Helmets on the back deck

[Dan Foster]

I don't think I've ever been on an NSPN paddle where at least one person didn't have a helmet strapped to the bungees "R2D2-style" on the back deck, centered over the day hatch. Is there some trick to getting the helmet to stay secure back there, or are you all just luckier than I am? On yesterday's paddle, playing in some bouncy conditions off Halibut Point, a wave swept over my back deck and deployed my helmet in "sea anchor mode". I was surprised at how severely the handling of the boat degraded with a helmet full of water dragging along just behind my left hip - I thought I'd lost my rear hatch cover at first. If we'd been in real conditions, it would have been a serious problem.

Back home, I tightened up the bungees and even tried a couple of different crossing patterns, but I was still able to drag the helmet off the side of the boat with only a small amount of force. Looking at the bungee layouts on several popular P&H models, I don't see a secure pattern there either. The only bungee pattern I can imagine that would keep the helmet centered by just clipping the chin strap under them is two bungee lines running right alongside the deck lines on either side of the day hatch, just behind the cockpit.

For the purpose of discussion, let's consider a helmet secure back there if you can roll and the helmet stays put. Or a fellow paddler can reach over and try to pull it off your deck, and it stays put.

Suggestions? Wearing it on my head seems like overkill, especially in close to the rocks.

[rfolster]

I was able to get my helmet to stay really secure when I had a GoPro mount attachment base stuck to it.  The bungee would go over the mount base and really hold in place.  Perhaps something like that stuck to the top would hold the bungees in place and keep the helmet from sliding out?

[Joseph Berkovitz]

I added my own single cross bungee right behind the cockpit. This allows the helmet to attach securely to either of the bungees just in front of the rear hatch. 

helmet goes here:

looks like this in action:

[Jim Snyder]

I gave up on this and just tuck mine between my knees while paddling out through flat water. I almost always want it on once I reach the outside. I'd post a picture but you get the idea ?

[Barbara Ryan]

I learned alot from this post (having come upon it as I am researching the archives looking for handheld and deck compass suggestions. Need both! ) I have to say that I am tickled with the diversity of your responses of ways of getting stuff to work! 😆.

What a great team!