GATH FAQ

The use by date of your Gath is dependent upon the frequency of use, exposure to the elements, proper care and maintenance. Like all plastic products, it has a usable life span. However, if your Gath is subject to more sever impact and there is visual damage, we recommend you to replace it. If your Gath helmet components are showing any sign of damage or weakness, we recommend you to replace the components through your local distributor/dealer. if this is not possible, please contact us direct. 

Gath is now available in 5 models.

2018 Range includes:

GATH HAT NEO
GATH HAT EVA 
GATH RV 
GATH SFC
GATH Gedi 

and making the best choice depends on…

Your sport or activity
Your build, head size and shape
The benefits or performance level you expect from your GATH helmet.

For example,

If your sport is IN THE WATER and WAVES, Surfing, Body Boarding or similar wave sports, a close snug fit is important. Surfers choose the Original Gath Hat Neo, Gath Hat EVA, Gath RV or Gath SFC (Surf Convertible).

If your sport is ON THE WATER and involves high speeds, Windsurfing, Kite Surfing, Jet skiing or similar sports or activities, and your preference tends towards a Gath with a higher level of head protection, then the Gath Gedi may be your best choice, however many still choose any one of the five unique Gath helmets.

If you are purchasing a Gath helmet for FACE and EYE PROTECTION from the damaging UV SUN Light, then the Gath Retractable Visor or the Gath Gedi or SFC with peak or visor will serve you well.

If you want head protection without ear coverage and as little bulk as possible, the Gath Surf Convertible (SFC) with detachable ear protectors will provide you a smart balance between impact head protection and lightweight comfort.

All GATH helmets are unequally designed for water sports and provide the lightest, closest fit available to handle the more common thrashings in ocean waves or turbulent river white water situations, while still delivering a practical balance between performance and impact protection. Different Gath helmet models have different attachments: PEAKS, VISORS, DETACHABLE EAR PROTECTORS, WATERPROOF RADIO COMMUNICATION, ALTIMETER BASE PLATE AND COVER, WATER PROOF CAMERAS ETC.

Gath recommends you visit our online shop to help choose a Gath that meets your needs.

Gath recommends you visit your local Gath stockist and try on the different models and sizes of Gath helmets before choosing. If you are unable to find a local stockist with a range of Gath helmets then Gath recommends you carefully read the size guide to help you best choose the Gath helmet to suit your needs.

If you require more information to help you choose the correct Gath, please contact us. 

The GATH Gedi may be best suited to your build. The Gedi is the largest fitting helmet in the GATH range, fits size XL-XXL (600-630 mm) and offers the highest level of impact.

The Gedi helmet features Gath latest Comfort Strip Fitting System and can be sized up or down by adding different thickness comfort strips and is a better suited to a person with a large head size.

Please note:
The Retractable Visor helmet is a slightly smaller fitting helmet than the Original GATH helmet if your head size is XL – XXL you may find the fit of the Gath RV too tight and may be better served by choosing from the other five GATH models.

If your head size is SM-MED-LG or XL then you can choose from the complete range.

The GATH SURF CONVERTIBLE (SFC) may be best suited to your build. The Gath SFC is the smallest fitting lightest helmet in the GATH range, fits XS-SM (530-560 mm) head size.

The Gath SFC helmet features Gath latest Comfort Strip Fitting System and can be sized up or down by adding different thickness comfort strips to ensure a perfect custom fit, even for very small head sizes.

Fitting the Gath helmets on for size is recommended. Gath recommends you visit your local Gath stockist and after choosing your preferred model to try on helmets above and below your size to ensure you are choosing the correct size.

The helmet you choose must suit your head size and shape, fit firmly (not too tight) but comfortably and when correctly fitted you should NOT be able to push it back off your head. Helmets that don’t fit correctly and particularly helmets that can be dislodged even though they are correctly adjusted and strapped on are potentially dangerous.

If buying on-line, refer to the gathsports.com Products page and the appropriate size chart below the helmet of your choice. If you do not know your head size use a material measuring tape or string (by transferring the length of string onto a standard tape measure) and measure your head size around the forehead just above your ears. This will give you a close estimation of your head size and the Gath helmet size you should choose. If you purchase your Gath helmet online and receive the wrong size, Gath Sports will gladly exchange helmets to ensure you get the correct sized Gath of your choice, subject to Gath’s on-line terms of sale, which basically means the helmet must be returned promptly undamaged and you pay for any additional freight charges. Gath provides the extra handling service free of charge to ensure you receive the correct Gath of your choice.

The Gedi and SFC helmets feature Gath’s unique Comfort Strip Fit System and come with spare comfort strips to ensure you get a perfect snug fit. These Gath helmet models provide more adjustability and increase the success rate of choosing the correct size online.

Gath helmets are distributed throughout the world to over 50 countries and are generally sold through sports stores or surf shops. However, most shops only carry a small sample range of Gath Helmets and if they do not have your preferred size and model in most cases will order one for you.

