Shred Ready Shaggy Helmet Review

The Shred Ready Shaggy is a popular shape and it out performs others because of the addition of the “Hand Of God” Helmet Stabilization System, or HOG. This ingenious devise allows the user to achieve a customized fit in 1 mm increments, and aides in reducing the possibility of the roll off. The HOG also swivels or pivots as well, allowing you to wear the helmet forwards or back wards. It comes with removable ear flaps for cold days,keeping cold water out of your ears and a little more protection. Like all Shred Ready helmets, it comes with three sets of interchangeable fitting pads. The brim protects your nose from harmful solar radiation as well as breaking your nose on the deck of your boat, and can aid in making a bigger air pocket in case of a vertical pin.

Specs:

• Shell Material: Kevlar, fiberglass and vinyl ester resin. Certified CE 1385 international standard for headgear for whitewater sports
• Liner: VN 640-like hockey helmets and foot ball helmets
• Outfitting:Interchangeable fitting pads, three sets per helmet. Attach via double side super thin Velcro hook.
• Straps & Hardware: Shred Ready standard nylon, dura flex ergo lock, stainless rivets washers and strap hangers.
• H.O.G Lock Retention System - fits behind nape of neck for secure custom fit.
• Colors: Coca White, Wolfman Jack Matte Black, Red lady wine, Midnight Special Blue, Urban commando camo,Cherry Wood

Pros:

• The HOG (hand Of God) ratchet system is awesome for on the fly adjustments. You can start your warm up paddle with a skull cap on, and then take the cap off and crank the ratchet down for a perfect fit.
• Even if the HOG system fails, there are still plenty of redundancies to keep the helmet on your head. It has a chin strap, side straps (cant adjusters) and shims that will keep your head secure.
• This helmet has a comfortable and solid fit. Besides the HOG system, it also comes complete with shims of various thicknesses for customizing the fit as well multi-functional straps.
• The little brim on the front of the helmet offers sun and brow protection. The helmet can also be worn in reverse with the brim in the back for more visibility. This is a useful feature for play boating, when rocks and shallow water would most likely not be an issue.
• Great color selection. Check out the Cherry Wood.
• The Shaggy is a durable helmet. It is not uncommon to get 5+ years of use out your lid.
• SR has a killer custom graphic program allowing you to pimp your lid.
• This is the most popular SR helmet of all time. There is a good reason for this. Try one and find out for yourself.

Cons:

• There is not very much ear protection with this helmet. It does come with removable ear pads, however they can make it tough to hear. If you're doing the type of paddling where you want more of your ears covered you may be better off with the TDUB or a Standard Full Face/Full Cut. The TDUB fits bigger heads too.
• Price could be an issue for some people. The helmet is definitely worth every penny of the $139 price tag . If you want to get a Shred Ready, but want to spend half as much, look at the Super Scrappy.It still has the HOG system, but is made out of ABS plastic instead of Kevlar.

The Verdict:

The Shaggy helmet is the best selling Shred Ready helmet of all time. There are plenty of reasons for this; it fits really well thanks to the HOG / shim system, comes in appealing colors, has plenty of sun and brow protection, and has a Kevlar shell that will last forever. It's not the least expensive helmet on the market, but it's worth the $$$ to protect your head with comfort and style.