not so on just paying for name etc
Look at the guts of a protec vs a cascade. Same shell material, but the liner is much different. Snell (I do not know if they do watersports certs) and CE certs are way harder to get than ansi.
When trek made their Florescent pink
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bike we'd honestly tell customers, If you are going to ride that bike, we think you better be riding fast.
Cost was about 1300 in 1981 all campy record or super record nice bike. Yeah, pink is not for the weak.
WRSI will sell direct I believe
though lightweight helmets are nice, thats a reason for composites.
Pro Tec Works For Me
I am sure there are better helmets out there, but I got hit in the head pretty hard with a Cobra Strike and the cheap Pro Tec saved me a serious injury in a bad spot.
Certainly better than not wearing a helmet.
Sing and Elvis
Coming from the same place don’tcha know.
Man…
I’m Better Than The “King…” I’m here and he’s dead. 
Sorry, you Elvis lovers. If you believe, he was sighted at Graceland recently. 
sing
Tossed my Protech
after I took a rock over one eye.
Had a Cascade ever since. IMO a much better better lid.
IMO again I think the kevlar lids are more fashion statement than anything. Caught a lot of crap for saying that on some whitewater boards.
Just my opinion.
Given the smacks i have taken
I want my helmet to be low on the back of the head. I have no interest in breaking my neck. I also wear a metal face guard. Fashionable I am not.
I’ll take a look at the construction of
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a bunch of different helmets before I buy one.
I hate to say it though, topend equipment manufacturers in any weekend warrior sport that appeals to yuppies, from hiking to kayaking to cycling, have made an art out of price structuring to appeal to a yuppie's psychological need to buy the appearance of legitimacy.
Read "Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How they Got There" by David Brooks. A very interesting read. After you read it, go to any Whole Foods and REI and take a look at the different people who shop there.
Yes rei was cool 30 years ago.
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But I am no big fan. Now, I do like organic food and most of whole foods produce in unexelled around here unless you go to farmers markets or drive to the farm (a 10 mile found trip in season) but I prefer the cambridge food coop to whole foods.
I live within 10 miles of at least 50 titanium bike owners who do not ride fast so I know of what you speak.
Rei sells protec which look cool. At least i've gotten my local one to stop selling single chambered paddle floats.
bottom line: both of the helmet manufacturers I recommend are about 1/2 cost of the high end and very functional. no one style conscious would ever be caught in a cascade.
Smack! Smack! Smack! Ain’t That…
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what makes the rough water sports fun? :D
My Pink helmet has all sorts of scars. Most of these are on the back of the helmet. Flip and tuck, Baby! I think folks who get smacked in front are doing backdeck rolls while playing a not-too-deep hole and wave. No backdeck rolls for me except in surf and deep holes in white water.
Hey, Tommy, when you got smacked on the face, were you doing a low brace type roll with your single paddle? I think one of the C1 rolls is equivilent to a back deck position.
sing
Yeah
That low brace is powerful but you got to face the bottom to do it.
The specific problem I had with the Protec was it’s one size fits all shell and minimal padding. To get it over my fat head I had to take out most of the padding so it was close to flush with my forehead.
The Cascade is much better sized and fitted out so even with no face gard It’s a lot better coverage.
http://community.webshots.com/photo/236438901/236442979yJtcnd
Protec has been taking some heat. It would not surprise me if they have beefed up their stuff but I haven’t looked at it so ?
Now to find
a place in Houston that sells them so I can take a look and try them on. I really do appreciate the tip on those two brands.
Hate To Tell You…
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I have a hot Pink Shogun Road bike. Got it when Shimano indexing first came out along with the click in pedals. It was the only frame I could find that was 14.5" and fit me perfectly. Obviously it was intended for me (or the "fairer sex")...
Before kids, I did some nice mileage (actually I did a lot of things that got changed when the kids came along...) with it. Well, my time is coming back as the kids get older and want to do their own things. Maybe, I'll take the Old Pink Shogun out to a shop and have it tuned again.
sing
Comments on Protec Helmets
Are you sure you have recent protec helmets designed for water sports? I’m not sure all of the negative comments apply to what they are currently selling. They sell lots of different kinds too.
Mine
was a whitewater helmet purchased about 8 years ago.
Hopefuly they are making better ones but I don’t know.
Once bitten, twice shy.
I believe they have improved a bit
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The new head lock system in the rear is an improvement, but there is still no comparison. The protec is now CE rated for watersports which is an improvement. The cascade offers a much thicker liner, the WRSI offers a mid layer to distribute crash energy over more of the liner, (where more of it will be absorbed) and some face protection from the brim. I have been "into" human powered sports helmets since 1978 as if my customers lives depended on them. I have critically examined over a dozen models and been responsible for the decisions to purchase hundreds. I no longer work in the recreation industry but did for about 6 years (bicycling).
As far as protec helmets, I am just going by what is available at the padling section of the local REI.
You will probably find neither Sex sells
and function be dammed, (Even in terms of sex, many people are not able to discriminate content from advertising).
Hate to tell you this
but WRSI makes a pink helmet. so when yours takes its last smack…
These are tactical helmets
used by rock climbers, who, if they get hit by a rock falling or by falling on a rock, are probably going to get a similar, maybe higher impact to what a kayaker might experience.