avoid water dripping in your eyes due to the fact that it’s so feather-light and has an awkward, rugby-style, lace-up back. Perhaps just increase the protection to kill two birds with one stone, making it more protective and a littler heavier so it feels more snug. Second, as already mentioned, the back mechanism to tighten the helmet is a classic, rugby-style, lace up back. For one, it’s hard to make it fit super snug because how would you tie something tight when the laces are on the back of your head? You can’t have someone do it for you every session, and it’s a surf helmet, so it should be tight enough that you would need to untie it to take it off. Perhaps implement a stretchy, elastic mechanism instead so you can easily achieve a snug fit.

Conclusion

The DMC Soft Surf Helmet is a well-designed helmet made for surfing, but doesn’t necessarily fit the bill in terms of protection and fit. However, I was able to easily remedy these issues by adding my own liner. Check out my discreet page for ideas - I used the Gamebreaker Stealth Helmet Liner and cut it to shape.

Olaian Soft Surf Helmet

Pros	Cons
Moderate impact, sun protection	Slides back duck diving waves over 3-4 ft.
Surfer-friendly look & cost
Very light, minimal
Deflects water from eyes

Recommendation: A great buy for some protection in small waves. It’s become my go-to surf helmet in So-Cal, but it would work well for any destination not requiring a wetsuit hood. Unfortunately, this helmet is no longer available. Please see its replacement.

Only available directly from Decathlon.

Review

The Olaian Soft Surf Helmet by Decathlon is an amazing improvement on a surf hat, and a solid first attempt at a surf helmet.

Reaction

The first thing I noticed is that this thing is just made for surfing. It looks and feels like a hat that could complement a surfer’s style. It has a medium-sized brim that’s small enough to not be a hindrance when duck diving in small waves, but large enough to provide some protection from the sun. It has an elastic, stretchy mechanism to wrap around the under-side of the back of a surfer’s head, helping it stay in place, even while duck diving. And it costs no more than a hat, making it something that shouldn’t hurt any surfer’s wallet.

The elastic, stretchy mechanism that wraps around the under-side of the back of your head.

One thing I didn’t realize before I had it in my hands, however, is that the main foam material is not completely flexible. As a result, it’s not quite as comfortable as other soft shell headgear (like Gamebreaker’s for example), but still moreso than hard shell helmets.

Protection

The main foams’ impact-absorbing capacity comes from a combination of 60% Polyvinyl chloride and 40% Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene — basically a Vinyl Nitrile liner somewhat similar (albeit thinner) to Giro’s soft shell Combyn snowboarding helmet.

This helmet’s ability to absorb impacts as it relates to concussions isn’t totally clear since no independent body has tested it. Although it might help reduce the feeling of small impacts, don’t expect it to protect you from the effects of concussions. Instead, expect it to protect you from scalp wounds, which is something European Directive 89/686 EEC stipulates for light headgear. It’s therefore certainly helpful when most surfing related head injuries involve impacts with your own board or someone else’s. But this is no ground-breaking surf helmet in terms of protection from rotational force or the symptoms a surfer will experience post-concussion.

Performance

It’s only good in small surf. Even though the brim does fold upwards, when worn down, the brim is still rigid enough to get “caught” by the force of the wave while duck diving in anything larger than 3-4 ft. surf. The brim’s rigidity also makes it possible for something to impact it (and therefore your head) at the perfect angle, which would surely cause the impact to be a little worse, or at least cause whiplash.

However, the brim was ideal in terms of deflecting water after duck dives. After testing this helmet for a few days, the water dripping in my eyes even after the first submersion while wearing the Gamebreaker-Pro was immediately noticeable and annoying.

What could be improved

The next model could use a brim made out of softer material, like lightly reinforced neoprene, which would improve the helmet’s ability to stay on while duck diving in larger surf without compromising on the water-deflecting feature. Also, a thin layer of EVA or similar foam between your head and the main foam would be great just to add a little comfort. Or better yet, since a thin layer of EVA will add no additional impact protection, a layer of soft, non-newtonian foam that would contribute to its ability to absorb impact could be used instead. Furthermore, the same material could be used in the fabric that covers your ears and wraps around your chin for more coverage.

Conclusion

All said, this is a great little product. It only costs $25. No excuses if you’re avoiding wearing a surf helmet because of cost at this point. Grab this sucker to add some moderate protection in small waves, especially in crowded lineups. No reason not to. You’ll be getting a brim that not only protects you from the sun, but also deflects water from your eyes after duck dives, foams that offer minimal protection from minor impacts and definite protection from scalp wounds, and a hat that, for the most part, stays on in small surf unlike many other brimmed, surf hats out there. No complaints. It’s now my go-to surf helmet in small waves.

