Painting Stock Outboard helmets

[mercguy]

Its mostly Orange, just a few different shades.

that's too cool Lee! With the current "ideas" unfortunately your helmet would NOT be legal..............

don't think mine would be either (notice the slight smoke flames in the top half).......

BT, they are legal in capsule boats!!!

BTW............Blowsion rocks!

[Silas_53A]

I had a white KBC VR1 helmet that I was going to paint. But it needed a new shield. So I went online to look. $30 for new shield or $50 for Brand New solid YELLOW KBC VR1 helmet? Well needless to say I bought a new helmet. And its DOT/Snell apr. Greatest thing is I KNEW it would fit being the same model&size as the white one I have.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-K...Q5fMerchandise

[T Chance]

Sorry ,I was going to paint the boat red and white and the helmet in a legal stock outboard color. My technical question is does the helmet need to have a dot and snell rating to be legal. Is just a dot rating legal.??

Does not have to be DOT AND Snell. From the 2009 Rule Book page xxiii: Helmets must meet the specifications set forth by any (emphasis mine) of the following: Department of Transportation, American National Standards Institute, Inc., Snell, . . . and the list continues.

About color, I have written these words before:

If a huge wreck happens in front of me and suddenly there is a kaleidoscope of color floating in the water I don't want to have to do multiple choice as to what are pieces of boat, what are pieces of buoy, and what are drivers.

Therefore I think only ORANGE should be allowed as a helmet or driving gear color. And orange should not be allowed anywhere else.

[David_L6]

If a huge wreck happens in front of me and suddenly there is a kaleidoscope of color floating in the water I don't want to have to do multiple choice as to what are pieces of boat, what are pieces of buoy, and what are drivers.

Therefore I think only ORANGE should be allowed as a helmet or driving gear color. And orange should not be allowed anywhere else.

Tim,

I agree with you 100% on this.

[Kev43V]

speaking of painting helmets. About 20 some years ago I came home from work to find our daughter had painted my motorcycle helmet. you can imagine the job that a seven or eight year old had done. Fortunately I had a several seconds to put my "face on" before she saw my face. Scribbled on the helmet was " #1 DAD" on both sides and real big in the back, in day glow kids acrylic paint with runs and all. then I had to decide if I would continue to wear it like it was or clean it off.... I left it on.
several years ago she was home. We were looking for some of her stuff in the basement, for her to take home to her and her hubbys house. We came across that helmet. she picked it up and said "what the ...." . then it was oh god I can't believe you still wore it after I did that! I can't believe you didn't get mad at me. I laughed and said what makes you think I was not mad? But it was so sweet I just wore it anyway.

[jtower3941]

http://www.smf.org/articles/dot.html
Here is a web site that will explain Dot/Snell

[G Stillwill]

I had a KBC-VR1 which cracked when I got pitched out of my BSH. The water pressure pulled the shield off and and the water coming in the face opening cracked both corners. Never did hit anything solid with it just the water. As it didnt have a mark on it I call KBC and they said send it back so they could see it. When they got it they called and said order any helmet they sell free of charge so the one I ordered isnt leagle but thought it was cool with girls in Bikinis on it But I wear a Shoie now and wouldnt wear any other.

[sponsonhead]

http://www.smf.org/articles/dot.html
Here is a web site that will explain Dot/Snell

Good stuff here.

The most imnportant thing to think about is this excerpt:

"DOT certification is done on the honor system. The helmet's manufacturer determines whether his helmets satisfy DOT and then claims the qualification for himself. There is not even a reporting requirement. The government does contract for some spot check testing at commercial and private labs but not very much. In recent years much of their effort has been spent against so-called beanie helmets that are obviously substandard and are worn only by helmet law protesters. "

Personally, I wouldn't race in a DOT-only approved helmet, but that's just me. Snell's testing is the best stuff out there for assuring you are getting a high-quality helmet.

R-19

[PAUL PRICE]

HOUSE OF KOLOR , You Pay For What You Get....

[jeff55v]

Helmets...

I'll throw my two cents in again.
I'd rather put a cheap paint job on a good helmet, than a good paint job on a cheap helmet.

'Coarse if you can afford to do both... go for it.

[Silas_53A]

My dad made it through his motorcycle accident with his KBC VR1 so I figured it was battle proven. He got his new Yellow VR1 a couple months ago. Mine seems fine after swimming twice (the shield was broken, but thats because I dropped it).

**ADD** Also, the VR1 might be $40 on ebay, but when my dad bought his new a few years ago he paid like $190...

[sam]

I agree with Patrick

[Skoontz]

Anyone know the difference and what brougth us from Z-90 ratings of helmets, to Snell where we are now? Dad would never buy a helmet that was not Z-90 rated, so, what was the difference?

[Kev43V]

the only referances I have found are that it is a bicycle helmet rating. the z-90 is better than the old z-90.4 rating

[Skoontz]

I used to have a Bell Star model 120. It was Z-90 rated and an early version full face. I never had to test it, but it did seem as hard as my head, so, I guess it would have worked pretty well.

That's weird how the Z ratings have morphed over to the bicycle crowd.