Safety Equipment

[DougMc]

2008 Rules (effective 11-1-07) mandate that impact be required in ALL outboard category jackets (SO, MO, PRO and J).

Security Race Products has been including impact as standard equipment in ALL of its outboard racing jackets since February of this year. And, we can add impact to any manufacturer's lifejacket that does not currently have impact.

Email me or PM me for specific info on any of the SRP Product line.

Thanks,

R-19

Can I send you my Lifeline jacket if Lifeline refuses to correct the defect in my jacket for free? How much do you charge?

I am very concerned after reading Krisy's post above, going to my garage and looking at my jacket and finding that my jacket is defective exactly as she described.

Can you add a helmet restraint to my jacket too?

[Kristi Ellison]

Doug

I would call them first thing Monday. This was caught by Marshall Eldredge when he was chief inspector at the PRO Nationals 2 years ago. We discussed it a length at the National Meeting following the Nationals. In my professional opinion not having the extra protection to your sternum and abdominal organs increases your risk of injury to vital organs if you take a direct hit to your anterior torso.

[rbengines]

Security Life Jacket

I purchased a Security life jacket last year. Like David I have enough bulk in the front. I loaned it to a friend whom races Outboard Drag boats. He stuffed his boat at 100+ MPH which threw him into the small windshield shattering it into jagged pieces at his torso. Not a scatch on him. Had he not been wearing it with the flack I think it would have cut him in half. Security is the one for me. Patrick Gleason will definitely give you the best price.

[Kristi Ellison]

I would also personally recommend a pair of the kevlar socks. Not only are they comfortable under my water shoes but I understand there are a few guys out there who have had their kevlar pant leg zippers get caught on props or fins. If the zipper gets torn open the socks will give you extra protection.

[Bill Huson]

socks and gloves . . .

I would also personally recommend a pair of the kevlar socks. Not only are they comfortable under my water shoes but I understand there are a few guys out there who have had their kevlar pant leg zippers get caught on props or fins. If the zipper gets torn open the socks will give you extra protection.

Not sure how much protection Kevlar gloves offer, but me'n my son wore them. Glass gloves - used by window and auto glass installers. Kevlar mesh with little blue "traction" dots on them.

[Jack Stotts]

No, I'm not an inspector but am an APBA referee.

[STEVE FRENCH]

I was at Lock Haven in first boat to get to the young fell'a that took the foot cut in AXSH in second turn.....watched the whole spill.......(impressive spiral roll )....hessitated on red flag for about 5-10 seconds but then realized he was NOT put'n his hands over his head.........RED flag...........as Alan and I approched I noticed a notch in the RH combing........"MY foot is cut"......as he held it over the one sponson............one look at what was left of his sneeker would sell me forever on kevlar bootie's/socks........ Later found out it was a prop cut........

I had a blow over two years ago with my A-MOD 20H at Ocoee and sheered prop pin with my butt as I rolled out over the motor.......took 12 stiches with kevlar.....(ruined my "SPEEDO" model'n carreer ).......hate to think of results if the kevlar did not stop the wheel !......Prime-rib fillets anyone?

Would like to have flak added to my security jacket but already look'n for a zipper insert to give some room for my "Coor-Lite" gut.....Or would additional zipper be too much unprotected area?.....( guess it may fall under the $5 helmet for a $5 head logic?) ....can they rework the jacket for lost room with flak protection?.....It's already a "LARGE".

Should this go direct to manufactuer (Spell check!) or dealer?.......
Have bought through Carl Holt before and as much as he has helped patch'n my wood rigs....I feel I should continue with him.

Was doing some Lake-Race'n with a buddie a couple years ago at Canadohta Lake, Pa., with my A-RUDE against his just reworked BEST KG-7H....at around 52MPH the KG started to really turn on when it suddenly spit a rod cap into his ski-jacket......left a nasty welt !!!!!!! ........("Dang, I'm sure I torqued those rod bolts" )

19P

Jerry Davids might have thoughts on the helmet restraints....have noticed his keeps his helmet handy when not wear'n it...........Local go-kart track requires the neck collar for all racers......takes about 5 seconds to put on-off.....(Even though we were all wear'n t-shirts and some with shorts on...My kevlar was in the motor home watch'n me full-corner-slide the little alky burn'n kart with 20 some others in hot-pursuit........some... NEVER LEARN! )

#3 Dale E........ might still be race'n today?

