Palm Equipment Shuck helmet

Roll on a couple of years and the Shuck has been released into the world. The Shuck is approved to CE water sport safety standard EN1385 and has a claimed weight of 533g in the large size. This example weighed in at 537g before additional outfitting.

The Shuck is available in two varieties, the full cut, which includes additional coverage of the ears and the half-cut version – it is the half-cut version that is reviewed here. However, both versions use the same tough ABS shell and multi-impact EPP liner.

The Shuck retails at around £80, which puts the helmet (in terms of cost) in the middle of the Sweet Wanderer (£110) and Shred Ready’s Standard (£72).

Now it is important to state that you should choose a helmet based upon how it fits you. Everyone is different and fit and protection coverage should be the deciding factor before fashion and cost comes into play. I would therefore always recommend trying on helmets in a store that sells a number of different brands to find the one most suitable for the shape of your head.

The Shuck is available in three sizes: small (51-55cm); medium (56-58cm) and large (58-61cm). My current helmet is a Sweet Rocker M/L which is designed for a head circumference of 56-59cm and although I am at the top end of this, the L/XL is far too big. Trying on the Shuck in the store, I found that although I could wear the medium there was definitely some pressure points that indicated that over a longer period of time, I would probably have issues wearing that size. I therefore went for the large.

Getting the fit right

To get the fit right, I needed to remove the washable Polygiene fabric comfort liner and add in a few of the provided self-adhesive foam strips. The liner was then reattached using the Velcro tabs and the helmet popped back on. This made sure that the helmet was both snug and comfortable with no side to side wobble. Additional tweaks could be made using the dial-based adjustable occipital stabiliser. If you have ever used a good cycling helmet you will be familiar with this dial concept. This system not only gets the fit spot-on but it also helps prevent the helmet from tipping backwards and exposing the temples.

For me the fit is great with plenty of coverage of the temples, sides and rear. The slight peak at the front of the helmet will help with protection of the face.

Most helmets have some sort of drainage system in the form of multiple holes in the shell. The Shuck does not have any of these. In reality if a helmet fits well, there shouldn’t really be a need of drainage holes.

On the colour front, the helmet is available in red, blue, black and white. All have contrasting coloured straps and highlights to match in with Palm’s wide range of watersport gear.

I have been using my Shuck since they were first released earlier this year – so how has it been? Well, I haven’t noticed it, which is definitely a good thing. Wearing it for hours on end in some pretty hot conditions hasn’t resulted in any discomfit or hot spots. Now I haven’t gone about deliberately banging my head off solid objects but the odd knock from paddles, boats and tree branches have been taken in their stride. Given that it has full CE EN385 approval I’m confident that it will be able to handle the job.

So if you are considering a new helmet then I would recommend checking out the Shuck helmet. If one fits you well then, it’s definitely worth considering.