One more thing: If you do order it, don’t worry about the circular shape when it arrives. The material is soft enough for oval-shaped heads like my own.

Gamebreaker-PRO with D3O

Pros	Cons
Light, minimal	Water drips in eyes
Stays on your head	Takes on a tad bit of water
5-star protection according to Virginia Tech’s Helmet Lab

Recommendation: Good performance and protection. My top recommendation currently on the market. It also happens to work well over a wetsuit hood.

Order directly from Gamebreaker or Check the price on Amazon.

And Justine Dupont recently wore it at Mavericks.

Review

The Gamebreaker-Pro Soft Shell powered by D3O is about as close to a high-performance, effective surf helmet that you can get available today. It’s not made specifically for surfing (more for many different sports on-and-off the field), but it works, and it works, actually, quite well.

The helmet

I first noticed this soft shell headgear being worn playing water polo, which is how I had the idea of trying it out surfing.

The headgear has two different kinds of impact-absorbing foams. One of which is the notable, D3O — one of those smart molecule foams that’s soft to the touch and hard on impact (much like Armourgel, these materials are also referred to as non-Newtonian materials). The other is Gamebreaker’s own mix of custom SAF and EVA foam. Both the D3O and custom foam work together to provide an extremely high level of protection for soft shell headgear. High enough, thatis, to be rated 5 stars by the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab, an independent research body.

Reaction

This headgear has become my go-to, fun-size to double overhead surf helmet.

Protection

Let’s talk about its ability to absorb impact first. I haven’t yet-partnered with a helmet lab to compare the true effectiveness of the helmets on this site, but you’re reading the words of someone who has actually experienced a small impact while wearing this headgear. My board hit me in the head underwater in overhead surf. I’ve always been scared of these minor impacts ever since my recovery, but am I scared anymore? No. My reaction at the time was “huh, that felt funny,” and then smirking underwater, relieved that the impact was so reduced and happy that all my research had paid off.

The very-light impact I experienced was probably due, mostly, to the layer of D3O within the headgear. Read more about D3O’s ability to absorb impact in this research paper. And watch this video, showcasing this new material technology:

D3O is the orange foam you can see near the headgear’s ear holes.

Performance

Not only does it absorb impact well, it doesn’t disappoint in surfing performance either. In fact, the Gamebreaker-Pro with D3O is in a league of its own at the moment. Its lightness and soft-to-touch, minimalist character and stretching mechanism in the back make it truly unique.

In my experience, it fits snugly and hasn’t moved underwater while getting washed around under set waves, it doesn’t pull my head backward while duck diving like some of the higher volume hard cap style helmets do, and I haven’t experienced any whiplash from the common, sort-of, high-speed, slamming-into-surface, face-plants that every surfer experiences day-to-day. The sorts of crashes that usually result in neck and muscular stress while wearing hard hat style helmets or, sometimes, helmetless. This headgear’s profile is particularly low, so that stress is comparable to riding helmetless.

It’s not perfect though. It does take on a little bit of water noticeable when you get out while it also allows water to drip into your eyes after coming up from duck dives. To remedy these issues, it could use a new interior mesh that doesn’t absorb water and a visor made out of wetsuit material.

Conclusion

The Gamebreaker-Pro Soft Shell powered by D3O is my top recommendation for your go-to surf helmet. With it, you’ll have the highest level of safety, but take the smallest hit to the surfing experience. Only in the case of longboarding or paddleboarding in small waves would I consider anything else.

If you decide to purchase the headgear, order the two sizes closest to your size so you can achieve a truly snug fit. Keep in mind that “snug” for surfing is not the same as “snug” for 7v7 football, soccer, or water polo — the sports that this headgear was designed for (and the fit that the sizing guide refers to). You’ll want the headgear to fit where the back-piece is stretching just a tiny bit. Where it feels like a tight sock on your head, but obviously not so tight that you’ll get a headache. This picture represents the stretchable back-piece that I’m talking about (the back-piece is also padded with D3O, a nice improvement on other rugby-style headgear, which are laced in the back).

When purchasing, order directly from Gamebreaker to ensure that you’ll receive the latest and greatest version of the headgear. The newest versions have the thickest layer of D3O, and are therefore the most effective. The newest versions are also the ones that received the 5 star rating from the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab - the Gamebreaker Pro 2018 (After 3/18).

