A: Many people ask us what the recommended lifespan of a helmet is, and while Gecko helmets are designed to last a long time it is generally considered prudent to replace your helmet every four years based on it having around 300 hours usage per year. The four-year recommendation is based on the date of first use, rather than the date of manufacture. If you have an accident during that time or notice any damage to the helmet you should consider replacing it sooner.

A: The ‘mark’ of your helmet is the model number. The full face, cut away and surf helmet models have not been modified for a number of years and so there should only be one model in current circulation. The open face helmet has seen some design updates in recent years and therefore there are two marks in circulation at present, the MK10 and MK11.  You’ll only need to know which mark of helmet you have if you require spare parts or accessories for it, but how do you know which model you have? The easiest way to tell is to look at the date stamp on the outside rim of your helmet; the date stamp is either shown as two circles (displaying the month and year of manufacture) or a rectangle. If you have two calendar circles, you have a mark 11 helmet – if you have a rectangle, you have a mark 10.

The products in our online store are a limited selection of our most popular helmet models in the colours that we think look best. We keep these helmets in stock for fast dispatch which reduces our overheads, enabling us to sell these helmets at extremely competitive rates. Of course, if you would prefer a different colour or design you can use the custom helmet builder function to order a personalised helmet but please note that prices may vary and a 2-3 week lead time should be expected.

A: There is only one safety standard in the world for marine safety helmets, and that is British Standards Institute’s PAS 028:2002. No other helmet accreditation offers a vehicle user level of protection in a product that is appropriate for the marine environment. For this reason, we only recommend PAS 028:2002 certified helmets for users of fast watercraft and commercial marine applications.

A: Helmets are designed to be ‘fit for purpose’ and are tested against specific criteria to make them effective in particular situations. Although motorcycle helmets are designed to take the force of a high-speed collision, they are not designed to be used in water; they are comprised of materials that absorb water which make them very heavy when wet, they are not required by the certification criteria to be positively buoyant which poses a potential drowning risk, plus they are manufactured using materials that may degrade with salt water exposure. As a general rule of thumb, always buy a helmet that is designed for, and tested against the specific requirements of the activity that you are using it for – it’s the only way to be sure that your head is appropriately protected. See our safety page for more detail on this topic.

A: Naturally, if you experience a significant collision in your helmet it should be replaced whether you can see any damage or not. In the absence of a significant collision, it is very unlikely that your Gecko will show signs of damage or wear and tear prior to the end of the four year recommended life-span. However, should you find signs of disrepair on your helmet we suggest that you send it back to us so we can assess its condition and conduct a repair, if appropriate. We’d never recommend a DIY repair on your helmet because it may damage the infrastructure of the helmet and will void the warranty.

A: All the items that we sell have been extensively researched and tested with Gecko helmets to ensure that they work well in tandem. We recommend two types of helmet attachment for cameras; an insert grip and a grip pad. The insert grip clips into the side of your Gecko and holds a bullet-shaped device. The grip pad can stick onto any part of your Gecko and also hold a bullet-shaped device. The sticky pads are made with the same adhesive as GoPro helmet mounts which can also be used with Gecko helmets. All helmet attachments are designed to come loose in the event of entanglement so we’d always recommend using a lanyard to attach your equipment to your helmet in case the safety release is triggered.