Liverpool University Canoe Club

There are many kinds of helmet, and the club has two main basic kinds – with and without a faceguard.

Faceguards are essential for playing polo.

As to whether they are a good thing or a bad thing on the river, there are many arguments for and against.

They are certainly a lot less popular in the wider paddling community at the moment – read, for example, White Water Safety and Rescue (an excellent book).

Everyone has different views, and you are welcome to add yours here – there is a comments box below.

For example, here is a view from Dinny:

While we’re on the subject I guess it might be worth giving my two pence on faceguards – some of the newer members probably haven’t yet heard me going on about them ad nauseam…..

In my opinion it is well worth seriously considering getting a faceguard – I appreciate that they may not look cool and trendy – but if you are being dragged along the bottom of a steep rocky alpine river upside down, then I suspect that may stop being your main concern? It doesn’t take much impact to smash your teeth out (I speak from experience). A face guard is far cheaper than a decent dentist, and you don’t look that that cool with two black eyes, stitches in your face and broken teeth anyway.

(It never ceases to amuse me that a couple of people in the club who do paddle the harder (and often rockier) stretches of rivers generally do so without capsizing, rolling or doing wild support strokes – but they do still wear faceguards – while some of the others that paddle similar stretches of rivers seem to expect to capsize regularly and rely on rolling backup at the bottom or between obstacles – however they never seem to even consider wearing a faceguard……)

I know that some people claim that you can “get caught” on your faceguard – they seem to happily ignore the fact that presumably the sharp branch or piece of metal that could snag on your faceguard – would be just as likely to snag in your mouth, nose or eye socket if you weren’t wearing one anyway (ouch!) – surely there has to be as much chance of the faceguard deflecting this “spikey thing” from your face, as there is of it actually getting caught on it….

I have seen a depressing amount of people who don’t wear faceguards on steep rocky rivers, smash teeth out, get concussed and need stitches in hospital. I have yet to see anyone wearing a faceguard get “caught up on it”.

Anyway in the end it’s down to the choice of the individual – I’m certainly not a fan of restrictive health and safety rules – but it is important to understand the risks and consequences before you make your own (hopefully educated) decision on what to wear and carry, while paddling on steep and technical rivers.

Dinny