To find your leading stockist visit www.gathsports.com LINK click your country and local Distributors details, they will direct you to your leading stockist or supply you with the Gath of your choice. If you still have difficulty purchasing a Gath helmet you can buy directly from Gath Australia on https://gathsports.com LINK for the complete range of Gath or try e-bay or direct to gath@gathsports.com LINK for a range of custom sprayed Gath helmets.

NSAI Irish Standard https://infostore.saiglobal.com/preview/is/en/2012/i.s.en1385-2012.pdf?sku=1516032

SLSA BULLETIN
https://www.surflifesaving.com.au/news/slsa-bulletin–2/bulletin-mandating-wearing-of-helmets-in-surf-boats-gn-checked1.pdf

UNITED STATES CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
https://www.cpsc.gov/safety-education/safety-guides/sports-fitness-and-recreation-bicycles/which-helmet-which-activity

This article total supports the FLEXI DESIGN CONSTRUCTION, the same design principle Gath has been incorporating since 1988 and continues to stand by today. It is the same design principle adopted by car manufacturers many years ago, a car that partially crumbles will absorb the impact energy better than a more rigid car that will not crumble, the impact energy is transferred, rather than absorbing and dispersing the force of the blow.

Gath helmets have been used by the world’s elite sports professionals and sports enthusiasts in a large number of extreme sports and weather conditions that test a helmet to its limits in both strength and durability and impact absorbing properties. Gath’s IMPRESSIVE 20-year safety record speaks for itself and is supported by the numerous testimonials from customers claiming their Gath has saved them from serious injury or even saved their life.

An example of these testimonies is from a Gath Team rider wearing his Gedi in a high-speed downhill bicycle accident. Thrown from his bike and slammed the back of his head (Gath Gedi) onto a hard gravel surface, he walked away with only his pride damaged and shortly after wrote to Gath to praise his Gedi for saving him from serious injury 

Even though Gath does not recommend use of Gath helmets for cycling or for other land-based sports, and Gath’s range of helmets have not been submitted for testing to cycle standards, this and many other real life incidents that the Gath helmets have withstood supports the Gath FLEXI DESIGN construction and suggests that impact properties exceed intended use.

Original Gath Surf Hat now comes with the option of two different headbands.

1. Gath NEO hat with Neoprene Headband (3-4mm thick wetsuit material).
2. Gath EVA hat with EVA Headband (10mm thick), the same material as the helmet’s foam liner.

The Original Gath NEO hat with Neoprene Headband is well known for its comfortable snug fit and excellent performance in the Surf and Sky. The patented high cut shell and expandable headband combine to provide an automatic close comfortable fit and after 29 years is today still the preferred choice for many Gath buyers. This model is ideal for the more common head shapes. But head shapes with a long or high forehead do not fit this model well, as the helmet can sit higher or further back than intended.

The latest model GH with EVA Headband features Gath’s unique Comfort Strip Fit System which combines with the EVA Headband and allows for a perfect custom fit even for the more uncommon high or long forehead shapes. The 10mm thick EVA Headband also provides added forehead protection against impact injury. If you have a high or long shaped forehead and wish to purchase a GH, then the GH with EVA Headband may be more suitable.

Both model GH Helmets are bought for the same sports and are equally as popular, it is a matter of head shape and personal preference to which you should choose. Gath recommends you try both models before choosing.

When the helmet is new, the Audio Vents may be a little tight. To open and close the Audio Vent Outer Grill easily, push the centre of the Audio Vent on the inside of the helmet while turning the outer grill. Once they have been opened and closed a few times rotating the outer grill becomes easy.

This is a difficult question to answer quickly because there are choices to be made.

The final decision will depend on your sport or activity, your build, head size and shape and your personal preferences. It will also depend upon the reason you are choosing to wear a helmet. Whilst impact protection is a primary consideration, it is not the only consideration for water sports enthusiasts. For example, a helmet with a seemingly high level of impact protection may not serve you well in a serious accident situation if it doesn’t well fit your head, moves around too much, degrades quickly – or if it is poorly designed and constantly slips after only a short time in use.

For example, a helmet with a seemingly high level of impact protection may not serve you well in a serious accident situation if it doesn’t well fit your head, moves around too much, degrades quickly – or if it is poorly designed and constantly slips after only a short time in use.

Whilst impact protection is a primary consideration, it is not the only consideration for water sports enthusiasts. For example, a helmet with a seemingly high level of impact protection may not serve you well in a serious accident situation if it doesn’t well fit your head, moves around too much, degrades quickly – or if it is poorly designed and constantly slips after only a short time in use.

There are also other demands by today’s extreme sports enthusiasts that are not as critical for a land based helmet, but vital for a well-designed water sports helmet. Some of these include good peripheral vision, options for hydrodynamic sun protection, ear and eye protection, good water drainage, the ability to wear continuously when wet without becoming too heavy causing discomfort or potential for repetitive strain injury. These are also important safety considerations.

