Going against the trend of helmet wearers backslapping each other ITT, there are reasons why the rest of us don't wear helmets. So to attempt to explain, I will propose my reasoning.

Its a sophisticated argument drawn from Gene Theory, proposed soon after the discovery of DNA, where it is hypothesised that it is our genes that are the driving factors behind our evolution, and that we are merely vehicles for our own gene survival. And applying this logic, we can conclude helmets are super lame and so are PFD's. And the only people who wear them have resigned themselves to the fact that they have reached their expiry date as useful gene vehicles.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene-centered_view_of_evolution

The same selective pressure that make us altruistic, competitive and ultimately human, have made us natural risk takers. Windsurfing is low risk, and to wear a helmet betrays the helmeted helmeteer as overly concerned with personal safety, severely downgrading tribal status rankings. Slashing the genes chances of replication. This is why Humans who have the potential to spread their genes will not wear a helmet, unless it is Sparta 400BC and the occasion truly merits one.

So why do people start wearing helmets after their gene vehicle 'used by' date is reached? probably because their genes are already invested in future gene vehicles back at the cave, and even in such a low risk environment, genes for keeping safe for the sake of the 'next gene vehicles' makes people suit up in super duper lame armoured attire.

This is my reasoning, another would be that if you don't wear a helmet, fireproofs and 5pt harness while driving to the beach, it would be contradictory to wear a Gath Plastic bowl while windsurfing.

tl;dr helmets while windsurfing in 99% of conditions is super lame.

barn said...

Going against the trend of helmet wearers backslapping each other ITT, there are reasons why the rest of us don't wear helmets. So to attempt to explain, I will propose my reasoning.

Its a sophisticated argument drawn from Gene Theory, proposed soon after the discovery of DNA, where it is hypothesised that it is our genes that are the driving factors behind our evolution, and that we are merely vehicles for our own gene survival. And applying this logic, we can conclude helmets are super lame and so are PFD's. And the only people who wear them have resigned themselves to the fact that they have reached their expiry date as useful gene vehicles.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene-centered_view_of_evolution

The same selective pressure that make us altruistic, competitive and ultimately human, have made us natural risk takers. Windsurfing is low risk, and to wear a helmet betrays the helmeted helmeteer as overly concerned with personal safety, severely downgrading tribal status rankings. Slashing the genes chances of replication. This is why Humans who have the potential to spread their genes will not wear a helmet, unless it is Sparta 400BC and the occasion truly merits one.

So why do people start wearing helmets after their gene vehicle 'used by' date is reached? probably because their genes are already invested in future gene vehicles back at the cave, and even in such a low risk environment, genes for keeping safe for the sake of the 'next gene vehicles' makes people suit up in super duper lame armoured attire.

This is my reasoning, another would be that if you don't wear a helmet, fireproofs and 5pt harness while driving to the beach, it would be contradictory to wear a Gath Plastic bowl while windsurfing.

tl;dr helmets while windsurfing in 99% of conditions is super lame.

Myself I've had enough "accidents" in my life as well as having seen firsthand how quickly we can be snuffed out. So I like to back the odds in my favor a bit.

The way you sail may be low risk, the way I sail is not

If you don't want to wear safety gear you don't have too, it's all your prerogative.

Myself I'll keep recommending them.

Just remember to be effective in the gene pool your swimmer's need to get out of the tissues

Hey Barn, that was cute.

One could posit the very converse to be true, and that not wearing a helmet is sign of Lamarckian evolution.

It goes as follows: you had too many hits on the head. That may impair your judgment and what not, but does not affect your physical capability to reproduce. So you have kids.

However, the judgment is impaired, so when your mongrels start windsurfing, you do not tell them to wear headgear. So they suffer their own bevy of concussions, but they can still reproduce. And so on.

Ergo an acquired trait has been passed on down the generations.

This is all in good jest mate, I don't wear one and won't.

With Barn,s looks his chances of passing on his dna is .........
I wear the helmet cos the visor keeps the sand out of my eyes and the sun off my head (Hair challenged). Head protection is just a bonus.
Wear whatever makes you happy

I thought Kato wears a helmet so that he can deny he ever saw you as he slices up your sail.

Then again, maybe he just doesn't see anyone at all when he sails.

Maybe the night sailing thing to him is the same and he doesn't even realise the sun has gone down...

We make protective head gear mandatory at our sailing spot, especially when there is a race meet on.

Thought of another reason!.. Say the elephant riding is not really that dangerous, so you would be advantaged to give the impression it is more heroic by wearing the protective gear. A bluff.. I'll call it the Evil PsuedoKenevial factor..

"I'm doing this extraordinary feat, it may not look dangerous, but it is!, its so dangerous I need all this extra armour"

Perhaps this is really why Kato wears the black sphere of mystery, to make sailing down the little kiddie pool look a little more impressive.. Or, another hypothesis why Kato wears the visored dome is he thinks he is the long lost Power Ranger..

Kato Ranger fits right in!


....
I would like to point out the obvious in my previous post, which is we do not, not wear helmets so we can pass on our genes, its just the only genes left in the gene pool are for the risk takers.

And yes I understand the extent of risk takers in a population varies, if we could measure windsurfers opinion on personal safety we would get a nice normal distribution.

Lamarckism would see people who sustain multiple head traumas produce kids with thick skulls..

Protective gear mandatory? all those upturned fins should be mandatorily in the sand, for beach safety!.. Also are the Santa hats mandatory? I've never seen that Old Fart with the grey DK harness celebrate Christmas..

Personally I always carry a condom for protection.

Just in case a cougar drives past and likes what she sees

Is there anywhere that sells the protecs in WA? every time I try a helmet it is uncomfy due to my long skinny skull, and i would like to get a lighter one than the MC helmet i use

ginger pom said...

My head after a crash in 2007.



I still don't always wear one.

Barn: I'm not sure I buy the evolution argument. Do we really want to breed a human race with very thick skulls? Is that the future of humanity?

Crimson Pom !!