Q: Which is the best skydiving helmet in your range?
Skydivers and those taking part in similar airsports opt for the Gath RV helmet or Gath Gedi Helmet. The RV in particular is a popular choice because its unique head glove fit is ideal for the extreme wind/air pressures that you experience with these kind of activities.
Q: How do I decide which skydiving helmet is best for me?
Your skydiving helmet has two purposes: first, it is there to protect your head from the elements, and second, it is there to protect you from minor bumps such as catching the door frame when exiting the plane, small bumps during freefall and sliding along the grass when you land. No skydiving helmet can protect you from a major high speed impact with the ground – hence they are not crash rated.
Both the Gedi and RV have all the features of a great skydiving helmet – a smooth snag free profile, comfortable inner lining, great visibility and the opportunity to set the helmet up exactly as you’d like it.
Both the RV and Gedi have a lot of possibilities for customisation – the Gedi perhaps has the edge (check out our range of Gath Helmet accessories!). You can switch up the full face or half face visor for a tint of your choice, and there’s also the option of adding a Gedi Peak with in-built GoPro mount. After all, when you’re hurtling towards the earth at 120mph, why wouldn’t you want to catch the footage?
Q: Should I get an open face or full face skydiving helmet?
While you’re learning to skydive, you’ll be wearing an open face skydiving helmet. The BPA recommends that a full-face helmet shouldn’t be permitted until you get your B licence and some drop zones apply even more stringent requirements. Why is that?
The full-face helmets have both benefits and challenges. They offer better protection from the elements but wearers can experience issues that require a little experience to tackle.
First, the lens can fog up, either because it’s chilly or very humid. The solution is quite simple – open the lens after deploying the canopy – but if you’re just learning, this can be a little bit too much to think about when you’ve already got so much to remember.
Second, the lenses need replacing now and then due to wear and tear. It’s an additional cost, although not a huge one.
Finally, some of the older full face skydiving helmets have a more limited field of vision compared with an open-face. However, this isn’t an issue with Gath helmets.
Most training programmes won’t allow you to wear a full face skydiving helmet until after graduation on the basis that you’ve got enough to think about without needing to troubleshoot an additional piece of equipment. However, consider that full face skydiving helmets do offer better chin and facial protection – they also offer better shielding. They are often the choice of teams who fly quickly and in close proximity to one another. So when you’re permitted to wear a full face skydiving helmet, it’s worth weighing up the pros and cons as it may be the best choice for you.
By contrast, some skydivers prefer to wear an open-face helmets. They offer maximum viability and they allow you to feel the wind your face, giving you the ‘full skydiving experience’. If the wearer is prone to claustrophobia, an open-face helmet may also make them feel more comfortable.
Open face skydiving helmets are a little easier to maintain and there are no issues with operation as all you have to do is put them on! However, they offer slightly less protection as you might expect.
Our range of Gath helmet accessories allows you to customise your helmet with a half-face or full-face visor in a tint of your choice.
Q: Are Gath helmets suitable for skydiving?
Gath does caution that there are many injury mechanisms and situations in which a Gath helmet will not offer the level of impact protection required by skydivers. However, Gath reports that many Skydivers love their product and appreciate the close-fitting, lightweight and snug properties of the Gath Retractable Visor. Whilst these may not sufficiently protect them in some skydiving accident circumstances, they are still popular with freefalling skydivers thanks to the other safety benefits that these helmets offer. Gath helmets are lightweight and provide the wearer with warmth, protection from the wind and excellent peripheral vision. They also offer protection from common impacts such as knocks that occur during aircraft departure and freefall landing. We recommend that you speak to your skydiving instructor if you are in any doubt as to whether a Gath helmet is suitable for your needs.