If you must order from Amazon, make sure to write a note, asking for the newest version.

Gath Surf Convertible

Pros	Cons
Made for surfing	Thin layer of EVA = minimal protection
Stays on your head with ear covers	Even less protection in multiple impacts
Low friction, ABS shell	Experienced bucket effect without ear covers

Recommendation: Wouldn’t recommend it. If you can’t achieve a better fit with anything else though, it does perform well. Therefore, it’s usable - just replace it often. For a little bit better protection due to its thicker layer of foam try the{” “} Gath Gedi .

Order directly from Gath or Check the price on Amazon.

Review

Safety-wise: not great. Surf performance-wise: one of the best available — if that means anything. Ask yourself, does that really mean anything? You’re wearing a helmet. You want safety. You’re not wearing a helmet because it looks good or because it’s more comfortable than not wearing one. Or because it makes you feel impenetrable.

To really explain what this helmet lacks, safety-wise, I would have to include a little video. You would see how it’s a flimsy piece of plastic that stretches and moves. Does that sound like something that’s going to absorb impact? Because between that flimsy piece of plastic (a very thin layer of ABS - the same material most helmet companies use for outer shells) and your head is about a quarter inch of what they refer to as a molded, closed-cell foam liner. Otherwise known as EVA.

EVA is nothing special. It’s been around for a long time. I’m sure there was a good reason for helmet companies to use it in their liners, but in this helmet, there’s simply not enough of it to provide any meaningful protection. A quarter inch (6.25mm) as measured by independent parties will absorb very little impact. Meanwhile, it will offer little to no protection when it comes to multiple impacts. As the foam crumbles and deforms after the first impact. Check out the wear and tear on my Gath Surf Convertible, which I’ve experienced some low energy impacts in.

The cell walls inside EVA can burst during and after impact, making subsequent impacts even less protective than the first one.

You’re a skeptic. You’re reading my words thinking that I just had a concussion, am stressed out and critical of the only company that has made a surfing-specific helmet for more than a decade. You have every right to be. You’ve never heard of me or my surf helmet testing obsession. For you, the skeptic, I have in fact included the video of this helmet, designed and created more than a decade ago. See for yourself:

Now, where this helmet lacks in safety, it makes up for in surfing performance…

Just kidding. I don’t actually mean that…because again…you’re wearing a helmet. You’re looking for some added level of safety over not wearing one at all. It’s the catch-22 of the surfing-helmet world. In any case, if you do choose this helmet, there are some nice qualities to it that have to do with surfing specifically. That is — its ability to stay on your head under water.

The good: it’s a hard hat helmet that actually stays on your head

It stays on better than any other hard hat helmet while you’re getting worked under water. You also don’t experience the bucket effect like you do in the other hard hat helmets I’ve tested like the Bern H20. (Don’t wear those helmets. They’ll give you whiplash or worse). Nice, considering the ABS, low-friction shell may help your head “slide” across reefs if you’re getting dragged (In terms of impact protection though, the theory that a hard shell “spreads” impact is dubious at best. For one, this is a flimsy piece of ABS, and two, keep in mind that any, in-mold, EPS bike or ski/snowboard helmet does not have a hard shell, yet, they all pass testing procedures and certification).

It’s able to stay on your head because of its unique hybrid, hard hat/soft-shell design. The forehead piece is sort of this tightened, soft, and stretchable piece of EVA that helps keep the helmet fastened to your head.

It also causes a unique shape in the hard hat portion of the helmet.

The funny thing about the Gath Surf Convertible performance-wise is that there is a striking difference between having the ear covers on and having them off. Having them on gave the helmet extraordinary powers to stay on my head. It didn’t move at all while getting worked under 8 foot sets. Having the covers off? No such thing. I was feeling the helmet move all the time. And it would constantly move backwards when coming up from duck dives. I would have to move my helmet back into position after each one. It appears the ear covers help to fasten the helmet to your head just as much, or more, than the soft, stretchable forehead piece even if the helmet fits tightly - like mine does.

The helmet’s ability to stay on your head is also aided by the fact that it’s ultra light. The company claims it’s the lightest hard hat helmet out there. Only 270–305g, depending on the size. That’s the weight without the ear covers though. The ear covers add another 60g, so in actuality we’re talking about a similar weight to any in-mold EPS bike helmet. A weight that’s not much lighter than the NP Surf helmet.

