Watersports Helmets & Bump Caps

Watersports helmets and bump caps from Mystic and Forward WIP, £54 to £99. Kitesurfing, wakeboarding, wing foiling, windsurfing and SUP.

Helmet or bump cap?

Riding the cable at Whitemills?

Get a hard shell, not a bump cap. D3O padding is designed for a knock, not for a rail or a kicker.

The Mystic MK8 (£54–£60) is sold as a kite and wake helmet and is the sensible starting point — adjustable, and it drains rather than filling up. The MK8X at £74.50 has a better shell and fit system if you're riding most weekends. Mystic ear pads (£16.95) clip on if you want ear coverage, which is worth having early in the season.

Whitemills Wake & Aqua Park is on Ash Road in Sandwich, roughly twenty-five minutes from us. We don't sell wakeboards, but we do stock the helmet, the impact vest and the wetsuit — and you can try the fit on properly here rather than working it out in a car park.

Worth knowing if you're heading that way: they also run paddleboarding where you can bring your own board, open water swimming sessions on the cable lake, and a sauna and cold plunge. Which means a wetsuit, a tow float and a changing robe are all worth having in the car.

Hard shell helmets — £54 to £99

Mystic MK8, £54–£60. The standard kite and wake helmet. Adjustable, drains well.

Mystic MK8X, £74.50. Better shell and fit system.

Mystic Vandal, £65 and Vandal Pro, £99. More coverage at the back and sides.

Mystic Impact Cap, £64.95. Low profile, sits close.

Forward WIP Wipper 2.0, £54.95–£74. French-made, popular with wing foilers. Stealth black or shiny white.

Mystic ear pads, £16.95.

Bump caps — £74 to £79

D3O padding — soft until it's hit, then it stiffens. Looks and wears like a cap.

Forward WIP Cool Cap and Surf Cap, £74. WIP Surf Bob bucket hat, £79, in plain or camo — sun protection and head protection in one, which makes sense for long SUP or wing sessions.

Do you need one?

If you're foiling, yes. A foil wing is a metal blade travelling at your head and it's the most common serious injury in the sport. Kitesurfing while learning, also yes — the board comes back at you.

For flat-water SUP on a summer day, a bump cap is proportionate and you'll actually wear it, which beats a helmet left in the car.

Fit: it should not move when you shake your head, and it shouldn't press anywhere. Try one on in the shop — head shapes vary more than sizes suggest.

See also: impact vests · buoyancy aids