Wrist protectors. Yay or nay

A snowHead

Hey all. My kids age 13&14 will be doing snowboarding lessons along with my husband in January when we go to la tania. They have had a taste of it at the dry slopes and really liked it so they decided they want to do it on snow instead of skiing. I wondered Bout the use of protective equipment for them like wrist protectors and is there such a thing as a padded bum protector?lol the teacher at the dry slope said the wrist guards could cause more harm than good as they keep the wrist in a fixed position. What is the general consensus as this is all new to me. Thanks in advance

A snowHead

For brand new beginner snowboarders: "crash pants" (or as you called it, padded bum guard) is a definite must. Knee guards would be nice too. Wrist guards yes, until they've learned how to fall "properly" (good falling technique sound weird bu it really helps)!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

polo99, your dry slope teacher is talking rubbish and needs to be told so before kids break things unnecessarily. Look at Red or Flexmeter guards, both designed for snowboarding and neither having the sort of rigid protection he is describing. I've always worn wrist guards for boarding, mainly because in 10 years of dealing with school parties I never saw a single boarding group go home with all arms in one piece.

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With Lizzard on this. For beginners I'd rate wrist protection above all other protection, up to and possibly including helmets (but DO wear a helmet). Beginner snowboarders break wrists - that is it, that is all. Knees and bums get bumped and bruised but they don't break, as you're rarely applying the kind of force to them that results in serious damage. You fall forwards and you'll stick out your hands to protect yourself (until you learn not to as boardiac suggests) and if you're applying a big enough force - CRUNCH.

If nothing else, they protect the soft tissues and muscles in your hand when you're pushing yourself back onto your feet after falling for the 40th time that hour.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Having broken my wrist on the first time I ever got on a Snowboard (and that was a Milton Keynes!) then I would highly recommend them. It gave me so much more confidence when I was learning. I also bought padded pants (forcefield I think), back brace and helmet. Maybe OTT in some people's eyes but really helped me stop worrying about hurting myself which in turn improved my riding.

Just buy them!

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+ Lots, we started boarding last year, hired all equipment including the wristguards, the hire shop used flexmeters but were branded with the shops logo, we fell over loads but came home with wrists intact, the first thing I did was buy some for us all once back in the UK, I don't think you'll get a more well designed product.

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I know its all a matter of personal preference, but I do think that there is a bit of a tendancy for people to overkill the protection when snowboarding though. I've known people who were perfectly good riders who basically wore full body-armor under their regular kit because "it'll hurt if I fall". Its really not necessary. I only armor up when I know i'm going to be pushing it in the park these days (helmet aside).

After all it is free

I learned on Dendix and have never used any of that stuff, so none of it is necessary.

There is some evidence that suggests that for beginner boarders on hard pack, wrist guards may make sense:
http://www.ski-injury.com/prevention/wrist_guards
Renting may be worth considering as you should be soon past the high risk stage.

If you're riding Dendix then you're probably (I do not have the stats) at more risk of damaging your fingers if you don't fall sensibly from the start. Perhaps it's best to focus on learning what not to do.

Body armour? For advanced piste riding you don't need it. Powder... you'll sweat buckets and it's poinless. If you do ballet on artificial structures then perhaps you could make use of it. On the other hand, if you fall on your head from a very small height, you're not going to walk away, irrespective of how much padding you have on your back bottom. A bit of foam isn't an airbag.

+ 1 for flexmeter's rather than shorter wrist guards which may not be as good.

But at the same time, dont rely on the guards. You still need to learn good falling technique, and make an effort not to fall on your wrists.

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The instructor is an idiot.

Yes to helmet, risk guards and knee pads. I hit the ground much harder when I was learning to snowboard. The bruises were epic!

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Oh wow, that's 100% in favour. We always wear helmets when skiing and will definitely be wearing them when snowboarding. I did have a go at snowboarding but it's just not for me, although I really wanted to like it because the boots are just so lovely and comfortable. I have looked at the flexmeter wrist guards and there seem to be two types. A shorter one for about £10 and a longer one for about £35 is there much difference? The instructors reasoning for not liking wrist protectors is that because they are fixed in one place you can break your hand in a worse way if you go over it. My youngest son is the kind who you just have to look at him and he breaks. Even after a lesson on the dry slope, even though he liked it, he had hurt his wrist from putting his hands out (even though he was told not to, I think it's just your automatic reaction).

