Just noticed this post from a windsurfing mag forum
http://forums.windsurfingmag.com/showthread.php?s=f98ad5cb982343eb38fe51b98fc706ea&t=568

Sad situation. At least he past doing what he loved

mineral1 said...

Agree, a very sad situation and a real tough break for his family.

Guys and Girls, what ever you do, re purchase of gear, get yourself a helmet and a form of a life vest/buoyancy vest. They may not look real cool/flash, but it improves the survival rate just that bit extra, should you come unstuck in any way while out playing.

What he said. Especially helmet (in tas we don't need bouyency vest - always got thick wettie on

I think we'd all be surprised how big a proper life jacket would be that could keep you alive if you were unconscious at sea in a big swell and chop. I wear a buoyancy aid which is as big as I've seen any windsurfer wear so far, but it won't save me. A helmet and buoyancy vest might help, but probably not if trapped under the sail.

For me, the safest things I can do is not get too out of my depth in various ways. I may not be challenging myself in many ways, but I know there is a very good chance I'll be home for dinner, and that is more important to me.

wsmike on iWindsurf.com talking about wearing a helmet: "Its not much of a fashion statement but models aren't really known for their intelligence are they?"

Good call I reckon. Even though I only wear my helmet on really cold days to keep my head warm...

Well I really feel for that Scott fella who found him and all he went through to help.

Crash Landing said...



Key thing is to keep on eye out for ANYONE in distress not just your sailing buddies.

Good point. Its not uncool to help!

We get quite a bit of thunder & lightning storms here. Last year, the lightning came really close to shore and a girl got stuck by it just outside the bay area. Luckily she had a buoyancy vest on, and that kept her afloat till the rescue boat came. She was floating faced-down on the water unconscious for a long while I was told, but thankfully she survived.

That said, still not many people use a buoyancy vest here. I agree it's cumbersome and there is already too many items to put on.

It's a sad part of life but everybody dies.You cannot control how or when.When it's your turn , it's your turn...game over.
You don't put a helmet and a flame retardent suit on every time you get into a car do you? If you don't why not? Someone dies in a car nearly every day...
Accidents happen.
I think assessing the conditions to your ability is the equivilent of putting your seat belt on.

There are pros and cons for helmets.The pros are obvious.The cons however are the reduced level of awarness caused by the buffetting affect on your ears and foggy salt sprayed visors.I would like to wear one but these factors i can't deal with.
Saw a bloke skin his nose with a helmet one day.I think the back of the helmet got caught on something and it pushed down onto the bridge of his nose hard.Looked rather nasty...

How you risk assess your sport changes with age and family. I windsurfed 20 years with out ever using buoyancy or god forbid a helmet. But now with kids and other things to look out for your attitude adjusts as required. I'm now wearing a low profile pfd unless its a drifter and a helmet for the 25+ days. My pfd has a couple of zipper pockets too that are real handy for stashing the gps and a couple of tools / mars bar. Now that its second nature to take the gear it takes some of that worry away and lets you enjoy the days sail more. Works for me anyway

stribo said...

(...) everybody dies.You cannot control how or when. When it's your turn , it's your turn...game over. (...) Someone dies in a car nearly every day...
Accidents happen.
I think assessing the conditions to your ability

Hard to believe you're serious. You can control much of your life, bar acts of God. I don't go out in storms and lightning, so I never got in trouble (27 years, on 3 continents in all waters). I don't freestyle when alone or far from people, just in case. I don't venture on offshore winds if I don't have the equipment and a plan to make it back. I get information on currents and conditions in new venues.

And so on. Conversely, I know people that get caught offshore, or have stupid accidents on a yearly basis. I think they think like you - "not my fault".

Accidents happen... more often to those who think everything just happens to them. There's a great episode of "Trailer Park Boys" where masturbating 'happened to him'. He made a song about it, with the words: "it could happen to you 'coz it happened to me".

Disclaimer: we still don't know what happened to that guy at the Gorge. And I never wore a helmet in spite of forward loops and backflips on a longboard.

It seems I always manage to fall on the metal plate in my head, so I'm oK without

timford said...

what is the most common style of Gath helmet that is used for windsurfing? Anyone? I am going to get one.

The 'Surf Convertable' or the 'Gath Hat' seem to be the most popular that I have seen.

I wouldnt sail with out mine. I have a few marks on it already where my head has made contact with the mast. The added bonus is that when its cooler it keeps your head warm and in summer, your scalp and tops of your ears don't get sunburnt

I've got a yellow Gath thats about 15 years old and its now stuffed. I dropped in the ground by accident/carelessness and there is a big crack in the middle going right up.

I'll buy another one as they are great when going fast or keeping warm.

pierrec45 said...

stribo said...

(...) everybody dies.You cannot control how or when. When it's your turn , it's your turn...game over. (...) Someone dies in a car nearly every day...
Accidents happen.
I think assessing the conditions to your ability

Hard to believe you're serious. You can control much of your life, bar acts of God. I don't go out in storms and lightning, so I never got in trouble (27 years, on 3 continents in all waters). I don't freestyle when alone or far from people, just in case. I don't venture on offshore winds if I don't have the equipment and a plan to make it back. I get information on currents and conditions in new venues.

And so on. Conversely, I know people that get caught offshore, or have stupid accidents on a yearly basis. I think they think like you - "not my fault".

Accidents happen... more often to those who think everything just happens to them. There's a great episode of "Trailer Park Boys" where masturbating 'happened to him'. He made a song about it, with the words: "it could happen to you 'coz it happened to me".

Disclaimer: we still don't know what happened to that guy at the Gorge. And I never wore a helmet in spite of forward loops and backflips on a longboard.

You can reduce your risk etc. But your number was selected at birth..You can't change that.This is the point i was making....

I have a newish Gath helmet with removable ear covers, (which I've taken off and never used), so no dulling of hearing, and no visor which I would only scratch and which seemed unnecessary anyway. It is light and comfortable and I hardly know it is there, except this time of year it keeps me warmer.

My job involves working with old people and I see a lot of them getting treated for skin cancer on their heads, so definitely a bonus wearing a helmet in summer too.

thanks, I have snow boarded for many years and had a number of 'knock outs' and massive stacks blood & all.
I wore a helmet for the first time last year and had no issue at all with. Gave me some of the old dare devil confidence back that has dwindled over the years with age. I will have to nip on down to windsurf n snow and give one whirl for those 20 + days..
I have a NP high hook vest and its sweet, does not get in the way at all.
Wish I was on the water this afternoon dam it!