Impact Protection

If you like coming home with bruises after boating raise your hand. You can’t because your elbow is bruised? …thought so. No one likes getting banged up on the river and it is so easy to do. In this article we’re taking a look at impact protection with a little help from our friends at G-form.  If you are trying to understand what is out on the market we have a helpful buyer’s guide at the bottom of the page otherwise you can find more info about impact protection below.

Top Recommendations for Impact Protection

How much will wearing impact protection help?

Look at some point in your boating career you are going to take a hard hit. For the same reasons we wear helmets and good shoes impact protection is important. According to the data from the NIH study, impact protection to areas other than the head have the possibility of reducing injuries rafters commonly experience by up to 39.6%. We also reached out to G-form on a number of questions related to this topic for some insight on how impact protection helps:

RM: How do you measure the impact protection of your pads and what are the results of those tests? 

G-form: We measure impact protection both internally as well as with independent centers. We drop a weighted impactor that looks like a ball bearing on our pads with a sensor below it that measures the force passed through in newtons. You can see the actual test at 18 seconds of our technology video below.

The results are that we absorb impact better than anything we’ve seen on a pound for pound basis. What I mean by that is if you take ¼” inch thick pad of our material and do the same thickness of another protective material, we absorb more impact.

RM: Technically speaking, how does the impact dissipation process work with the materials in pads? Specifically how do your pads react vs hard shell plastic? 

G-form: Our pads are impact absorption whereas plastic typically passes impact through and disperses it. So plastic works to spread the impact out but does very little to actually absorb the impact which is why it’s always accompanied by additional padding. Our padding absorbs the impact and dissipates it so the actual force of the blow is drastically reduced.

RM: Since most falls in paddling generate low speed impacts would there be a situation in which your pads may not absorb all of the impact? 

G-form: Our pads are rate dependent meaning they absorb more impact the harder they’re hit, but in terms of what a user would feel you would generally have no issues for impacts at lower speeds. It’s worth pointing out that no pad absorbs 100% of impact. We give users pads that keep them from getting hurt and allow them total range of motion. We never promise to make users invincible as that would be reckless. Our pads have been worn for thousands of hours by everyone from mountain bikers to stunt men and sky divers and we’ve heard some pretty amazing stories. We are confident boaters will be protected on the water in our gear.

RM: Boaters are constantly slogging through blackberries and brush on scouts and swims. How well should impact protection pads stand up to that kind of abuse? 

G-form: Our pads are used on mountain bike trails all over the world and hold up to that kind of abuse. For those that are really going across rough terrain that is likely to rip materials, we have come out with our Pro-Rugged knee and elbow pads recently. They have an Armortex cover on the pad and more durable material to stand up to the most rugged conditions.

RM: How does impact testing translate to the real world in terms of felt impact? Say a person has a 6 foot fall (common in rafting) and lands on a pad, how might that impact feel to the user? 

G-form: This is a really tough one to answer as there are a ton of variables. Maybe we can test this one out together as I don’t want to speak out of turn. People fall in our pads all the time on bike trails from similar heights and get up to keep on riding no problem.

Where do we need impact protection while rafting?

A University of Nevada Reno Study revealed an injury rate is .26 to 2.1 injuries for every 100,000 user days or 0.00026% to 0.002%. Another major study from 1995 through 1997,showed the body part most frequently injured was the face (33.3%), including the eye (12.1%), mouth (6.6%), other facial parts (5.1%), nose (4.5%), and teeth (4.0%), followed by the knee (15.3%), arm/wrist/hand (11.6%), other parts of the leg, hip, or foot (10.5%), ankle (7.4%), torso (6.8%), shoulder (6.3%), and head/neck (5.3%). Injury types included lacerations (32.5%), sprains/strains (23.2%), fractures (14.9%), contusions/bruises (9.8%), dislocations (8.2%), and two deaths. So statistically speaking there is a 0.00026% to 0.002% that you will be injured on any particular day rafting.  Another way to look at is that you are 48.2 times more likely to suffer a major injury from a toilet versus the worst odds of a major rafting injury (96.4/100,000 or .0964%). Those are pretty good odds, but the UNR study focused on reportable injuries. The 95-97 study focused on non-reported (or what we can assume are minor injuries).  That study showed a 1 in 263 chance of injury from rafting.

Why should I armor up?