Phil that is a very interesting article. i am always being accused of wrapping them up in cotton wool and being over cautious however, i dont fancy having to stay in the apartment after day one because one of them has broke a wrist because they wouldnt wear their wrist guards. i think these will be going on their list to santa! Lol

Thank you all for the replies

I've only used the shorter ones, normally Dakine. Personally I don't see the need for the longer ones, I don't think they offer any more protection, but thats more personal preference - as you've read many others prefer the larger ones by Flexmeter et al. Make sure you can fit them under your gloves comfortably, without shredding the glove linings - or investigate the gloves with integrated guards in them.

Your instructors opinion has been offered up before, wrist guards just transfer the injury to another part of the body - it's better to break your wrist than your arm. True a wrist break is often a quicker fix than a broken arm, but this theory assumes that all bones have the same break strength, which they just don't. yes the 'shock' of the accident is transferred up your arm than into your wrist, but you have to have a much higher energy impact to break an arm bone than the small bones in the wrist.

You know it makes sense.

polo99, maybe your instructor has these views about the solid ones "piece of metal under the palm job" as these are the type normally supplied for lessons at some dryslopes, these actually hurt through use in their own right, metal chafe!

Flexmeter... Long ones for me!

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I'd go with the wrist guards personally. I use Dakine.

However, in defence of the Instructor, during my training there was comment from the trainer(s) to the effect that wrist guards can do more harm than good*. I usually suggest to clients they do their own research before making up their mind.

*The theory being that the impact is transferred up the arm, with resulting elbow and\or collar bone injuries. That said I'm pretty sure I've been saved wrist fractures on silly low steep tumbles with other issues. I don't think they make much difference on higher speed falls.

A snowHead

A snowHead

snowrider, that's quite interesting, the only pain I remember from my first few days on the slopes was painful abs from constantly getting back up again! Embarassed

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Yay for sure. My brothers first venture on the mountain ended up with a broken wrist and sitting in the pub for most of the holiday. I bought Khf wrist guards and thought they were great and probably saved me from a few broken wrists. I still wear wrist guards today though they are attached to my gloves so I don't have to faff around when its time to eat or drink.

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I have wrist guards, but very rarely use them, but then I know how to fall properly. I find impact shorts are my most used protection item, plus they provide a little extra warmth when sitting on the snow fastening bindings. Aside from the impact shorts and my helmet, the only other protection I wear regularly are knee pads, but only after a nasty toe edge catch resulting in my knee being slammed rather hard on to a iced mogul. I still have a numb patch from it almost 4 years on. The wrist protectors tend to only come out when I'm in the park.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

polo99,
Would recommend 'Azzpads' to protect lower back & bum; much more convenient & comfortable than impact shorts. Plus keeps bum warmer if sitting in the snow ( which is often the case as a boarder )
Force field back protector worth while as well if riding in icy condition's ( heel edge catch with out one & you will wish you were wearing one!)
knee pads great for taking the pressure off knees when resting ( as boarders do ) on knees.
Flex meter wrist guards highly recommended as others have said.
Mitch

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Mitchell, they still making the 'Azzpad'? Cool, but you need to buy a size bigger trews to get them in your pants.

polo99, Get your kids into a gym class where they can learn to fall without sticking their hands out.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Masque,
Not really unless you have really snug fitting strides already! They are minimum volume & take harly any additional room. Certainly less than crash pants would .
Used to ride a motor bike & there is a suggestion on correct way to roll etc should the unfortunate happen.......think most people in a high speed fall/crash ( whatever mode of transport is being used) will react instinctively thus putting hands out! Easier to just wear the guards & not have to worry about it!
Mitch

After all it is free

Just my view, but don't under any circumstances "sit in the snow"; it's what beginner snowboarders do. Those with a little more experience know that trying to get up from seated in any decent snow is generally more effort than sitting down saves. Learn to stand up. It's cheaper than buying toys.

I guess it's too much effort to click, but the evidence is pretty clear that the effectiveness of wrist guards is mostly relevant to beginners.

This is probably because such devices don't really work at "high speeds". So if an advanced rider uses these things it's probably pointless.

Well actually I did click and I read the whole article. No need to be flippant. Was just asking an opinion

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philwig, but they ARE beginners, that was the whole point of the question! So yes, they no doubt will sit down in the snow. And I reckon it IS worth beginner boarders wearing wrist guards, which is the majority view on this thread. I did actually learn very quick not to fall on my wrists, and equally quick not to fall on my very sore coccyx.

This actually came in useful when (through sheer lack of paying attention) I fell off a kerb in the south of France, far from any snow. I was very pleased with my beginner snowboarder instinct to fall onto buttock and shoulder - no wrists, no injury.

Being an old lady I also learnt very quickly that it was much less effort to get up onto the toe side - no problem, just lie back and flip the board over, something I was taught in my first lesson.