Surfing and similar “in the water” sports involving frequent heavy pushing through waves or heavy turbulent water contact, requires a close-fitting helmet that delivers a balance between impact protection with little to no bucketing effect.

Perhaps the best way to answer the question is to point out some of the design and protective benefits of each model. These benefits, combined with the way a particular Gath model fits your head, should be the deciding factors.

All Gath helmets – when compared to many other brands.

• More coverage
• More stability
• More peripheral vision
• More comfort
• Ear protection
• Longer lasting
• Unique accessories – attachable/removable visors AND peaks/bills

GATH GEDI 350-410 gram

• Gath’s most impact protective helmet
• Marginally more voluminous than surfing Gaths, but more lightweight and stable when compared to other helmets on the market offering similar levels of impact protection
• The uniqueness of the Gedi is that it remains close fitting and snug whilst offering more direct impact protection than Gath’s surfing models
• A Higher level of impact protection makes the Gedi more ideal for whitewater and similar sports where collision with rocks or similar objects are constant injury mechanisms. (Accredited to EN 1385 Canoeing and Whitewater Sports)
• The ability to add peaks and visors is also appreciated by many enthusiasts
• Attachable/Removable ear protection

Chosen by: Paddle Sports enthusiasts, including Whitewater. Tow-in surfers, PWC operators, kitesurfers, windsurfers, wakeboarders, waterskiers, riverboarders, base jumpers, swoopers, wingsuiters.

GATH SURF CONVERTIBLE 280-305 gram

• The lightest, coolest, lowest profile Gath
• Many claims this is the most comfortable Gath of all – the helmet you can truly forget you are wearing
• Designed for wave sports enthusiasts and those more in the surf and waves than on the water
• Best water immersion, ideal for punching through the waves
• Cut marginally higher at the back than the classic Gath Hat for those that constantly look upwards and outwards, no constant pressures from the back edge of the helmet, more room for high neck wetsuits (still completely covers the Standards Test Area)
• Least neck wrenching
• A good level of impact protection for the more regular surfing injury mechanisms (boards, fins, reef) whilst maintaining low drag performance essential.
• Attachable/Removable ear protection (many surfers do not want ear protection, claiming it adversely affects their balance)
• Unique accessories – attachable/removable visors AND peaks/bills
• If the Gedi is too much helmet for you, then this mini Gath could be the best friend in the surf you will ever have

Chosen by: Surfers, kitesurfers, windsurfers, wave skiers, sailing and yachting sports enthusiasts, surf kayakers.

GATH RETRACTABLE VISOR 460-510 gram

• One of a kind, shatterproof, award-winning, visor with modes of operation that allow the visor to remained fixed and firm wherever it is set
• Allows normal vision with visor set in a position that will shade and shelter the eyes
• Makes activity possible when constant surf or ocean spray and/or sun/water glare regularly prevents progress
• Reduces the potential/offers relief for sore, red eyes
• Reduces the likelihood of skin/eye damage to upper face and eyes due to harmful UV rays of the sun
• Increases impact protection over Classic Gath Hat for upper face and eyes
• Warmth, claimed by many to be the warmest Gath of all for those cold, chilly winter swells

Chosen by: Surfers, windsurfers, surf kayakers, wave skiers, water skiers, sailing and yachting sports enthusiasts, boaters, riverboarders, freefalling skydivers, PWC operators, kitesurfers

CLASSIC GATH HAT with EVA Headband 325-350 gram

• Classic Original Design now improved for 2008 – incorporating popular Surf Convertible design features
• EVA Headband (increased forehead protection) and liner system of the Surf Convertible (increased comfort, more size adjustability, more room for the ears)
• Full shell coverage over the ears preferred by some with ear exostosis and similar ear problems
• Warmth, full shell coverage has more warmth than Surf Convertible
• Extended shell at rear has more coverage for sports like Kiteboarding, where board rebound can be a regular injury mechanism

Chosen by: Surfers, kitesurfers, windsurfers, freefalling skydivers

CLASSIC GATH HAT with Neoprene Headband 325-350 gram

• Classic ever popular original design
• Neoprene Headband – expandable, caters well for a multitude of head shapes
• Full shell coverage over the ears preferred by some with ear exostosis and similar ear problems
• Warmth, full shell coverage has more warmth than Surf Convertible

Chosen by: Surfers, kitesurfers, windsurfers, freefalling skydivers

Whilst GATH does not currently produce a “Children’s Helmet”, some models are suited for YOUTH, ages 7-15, depending on head size.

The SFC is available in Xsmall  (520 – 535 mm) and our small NEO can be modified (approx 555 mm) 

1. Further inspection is being taken by customs 
2. Payable import duties raised by customs

To track the status of your parcel, simply click on to link you were provided with in your dispatch confirmation email from GATH. This will take you to the Australia Post tracking page and will give you updated information on your delivery. 

If you are unable to see current updates, find the local EMS operator’s contact details by clicking on this link.