new product on the market - bucket hat with lightweight helmet built in - fantastic!
Vaikobi is top surfski brand, but ideal windsurfing accessory especially for hot weather, sunnies underneath etc
they have cap version as well, a few colours
got mine through Expedition Kayaks in Sydney $120
gamechanger for me on low risk days when Gath is too hot
I'm very interested as my hat is almost dead. But there was a review in wing forum about this or something very similar - and they said the brim is too floppy and folds down in a decent breeze
can't see the thread now - do you know if it is nice n stiff? Am I thinking of a different brand ?
it has a stiff brim built in, zero folding issue so far, ideal for light wind sailboard and for wild-ish surfski, and offers max sun protection for my hairless head, but for speed or foiling a proper helmet is the go 
I've got the cap with built in "helmet" (I'd rather call it protection) and very pleased with it. The price above seems excessive though, I paid about half that for the cap version which I thought was a fair price. For $120, you're not far off the price of a decent helmet.
I bought the L/XL hat which fits 56-62cm heads. My head measures 58cm and have worn 59cm helmets for years.
The L/XL hat was way too big and has no adjustment other than tightening the chin strap. The return process has been reasonably painless so far. I'm not sure I'll order the SM/M (52-57cm) hat but customer support says it should fit.
In the meantime, I pulled the certified shell out of a bump cap I use when doing work in places where I can hit my head (which has happened often enough that I bought a bump cap :-( ).
The protector, or the cap can be bought for $20-30 prochoicesafetygear.com/BCABSP
I put it inside an old Rip Curl surf hat I have and it fits perfectly. I think my hot weather riding protection problem is now solved.
There's only one remaining problem. Bump caps protect the top and front of your head. There's a huge cap down the back of the protector. The majority of bumps to the head foiling have been gentle taps to the back of my head when the board sneaks up behind me. I experimented ages ago with DIY head protection and made various shapes out of closed cell foam that fit inside caps. It would be easy enough to make an insert for the back of the sun hat.
Haha, I like you're creativity in finding home-made solutions. For foiling and strong wind conditions, you're probably better off wearing a proper helmet. I use a Forward WIP and I forget that I'm wearing it; not hot in summer and super lightweight.
This just arrived from Amazon. $20 delivered. Certified EN 812. Got a nice bit of padding on to of your head and it comes a little way down the back of your head. It fits nicely in my existing surf hats.
Shopping Link amzn.asia/d/eT41zvL
Manufacturer Link www.greendevilsafety.com/products/green-devil-matrix-lite-series-bump-cap-insert-for-baseball-caps-en-812-universal-safety-bump-hat-insert-for-men-women-vented-lightweight
I got a similar one of an IG/FB add. Been using it for a few weeks on wing, and it is great. I often forget I'm wearing it. Just have to keep the chin strap reasonably tight else it shifts on my head with any knock or splash. Side benefit, holds the sunglasses in place!