Being an even older lady now, and with diagnosed bone thinning, I have decided to give up snowboarding because you do fall hard. But I'm glad I did the bit I did - if only because so many skiers are so arsey about snowboarders and it's good to see things from the other side.

polo99, Don't be surprised if they are not "slow and cautious" for long - well, not the boys, anyway.

I don't know it well, but I expect there would be plenty of suitable places from a La Tania base - and just having a pass for the one valley will be a little bit cheaper. Get some views from people who know La Tania well AND have been there with beginner snowboarders.

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I think it is the same as the hemlet debate, you weigh up the risks and make a choice.

I can only give you my experiences here, but last Easter I was part of a school trip of more than 50 kids all learning to snowboard. Out of those 50, 2 kids hurt their wrists (sprains, not broken) during the week, and one kid hurt their hip/coccyx. The other 47 kids had no injuries and after the first couple of days, all were falling without putting their hands out, well, most of the time. Very few decided to wear any wrist or bum protection, although all had to wear helmets. The risk of injury is there, but is not that high.

I also was learning to board, although I'd done a few hours here and there beforehand. I already know how to fall from years of trampolining and skiing, so didnt bother with wrist guards. I did use impact shorts everyday, and was so glad I did. I found some slimline ones by Head, which provided some foamy protection without too much bulk. I found the muscle bruising the most uncomfortable thing about learning to board, and I know that it has put off some people before they get to the stage where things 'click' in terms of technique. I also bought knee pads, but only used them on days when the snow was hardpack or icy.

I'd say that it is personal preference, and you know what your kids are like. I have heard people say that wrist guards aren't great. If you fall hard enough, then you break your arm/coller bone instead, but then you would have broken something if not wearing them anyway! If you do go for them, make sure they fit well, are comfortable and their gloves fit around them. You kids won't wear them for long if they are uncomfortable or annoying.

id say yes also to wrist guards, although the only ones ive seen used were the curved metal kind in the palm - my wife used them our first holiday in kitz when we had only had a few lessons. The idea I believe is to basically make your hands skim across the surface and not only you to take the shock of the impact.

You know it makes sense.

dennisp, Nah, she's just got 'The Fear'. Get her into a couple of half days instruction again to reinforce her technique and bolster confidence and she'll be jibbing your splayed carcass in no time.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

Richard_Sideways, have thought about some half days for her, so thanks for the suggestion

A snowHead

i always ... always wear, my impact sorts/ass pad, helmet, knee pads, and aside from when its really hot, back protector

i always wear them and always have and i dont notice that im using them, although they all are very good ones, cheap ones might be more annoying

after 3 full seasons in the last 4 years i have seen so many of my friends get hurt in accidents with injuries that could have been avoided by using sensible gear that you dont even notice you have on

wrist guards, i do have some. and i do use them sometimes, but i have dodgy wrists, ive never seen anyone do there wrists, if your new they are a good idea... if your good at falling less so, plus they are annoying in my experience.

this being said the consequences go up alot when you going at the kinds of speeds we tend to go and jumping off ever bigger things... i see it like i see my bike, i wear what i want to be wearing when i inevitably come of it some day

ps in the pow is when this stuff is the most important, being far from rescue with rocks just under the snow is then these things come into there own, although i sway back protector for a backpack

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Thats a lot of protection for a man called fearlessjoe Careful or the braintrust will be linking protection and fearlessnesss again.
Suggest contacting the admins and requesting a name change to Joeseph_of_Armourtheia

wink

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Been thinking about this for a while. When I first learnt to snowboard back in '01-ish, it was icy, the end of the season, and no safety kit was required at all. Out of 4 of us, 3 had skied before, and I hadn't, and none of us broke anything. I did about 10-12 hours of n00b lessons at MK again over the winter, and nobody broke anything then, nor did they use wrist guards, just the standard mandatory helmet. For me, falling over repeatedly and the aching afterwards gave me a small insight into what getting overconfident on the hills and shunting at speed would feel like, it taught me to respect the snow.

Personally, I'd bin off the wristguards, particularly since the kids in question are old enough to understand things. They should learn to fall properly, practice it on the slope and can't start lessons until they've done so. Learning to fall and making that behaviour second nature will help them all the way through their time snowboarding, whereas they could forget their wristguards one day, fall as if they're wearing them and break themselves. I know the OP is just trying to protect the little toe rags but as long as they've got a lid on the rest is creating a comfort zone that they probably won't always choose to replicate.

My personal rule is never jump off or onto something I wouldn't want to land on. So far, so good Wink

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

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Definitely. If they don't use them, then Lemsip will be the only remaining option.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

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Wrist protectors. Yay or nay

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