Conclusion

When finding the right helmet for you, especially when it’s a hard hat helmet, fit is obviously important. The Gath fits heads that are oblong. Interestingly, that is my head shape, and it was my go-to helmet in big surf until I had two successive concussions. But I say, was, because it was, until I got obsessed with helmets and started buying a bunch of them to inspect their technologies (surfing helmets, bike helmets, ski and snowboard helmets, etc.). Through these inspections I’ve come to realize that the Gath Surf Convertible is an expensive, outdated product designed to stay on your head and be durable… And it does a good job at that. But it simply no longer competes in terms of offering a meaningful level of protection.

A lot of people would probably say that, well, surf helmets should really just save your life when you smack your head on a reef and prevent the knock out that would lead to a drowning. I was in the same camp. And that is why I used to wear this helmet. But after checking out some other possibilities and researching various different foam technologies, I am no longer in this camp and I will no longer trust the Gath Surf convertible when it comes to impact protection — even when it comes to believing that it may prevent the situation described above. After reading this, seeing the pictures I’ve included, and the video, and comparing it to the other surf helmet possibilities out there, will you?

Fun fact: this helmet was designed and created in the late 80’s. It hasn’t changed since.

To end on a positive note though, if Gath updated their foam technology, or simply used a new, non-Newtonian foam, like D3O or CELL FLEX IMPAX, I would probably be back in this camp. The thing to keep in mind though is that the thickness of the foams and the technologies themselves are not the only things that contribute to impact mitigation. Force is also distributed horizontally, so considering Gath’s helmet liner is made up of a bunch of small pieces of EVA (which is also something that contributes to this helmet’s ineffectiveness btw), the company would need to completely rethink the liner in order to provide truly good impact protection.

Order directly from Gath or Check the price on Amazon.

NP Surf

Pros	Cons
Good protection	Mediocre surf performance
Lightweight for a hard hat helmet	Experienced bucket effect, whiplash
	Water drips in eyes

Recommendation: Would recommend it for small waves only. Especially for paddleboarding/longboarding. Just don’t use it in overhead surf.

Order directly from NP Surf or Check the price on Amazon.

Review

The NP Surf helmet was my go-to surf helmet for small to medium waves before I did this ad-hoc deep investigation into all things surf helmet. Since then, it’s primarily been sitting in my garage.

The NP Surf helmet has a hard ABS outer shell and a plush interior layer of water-tight EVA foam, making it both comfortable and protective — probably one of the more protective surf helmets out there — but that’s not saying much. As I mentioned in the Gath Surf Convertible Analysis, EVA foam doesn’t absorb impact very well. The helmet has a little more than a half inch of it though, so it will absorb considerably more force than helmets using a quarter inch of EVA. Therefore, if the helmet was really tested in a lab, it probably would perform well against its peers. But while it beats some of the competition in safety, it doesn’t perform too well in the high-performance category.

Experience surfing

As a hard-cap helmet, it sticks off your head a little more than you would like: about an inch. That’s more than the Gath, but less than the Ace Water and about equal to the Bern H2O.

That thickness is not great when you’re looking for a helmet that prevents the bucket effect experience. Ideally, you’ll want one that displaces less water on impact than conventional bike or skate helmets would.

Such a large helmet could result in unwanted whiplash, neck, or muscular injury, which is why I didn’t use this helmet in larger waves unless it was my only option. Unfortunately, one day, that’s exactly what it was. I had one — high-speed impact. A faceplant type-of crash, in this helmet. But only with the water. What would normally have been essentially nothing was heightened by the larger-than-probably-necessary, hard-cap style of this helmet. When it impacted the water, it displaced more water than my head otherwise would have, which meant I experienced more force on my neck, head, and surrounding muscular tissue than I would have with say the Gath Surf Convertible or Gamebreaker Pro with D3O.

It felt like a bad case of whiplash. And the weight of it didn’t help. While it’s not heavy, it’s not super light either. The bucket hitting the water and the weight, just shy of 400g for a large, didn’t feel very good. So before you consider this as your all around surf helmet, please take this fact into account. Although the helmet is going to protect your brain a considerable amount from this type of low-speed impact, your neck is going to feel it, as mine did.

Conclusion

Despite it’s not-perfect design for surfing, I would still recommend this helmet for small waves, wave pools, and surfing with large boards, especially paddle boards. It’s probably one of the most protective helmets out there for impacts with your board or someone else’s — the most common cause of surfing-related concussions. Therefore, it’s probably a good option if you plan on visiting a crowded line-up or wave pool. Just don’t use it in overhead surf. Your neck will thank you.

