Anyone had a bad stack with the visor down?
I'm wondering if they'd protect your face or shatter and cause more issues?
I've got a Gath with a visor that I bought for those rainy days. Daffy's stack has me wondering...
Yes and no not really ( Gath). Pete( muffin boy) sails with a hockey helmet which has an impact rated visor. That might be the only one.
I broke my nose and was briefly knocked out when I copped my mast in my face sailing in a winter storm a couple of years ago. I was wearing a Gath Jedi helmet and I think the brim of the helmet reduced the injury, but no doubt a visor would have helped more. My problem is I need glasses, so I prefer to wear prescription sunglasses / safety glasses when sailing.
On the second page of comments some people will say , " don't crash , windsurfing is not designed around crashing , Anton doesn't use a helmet so will make no difference ".
Could not help myself
Popcorn is in the oven .
Cos I'm not brave , at the expense of looking like the 6 th Village People , I wear a helmet when planing . When it's dead onshore at a proper 30 kts and I can't keep up with the sharp chop , I know I'm going to hurt myself or equipment . I have been known to whimp it . Luckily we only get that a couple times a year .
^^^^
Mabee if I wasn't 115kg and 55 years old , I'd have a better chance.
It didn't hurt so much when I was 19 and buffed , riding plastic boards with tie on booms using the industry standard 4.2m emergency storm sail on the same mast . Closing the gap , it was at least a foot ....pfffft !
Answering the original question - yes me - was at about 39kn, cracked the lens of a Gath.
Anything which both provide impact resistance and extends the time of the impact, will protect you. Its just like crumple-zones in a car - the longer it takes from the start of the impact to hitting the target, will have that energy dissipated over a longer window of time, thus less instantaneous impact-force.
I have taken a spill with Gath visor down and am quite convinced it saved worse injury. I lost control foiling on a reach and porpoised in nose first. I ended up being chucked ahead of the board and sail. When I came up from underwater the board was still moving and clocked me across the face. It hit my visor at its lower edge over the bridge of my nose. I ended up with a superficial cut on my nose from the visor but that was it. Only a scuff on the visor itself.