The statistics above show some interesting trends, but using impact protection is not just about reducing the risk of injury. Rafting in an inherently unpredictable sport and as Team paddler Nathan Hobbs puts it: “ The more self-reliant you are, the more it frees up the group to look out for those who are trying to step up.” Receiving in injury however minor reduces your effectiveness in adverse conditions. As you lose effectiveness you also become less self-reliant which in turn forces your boating group to run at a lower overall level of effectiveness. If that level of effectiveness drops below the class of the river then you will end up having a bad day on the water Put another way if you injure yourself on a rock and are unable to sit in an r3 crew you just decreased the boat’s effectiveness dramatically. Since you have lost 33% of your crew the remaining 2 paddlers now must not only navigate the river together, but they must also carry the additional weight of the disabled paddler. The best way to combat this is to armor up and prevent yourself from being injured in the first place. By exposing yourself to a lower injury rate you are buying a measure of insurance against a drop in your crew’s efficiency.

Types of impact protection

Impact protection comes in two styles soft pads and hard outer layers. Each has distinct advantages and disadvantages, however both serve the same purpose: to protect you from injury. The way these pads protect you and how they fit do cause you to change your boating style a bit to accommodate them though.

Soft Pads

Soft impact protection consists of padded elements sewn on top of a fabric liner. These types of pads are typically designed to provide an extra layer of cushion to help absorb part of the impact. The efficiency of this process varies greatly by material. Some of the cheaper gel or foam pads on the market are extremely inefficient absorbing only a small amount of impact, whereas more expensive pads will use high grade non Newtonian substances to dissipate most of the energy on contact. Advantages of this design are that they tend to be more comfortable due to the inherent flexibility of the pad itself. These pads will also absorb rather than disperse the impact so less force is actually transferred to your body. Dis advantages of this design: the pads are often less durable since they can rip or tear easily. Because of this draw back boaters often wear these under their clothes and outer layer so the pad often does nothing to protect the wearer’s outer layer.

Hard Pads

These impact protection devices are designed as a sort of second skin with a hard outer shell and an inner foam liner. The hard pads are designed to disperse the kinetic energy of the impact out over a broad area. This can cause a dramatic difference in felt impact; however the entire amount of force is still impacting your body. Advantages: Hard pads protect your outer layers and prevent damage from lacerations by maintaining a hard outer layer. Dis advantages: often heavy bulky and inflexible. These pads can also crack with a powerful sudden impact rendering them useless after one strong hit. They do not actually absorb any energy.

What to look for in impact protection

The best thing you can get in impact protection is a system which dissipates as much force as possible. Pads should also be able to take multiple hard impacts as well as be designed for an aquatic environment. Some materials just don’t do well in the water. Value is another important point, if you buy a hard plastic elbow guard and you crack it on the first couple of uses then you may have protected your elbow, but there goes $80-100. On the other hand if you end up shredding your soft pads while you are bushwhacking then perhaps you would have been better suited to a hard pad that won’t be so prone to abrasion. Also, think about what you boat most of the time and your most common injury. If you row a lot and smash your shins regularly then it might be a good idea to make that area your to priority.

Pro-X2 Elbow Pads - G-Form

MSRP $ 49.99

You can't wear bulky, uncomfortable pads that hold you back. But when the elements turn against you, it could put you on the sideline, and you can't let that happen. With Pro-X2 Elbow Pads, you have the protection you need, when you need it. The rest of the time, you won't even know it's there. Featuring SmartFlex™: Flexible as you Ride. Hardens on Impact.

• Comfortable: Lightweight, flexible pads giving you total comfort during any ride

• Body-mapped impact absorbing SmartFlex™pads

• Secured: Compression sleeves with silicone gripper to keep your pads secure

• Ventilated: Stay cool with ventilated pads and moisture-wicking, UPF 50+ fabric

• Weight :  89 g (3.1 oz)

S-Turn Elbow Pads - WRSI

MSRP $ 59.95

Paddlers have a new weapon in the battle against immovable objects. Named for the classic rapid on the roadside Alseseca, the WRSI S-Turn Elbow Pad gives your pointy parts the ultimate protection from geologic threats.

• Three adjustable straps and a mesh elastic sleeve with silicone grip lock the S-Turn comfortably in place.

• ABS plastic armor shrugs off blows and glides across rock without catching.

• 3 mm perforated foam padding absorbs impacts.

• Patterned to flex naturally for unrestricted paddling.

• Works equally well over bare arms or drytop sleeves.

• Two sizes to fit nearly any paddler. Sold as a pair.

• Weight :  10 oz (284 g)

Elbow Pads - Sweet Protection

MSRP $ 99.95

The Elbow Pads offer all-day comfort with impressive multi-impact shock absorbing properties. With a 3D anatomical shape and adjustable straps, these pads ensure the perfect fit for optimal protection. Combined with elastic and breathable materials they also offer high durability and comfort.

• Square hinge end holds belay loop securely in place

• Slightly curved spine maximizes gate opening

• Keylock nose prevents snagging

• One-hand operable

• Screwgate sleeve

• Type H or HMS connector. For dynamic belaying using a Munter Hitch or belay device.

• Weight : 5.46 oz (155 g)