Order directly from NP Surf or Check the price on Amazon.

PRO-TEC Ace Wake

Pros	Cons
Probably very protective	Probably poor surfing performance

Recommendation: If you do try it, I would only do so while paddleboarding small to very small waves.

Order directly from Pro-Tec or Check the price on Amazon.

Review

Two layers of foam. One soft, closest to the head, to delay the brunt of an impact’s force. The other a thick layer of impact-absorbing EVA foam against the hard shell of the helmet to absorb part of the impact before it reaches the softer foam. It sounds great —almost too good to be true.

Unfortunately, I haven’t tried it. It fits more of a circular head as opposed to oblong, like mine.. So I won’t say much more than the fact that I bet it is highly protective. Probably the best of all the hard-hat helmets I’ve tested since it has one hell of a thick layer of EVA foam. But its frame sticks out the furthest from your head (more than an inch), so you will experience the worst of the effects of displacing more water than your head otherwise would compared to the other helmets on this site. And the chances of the helmet pulling back on your head while duck diving (the bucket effect) are quite high. Also, it’s heavy for all the helmets out there capable of getting in the surf. 425g for a large. Sounds like a recipe for bad whiplash.

So when it comes to my recommendation, given that I haven’t tried it, detailed pictures will have to speak a thousand words here. If you do get it, I would only wear it for longboarding or paddleboarding in small waves, and make sure to get the version with the adjustable dial.

Order directly from Pro-Tec or Check the price on Amazon.

Bern H2O with Brock Foam

Pros	Cons
Probably decent protection	Takes on water
	Doesn't stay on

Recommendation: If you do try it, I would only do so while paddleboarding small to very small waves.

Order directly from Bern or Check the price on Amazon.

Review

Man, this helmet was promising! When I first discovered it, I thought, “amazing, this helmet has a soft, innovative foam layer that can absorb low-speed linear and rotational impacts, and an outer shell, to prevent abrasion and the consequences of your head coming into contact with your board, fin, or a reef.”

That excitement continued when it came in the mail. Although it seemed on the heavy side when I first held it in my hands — but not too heavy to tarnish my excitement — it fit tightly front to back, and snugly on the sides. Perfect, I thought. It will stay on when duck diving, and shouldn’t be annoyingly heavy while paddling around.

What happened?

Well, after trying it, none of this proved to be true apart from it probably offering some of the better protection out there from low speed impacts (as that’s what the Brock foam is specifically designed for).

This helmet just would not stay on my head. Duck diving even rudimentary waves, I would experience the bucket effect and the helmet would partially come off. On one such occasion, it essentially completely came off and was on the back of my head coming into contact with my neck. Something I didn’t think was possible as I had the strap fastened tightly, and the helmet fitting snugly. Extremely frustrating!

If the bucket effect wouldn’t cause you to never want to use the helmet again, just wait until you start recognizing that that Bern H2O on your head is starting to get heavier! Yeah you heard that right: heavier. And it didn’t start out light either. 460g in an extra large. Why? It seems that the Brock foam takes on water. And if it doesn’t absorb it, it must be getting into the cracks and crevices, and not escaping until it dries fully hours after a surfing session. When I got out of the water, the helmet weighed damn-near a couple pounds.

The fact that the helmet gets heavier as it takes on water is a problem because in all the little falls you take surfing, the weight will contribute to the whiplash effect. Luckily, I avoided the whiplash. I didn’t surf it for long.

The outer ABS shell of the helmet also doesn’t have enough holes to really drain water effectively, considering it is essentially the same classic Bern hard hat design as almost all of the company’s helmets, further contributing to the bucket effect while duck diving.

Unfortunately, the Bern H2O helmet, even though rated for water use, just doesn’t work for surfing as-is. All in all, it’s promising, but a disappointment.

What could be improved if Bern became interested in creating a surf helmet

Bern could seal the Brock foam, provide a fit dial to fasten the helmet effectively, and provide more holes for drainage at a minimum. If it did that, I could see this being a decent small wave helmet. If Bern wanted to pursue the idea of a surf helmet further, it could replace the outer ABS shell with a thin layer of in-mold EPP or EPS to provide a little more protection from high level impacts like you would experience getting slammed into a reef. A thin, outer layer of EPP or EPS combined with some sealed, water-tight Brock foam closest to the head with lots of holes for drainage would probably make for a decent all around surf helmet.

Order directly from Bern or Check the price on Amazon.