Issue 146: Sept/Oct 2022
Drew added strips of 1/8-inch foam insulation tape to boost the padding inside the bump cap.
Protect Your Pate
Thinning hair is a bummer for anybody, but for sailors especially it has major downsides, among them sunburn, scalp cuts, bumps, and bruises. There is just no protection or padding, and all it takes is a slight lurch while climbing down the companionway to ding your noggin.
In the process of researching helmets for dinghy racing, I came across a $6 solution for my problem: a bump cap insert for my ball cap.
Although bump cap inserts comply with an OSHA category and meet standard EN812, they have no impact rating. They do protect mechanics from low hanging obstructions and sharp objects (like bolts coming through from the deck).
Drew wearing the Zhik H1 while working at the mast. With a balaclava under it, he doesn’t even know it’s there.
Cap inserts typically have very little padding, and only on the crown, so I upgraded mine with strips of 1/8-inch self-adhesive pipe insulation tape from the local hardware store, a perfect match for the stock foam padding. Add as much as you want, avoiding the ventilation slots and the portion that tucks inside the brim. Not only will this provide a little more bump attenuation, it will also keep the hat on your head in a breeze. In fact, the main reason this has become my go-to hat is that it stays on.
Inserts fit in any hat with an internal brim slot, including many broad-brimmed hats. Some slight trimming around the edge is sometimes required to match the crown height of the hat.
Inserts do not provide protection from accidental jibes. Not even a proper helmet can do that. The g-force is too great, and your neck may snap anyway, so keep your head down.
It’s easy to see how a bump cap can help when Drew is standing just a little too high or going down the companionway in waves.
That said, I have tested a variety of helmets intended for whitewater kayaking and dinghy racing, and I like the Kong Leef (very light), Forward WIP (snuggest fit), and the Zhik H1 (fewest snags). I sometimes wear the Zhik helmet when singlehanding in sporty conditions; it can help when diving down the companionway or if I have my head just a 1/2-inch too high when grinding. Worth considering if your boom is a trifle low and for dinghy racing.
The Skullerz 8945 is $6.00; I’ve used one for five years and haven’t had a scalp cut or bruise since. For $10, Skullerz makes the 8945 F(x), a new, improved version with more vents and some extra reinforcement, but less space for supplemental padding.
Thank you to Sailrite Enterprises, Inc., for providing free access to back issues of Good Old Boat through intellectual property rights. Sailrite.com
