Yea, it finally happened big time. The Jetty was packed April 24, 2020 and I was in the thick of it. Head on a swivel 24/7 watching it all go off when suddenly at the end of my session this big set came up, several guys on the same peak, shoulder to shoulder and there I was as usual, in the impact zone. Nowhere to go so I duck dived but it was too shallow and then bam! The guy hit me on the had and split my “not for the faint of wallet” Gath helmet in half. I’ve only had this one a few months since the USPS in CA held it for over a month in customs from Australia for whatever reason, but after waiting two months to get it I was finally in possession of the beast. This gear totally saved my life.

If you are even remotely interested in doing surf photography for a hobby or a living, please spend the money or go into debt to get the proper safety equipment. Get a really good helmet from GATH Australia. The Gedi or the SFC works terrific as does the Surf Hat. Fortunately I had two so I just ordered another back up. Also purchase a really good “IMPACT VEST” so you can protect your kidneys, ribs, and other precious body parts for WHEN you get HIT! It’s not a matter of if and I don’t care how good you are at surfing, swimming, lifeguarding, etc. It’s dangerous out there and I am constantly on the lookout for the eventual impact. As they taught me in the military, observe the five P’s, Prior Planning, Prevents, Poor Performance. In this case it clearly paid off.

Had that been my head,I would have either died or been permanently disabled. Pretty good investment for a life.