The Gear Shed - WRSI Trident Helmet
Shell Material: Carbon composite
Certification: CE EN 1385
Liner Material: EVA foam liner
Adjustment: Interconnect Retention System
Ear Coverage: No
Features: Visor
WRSI Trident Review
When I got this helmet I had some serious doubts about the design and function of it. I prefer helmets with vents and I’m not a fan of solid brims on helmets. I find the combination of the two in the past would tend to peel the helmet back in big swims and wrench my neck around in heavy whitewater.
If you are not aware of the history of WRSI, they started as an independent helmet company after a tragic kayaking accident. They were acquired some years ago by NRS who have stayed true to the design and spirit of the brand providing low cost high quality helmets. The original design of the current helmet is still largely the same. The WRSI Trident is a bit of a departure from the current and although the Trident is a completely different helmet, it definitely has its place as a go to helmet for rafting. I was pleasantly surprised with the design and function of this helmet on the river especially after several big swims in class V.
Aesthetically the helmet looks good and comes in both fun and high visibility colors. The brim is a great design with just enough coverage to block the sun and splashes without roll back issues.
Most importantly it fits my oversized watermelon head well (I joke about using a 5 gallon bucket, but seriously it is not far from the truth). I event feel the XL size is a little large, but I wouldn’t want something smaller since I can adjust the little bit of play in my pads. All in all this is a great all around helmet with a good price point that holds up very well to abuse.
Ideal Uses for the Trident
This helmet finds its home with experienced paddlers who know what they want from their equipment. Ideal uses are definitely for hard hitting class IV and V rivers in temperate climates.
Class III boaters and longer multi day paddlers might enjoy the sun protection offered by the visor, and while the helmet is generally comfortable many users on long slow stretches might opt for a more comfortable hat.
Winter boating is also where this helmet excels and the brim is a great companion in harsh winter lighting.
How is the Trident Helmet in the water?
While Paddling: This helmet excels in cooler weather conditions, but it still works well in hot dry environments. It doesn’t dry as rapidly as other helmets including the WRSI Current. This was a huge benefit when I was boating in Kazakhstan and during the California Summer where it was dry and very hot.
My head was a little cold in a Kyrgyz rain/snow storm, but I didn’t have a hat or helmet liner so that is understandable. The brim is a great size for deflecting large waves and blocking the sun while maintaining visibility. Although the helmet is light weight it can feel a little bulky, but in a different way than other helmets, this design feels a bit like an over mold on a grip, you get a stronger grip, but it feels more bulky.
During a swim: I tested this helmet in several swims including some big class V swims in continuous French whitewater and it performed well. I was most concerned about roll back of the helmet with the solid brim, but the designers did a great job with the Interconnect Retention System which covers the occipital protuberance on the back of your head.
I did have some issues with visibility while swimming because of the visor since you can only bend your neck back so far while aggressively swimming in whitewater.
That disadvantage was offset by the visor blocking the waves though so the net effect was neutral, but it depends upon what you value more. The helmet did move a bit but that was more user error if the plastic cheek braces are not aligned directly below your ear.
How tough is the WRSI Trident?
The helmet survived 10 flights from California to Central Asia in a soft checked bag (For reference on one occasion a Current helmet was completely wrecked by this method of transport.
After getting regularly tossed in the back of vans, trucks, dropped on the ground from low heights, and a few burly swims it has very few scratches. The stainless steel rivets in the composite shell linked with tubular webbing straps seems to have little wear after the abuse I put it through.
Important Considerations
The helmet is light weight and more streamlined than the WRSI Current, however it is a little more bulky than other popular high end helmets.
The protection is good, but not exceptional. The helmet offers good overall head coverage, however there is only between 50 – 70% coverage for the back of your head / occipital region. This is offset a bit by the plastic of the Interconnect Retention System covering the back of the skull. There is no full face design or upgrade available and there are no upgrades available for ear protection.
Being carbon composite it is prone to nicks if you drop it, but it is definitely more scratch resistant than plastic helmets. We have not tried to damage the helmet or hit it with a hammer to see how it breaks, but that would be an interesting test.
Sizing can be tricky and it is a good idea to try one on before you buy since the padding system is not adjustable. It would be very easy to select an improper size so the best recommendation would be to wear it for a while at home after you buy it to make sure you have the adjustments and sizing dialed in.
The helmet does not have a vent option so if you are in a hot region this helmet could be prone to causing over heating especially if you chose a dark color. Make sure to keep the liner wet in that kind of environment. On the flip side of that the carbon composite does not absorb as much heat as a plastic shell so it will tend to stay cooler in the sun. Conversely in colder regions the helmet does provide some amount of insulation, but if you do get the liner wet it can stay cold. A helmet liner would be a good choice in these kind of conditions.
Visibility can be a limiting factor with this helmet since rafters tend to hunch while boating. The visor reduces your peripheral vision in the top of your field of view making you less likely to see things happening above you or if you hunch a lot while paddling it can limit some of your vision in front of you. On more scenic stretches this may be a more pronounced drawback since less of the vertical portion of the canyon will be visible. If sun and splash protection may be more important to you then this is somewhat of a non-issue because of the benefits the visor offers.
This helmet is designed to CE EN 1385 specs which means it is not designed as a multi-sport boating / ski helmet for example.
Is the Trident Helmet worth the cost?
At a $180 price point this helmet definitely fits into the performance category of helmets. This helmet is perhaps a bit less flexible in uses compared to other helmets with things like upgradable ear pads and face shields so if that’s important to you, this may not be the best choice.
If you value a visor that is always there for you this helmet will be a solid choice over plastic or removable visor helmets which tend to break in half or rip off.
The helmet does have a much easier to swallow price point than other composite helmets of its class. Like all helmets it is only good until it has taken a serious impact then it must be replaced so you should be comfortable spending $180 knowing may take a huge hit on your first day out and find that it needs to be replaced that day.
Overall the helmet packs a lot in for the price, but this is definitely not appropriate for your first helmet if you are just getting into the sport. This helmet is costs a lot of money for a sport that you may or may not like especially if you don’t boat a lot.
It is also important to be aware that this is a performance safety device with specific design features and intent in mind. If you are not familiar with how a helmet reacts in the water and how to best protect your body during a swim, then this is likewise not the best helmet for you.