More Surfers In Hawaii Are Wearing Helmets — A Trend That Could Save Lives
Professional surfers sharing photos of cracked helmets and stories about dangerous wipeouts on social media are helping foster greater use of protective headgear.
Contrasting the sport’s carefree culture, more than half of the women and about 20% of the men competing professionally on the World Surf League championship tour this year are choosing to wear helmets.
The protective headgear was ubiquitous in January and February on Oahu’s North Shore during the opening event of the 2024 WSL season at Banzai Pipeline off Sunset Beach.
This trend is not only changing the sport’s optics, but also the risks surfers are willing to take on big waves and in shallow waters.
“Honestly, it’s more of a mental game to start wearing a helmet,” said Jamie O’Brien, a professional surfer and a previous winner of a Pipeline Masters competition. “You feel like all the cool kids don’t wear helmets, but then you realize that it’s not about being cool, it’s about being safe and coming home to your family.”
After experiencing a nasty wipeout at Pipeline in 2022 that left him with a gash on his head and several staples, O’Brien has chosen to wear a helmet when surfing high-risk locations. “I’ve been wearing it for the last year and a half, and I’m super psyched on it,” he said.
In the same year as O’Brien’s accident, the WSL began providing surf helmets for athletes at locations such as Teahupoo in Tahiti, Cloudbreak in Fiji and Margaret River in Australia, where risk factors — including wave height and shallow reefs — are notably higher.
The influence and testimonies of respected surfers, such as O’Brien and others, have been vital in fostering a growing acceptance of helmets within the surf community. As a result, helmets are being used more frequently by both competitive professionals and amateur surfers around the state.
Gavin Campbell, a Waikiki surf instructor who frequently uses spots along both the north and south shores of Oahu for his classes, has noticed more helmets than usual in the lineups. He firmly believes they are saving people’s lives.
“A lot of pro guys are posting about it and encouraging everyone else,” Campbell said. “There’s stories, like photos of cracked helmets, and it’s saving lives out there, 100%.”
Despite preferring a more traditional helmetless style himself, Campbell said he and his friends have considered wearing a helmet depending on the size of the waves and the conditions of the water. Several of his friends have also advocated for him to begin wearing a helmet, he said, as he advances his level of surfing.
The risks of injuries to a surfer’s head and face can vary depending on several factors, such as skill level and the conditions in the water. However, according to a of acute surfing injuries in Australia, the head, neck and face are a surfer’s most injured body parts, with about a third of all surfers reporting such injuries.
The growing concerns surrounding head injuries in surfing have been further emphasized following an incident involving professional surfer Kai Lenny in January. Lenny, who wore a helmet for the first time, suffered a wipeout at the DaHui Backdoor Shootout at Pipeline and later credited the helmet with saving his life in a social media post.
“With Kai Lenny getting his injury, that has certainly picked up the conversation surrounding surfing safety,” said Nathan Murata, dean of the College of Education at the University of Hawaii Manoa, who runs the Hawaii Concussion Awareness Management Program.
Murata’s program aims to provide information, support and resources to Hawaii athletes and the medical community, as a way to better manage concussions and advocate for the safety of Hawaii students. The risk of concussions is present in all physical sports, Murata said, including surfing.
“It doesn’t have to be contact sports like football,” he said. “You can get a concussion riding a skateboard, riding a bike and even through surfing.”
While surfing may not involve as much direct contact as football, Murata said, shallow reef sections, impacts from waves and collisions with other surfers all present potential risks for traumatic head or brain injuries while surfing.
While some surfers may still prefer a more traditional helmetless style of surfing, the landscape of surfing continues to evolve, and surfers find new ways to push the limits of the sport. The growing sight of helmets in the local lineups continues to signal a cultural shift led and influenced by key figures such as O’Brien and Lenny.
“I feel like everything is changing, and there’ll be more helmets than ever,” O’Brien said. “I feel good to help lead the charge for the next generation.”
