Helmet for a lay-down hydro

[J.T24w]

I would look into simpson racing, one of there helmets are designed for nhra pro stock drag bikes. It is lighter, all the safety, but the back is cut a little higher for when they are laying on the tank they can stay low but still have good field of view. On a plus note u can order them boat racer orange (safety orange as they call it).

[B1PRORACER]

These are all good comments. They are what I was hoping to get! Helmets are too expensive to buy something that your not happy with.....!

[Hunter]

....I will not run without the neck dam/collar, having set an altitude record for FEH during a blow-over. I figure it may have saved me a broken neck.As it as was,my neck muscles were sore for about a month. I have never experienced a problem with vision.The collar seems to help,actually. The down side of the collar is that it can prevent water from getting out of the helmet fast. Apparently my particular water landing was the sort that fills the helmet as I "partially" drowned. I did not know there was such a thing as partially drowning,but the hospital would not release me until I got over it ! Bottom line,try the neck collar...it is not expensive and does limit what can happen to your neck.
Hunter III

[blueskyracer]

....I will not run without the neck dam/collar, having set an altitude record for FEH during a blow-over. I figure it may have saved me a broken neck.As it as was,my neck muscles were sore for about a month. I have never experienced a problem with vision.The collar seems to help,actually. The down side of the collar is that it can prevent water from getting out of the helmet fast. Apparently my particular water landing was the sort that fills the helmet as I "partially" drowned. I did not know there was such a thing as partially drowning,but the hospital would not release me until I got over it ! Bottom line,try the neck collar...it is not expensive and does limit what can happen to your neck.
Hunter III

Then you must not have the added problem some of us have: Wearing glasses!! I put vision as a necessity. Two times this year I returned to the pits before the heat was over since my glasses had been knocked off by the helmet. It was disappointing but I am not a points chaser so I figured out a way to fix the problem buy moving the beaver tail since there is no way to put a strap around the head to hold on my glasses when the helmet goes on first.

Anyone else have a cure for keeping glasses on under a helmet.

[wbirdstrike]

A good solution for glasses under a helmet is military gas mask glasses. They are rubber rimmed with a rubber strap that goes around your head. Don't know where you would find them other than ordering them through an Army surplus store. Another option would be to wear contacts.

[Kevin Martin]

again

i posted this last year when mike asked the question, so ill try it again. the problem is easily solved, and inexpensively, by having some sort of strap on the back of the helmet and just adjusting it accordingly to your comfort, i ran mine fairly tight, and "never" had the helmet over the eyes issue i had prior and you all are having now. i experienced zero discomfort from doing it this way as well. "try it, you'll like it!!" kevin

[B1PRORACER]

I found out that I needed glasses when I found out that I was the only one who couldn't see the first turn from the starting line! I just couldn't race with glasses. They would fog up and bounce on my nose! It didn't seem like having lenses and metal in front of my eyes was a safe thing for my eyes in the event of a crash. I turned to contact lenses for racing. It figures that I am near sighted and the problem I had with contact lenses- I can't see very well up close to fix something up close! I had to go out and get reading glasses for when I wear my contacts. Wearing contacts while racing did the trick. Nothing happened to them when I crashed....
Hunter- I had a "tree top" blow-over at the Taunton race in 1993. My neck got wiplash, and it hurt for a while but I wasn't wearing a neck coller. It did destroy my lifejacket and helmet though!

[blueskyracer]

To old to go with contacts now plus I need tri-folcals. I also dont think it is safe to ratchet back my head and helmet with staps so I will keep working on the problem. The worst times for the problem is with the rough courses. We have one that is like ocean racing. I believe we had six wreaks this last year.

[hydroman6]

You should try a sports goggle, usually padded, with the "distance only" portion of your prescription. If you're not testing, the clock and bouys are the important things.