[Kristi Ellison]

Helmet Restraints:

Pros: If worn correctly may prevent a head and neck injury.
They would do this by preventing your head from being tossed around on your cervicle spine when you are in a crash. They can prevent a snapping motion of your neck which can result in a neck injury. The brain can be injured from literally being thrown around inside your skull. You have to remember when you are going at a high rate of speed and suddenly stop, your organs keep moving until they hit something that causes them to stop, thus causing shearing and blunt force injury.
A lot of PRO drivers use neck restraints and those who have been in wrecks with them on will tell you they felt the tug when they went out of the boat.
Unfortunately we don't have a whole lot of research if any to support their use in boat racing.

Cons: If they are too thight they can also cause injury. This is the same theory that applies to sky scrapers and bridges. There has to to be some motion or they break.
In a laydown boat some drivers feel like the restraints restrict their ability to turn their head thus limiting visibility ( one of the arguments for radios).


The PRO Commission has this discussion every year with Bob Wartenger and there is not any data out there to give us good guidlines to pass on to the drivers in regards to boat racing and helmet restraints. We recommend them but we do not mandate them because of insufficient information. The car racing industry has a lot of research but it is not right to apply that to our situation.

If you choose to wear them then make sure they are not too loose or too tight. You should have some movement but not be able to move your head a whole lot. In a kneeldown you can move your whole body so it is less of an issue. In a laydown you have to work with it or put in some cool mirrors like Billy Allen has if visibility is an issue.

( Radio proponents....Please don't high jack this thread )

Hope that helps

[Jack Stotts]

In my CMH, I wear spectra pants and jacket, kevlar socks which I purchased at Grangers as sleeves and sewed one end closed to make tube socks for about $8.00, kevlar gloves with weight lifters fingerless gloves over the top to hold the kevlar in place, a neck collar which I really like from G-Force at Jeggs in Ohio (they come in S,M,and L), and ,of course, helmet and life jacket. The neck collar is a Medium (I wear a size 16 collar dress shirt).

I have found all this to be comfortable with nd no impact on visibility or movement. Feel very good with all this on!

[deldredg]

I have to disagree with Kristy about the neck restraints being worn to tight. The harness is not bolted to your body. When you hit the water the strap that goes around your chest can and will rise up. Your helmet will slide some on your head.(Not much if it fits correctly) There are too many weak links that will let your head move. The loose straps that you see most people wear are not going to prevent anything. Trust me I've tried it!! I dont think that you can get them too tight.

Ben F14

[Jack Stotts]

The thing that concerns me about the various neck restraint straps is the possibility that the strap catches on something as you leave the boat, that being the steering bar, throttle, or something else protuding from the boat or engine. Should the strap catch on something, many things can happen and I can not think of a single one that would be good. The strap catching on something would radically jerk the head resulting in untold neck injury.

[David_L6]

The thing that concerns me about the various neck restraint straps is the possibility that the strap catches on something as you leave the boat, that being the steering bar, throttle, or something else protuding from the boat or engine. Should the strap catch on something, many things can happen and I can not think of a single one that would be good. The strap catching on something would radically jerk the head resulting in untold neck injury.

I have a helmet restraint but have never installed it for that very reason. I didn't think about the possibility of it catching on something before I bought it. After thinking it over a while I decided not to use it.

[Brian10s]

Last fall I decided to upgrade my jacket (got tired of my Mom pounding on me about the 15+ yr old Lifeline). My Dad had replaced his years ago with a Security w/ flak. I had always used Lifeline and had nothing but good things to say about them. However, when pricing a new flak jacket vs retrofit and doing some research, I found that you should ask one very important question: Where is the flak put in the jacket?
In new jackets, the flak is on the outside (jacket, flak, padding, jacket, you). But if a retofit, sometimes the flack is on the inside (jacket, padding, flak, jacket, you). This is not where you want your protective material. In any retrofit make sure the flak is outside the padding.

After much research, I went with a new security and could not be happier. Yes, the 1st part of the year, the jacket stood up by itself it was so stiff, but by the end of the season, the fit is great. Also, the new security metal clips (for leg straps) are great. Just be careful as they are heavy and will swing in you are running and can scratch paint jobs on nearby boat (luckily just mine) and can also swing around and whip into "sensitive areas" at a high rate of speed, which even kevlar pants will not fully reduce the blow.

When looking at a complete suit, think head to toes to fingers and cover as much as you can in kevlar - socks and gloves are a must. While we all think this stuff is a pain to wear, especially when it is 90 out but it beats the alternative.

[sponsonhead]

But if a retofit, sometimes the flack is on the inside (jacket, padding, flak, jacket, you). This is not where you want your protective material. In any retrofit make sure the flak is outside the padding.

Excellent point. And, in any retrofit SRP does, the impact is outside the padding.

Glad the new jacket is working out well for you.

R-19

[T Chance]

Here is a magazine ad I found advertising a safe and comfortable racing life jacket.