Are you wearing a sailing helmet? Should you be?

Sailing Helmet

There's no arguing about it, boats are getting faster and with speed you introduce risk. Just look at the International Moths, GC32's and the Americas Cup teams.

Although the large majority of us are not sailing at that level and speed there is still an element of risk involved in our sport, even if you are sailing an Optimist.

Today we're asking whether you are wearing a sailing helmet while out on the water? If you don't, should you be? We've all had a bang on the head from the boom after a silly mistake or just a second of losing concentration. It's silly moments that make you think seriously about wearing more protective gear - our usual on the water toy is a Tornado Catamaran and I can honestly say a pitch pole hurts!

Just recently we've taken stock of the Zhik H1 sailing helmet, a relatively new product from Zhik which was launched last year. Although new it was voted the number one sailing helmet in November 2016 by Sailing World, it was tested against competitors products including Forward WIP, Magic Marine and Gath.

Since coming into stock we've had a steady stream of orders for sailing helmets and also saw an increase over the Dinghy Show weekend with people looking at them in the flesh.

The sailing helmet comes in three different sizes, Small, Medium and Large. It also comes with additional padding which can be stuck inside on top or alongside of the existing padding to make a more comfortable fit. The padding is made from the Zhik Hydrobase material that wicks moisture away from the skin ensuring your head always feels dry. It also has the benefit of being the lightest sailing helmet on the market today.

The price tag is £89 and we are offering free delivery.

Zhik Sailing Helmet Features

• Thin profile
• Moulded internal channels for airflow
• Hydrobase® lined internal padding
• Lightweight
• EN1385 Approved

Will you be wearing a sailing helmet in 2017?

Is it worth taking the risk, we are seriously considering wearing helmets for our boat, maybe we'll make a decision to just wear them in over 15 knots of breeze. Obviously you don't want a helmet if you're in drifting conditions.

What are your thoughts? What sort of boat do you sail and do you wear a helmet?