BANG PROOF WATER HELMETS 2025 PREVIEW

Retail Buyers Guide: Water Helmets 2025 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: BANG PROOF
Interviewee: Przemek Drosik , Founder & CEO.

A couple decade ago, helmets were a no-no in snowsports and cycling until they became a staple item of the riders’ kit. Do you foresee a similar growth for water helmets?
Absolutely. At BangProof, we believe water helmets are on the same path as helmets in snowsports and cycling—once seen as unnecessary, now considered essential. The shift happens when safety, performance, and style align, and that’s exactly where we’re positioning BangProof. Water sports are evolving, with athletes pushing limits in wakeboarding, kitesurfing, and surfing. As speeds increase and tricks become more complex, so do the risks. Just like snow and cycling communities embraced helmets after realizing the dangers of head injuries, the water sports world is reaching that tipping point. The key to mass adoption is making helmets that people want to wear. That’s why BangProof is designing head protection that feels natural—lightweight, flexible, and styled like a cap while meeting safety standards. As awareness grows and more top athletes start wearing them, we expect water helmets to follow the same trajectory as snowsports and cycling: from optional to essential.

Helmet adoption in the youth/young adults segment is around 95% according to studies, whereas the older “OG” riders tend to reject the use of this protection, mainly for cultural/style reasons. So how are you targeting these two different age groups?
For youth and young adults, helmet adoption is already high, which means our focus is on style and performance. They want protection, but they also want to look good while riding. That’s why we’ve designed BangProof helmets to resemble casual hats—removing the bulky, traditional helmet look while maintaining top-tier safety. By collaborating with athletes, influencers, and brands that resonate with this demographic, we’re ensuring that wearing a BangProof helmet feels like part of the culture, not just a safety measure. For the OG riders, the key is changing perception. Many reject helmets because they grew up without them and associate them with restrictions. We address this by offering a natural, cap-style design that doesn’t feel like a helmet but still provides serious protection. We also work with respected veterans in the scene—riders who have earned credibility—to show that wearing a BangProof helmet isn’t about changing the sport, but about extending their years of riding safely. Just to mention Daniel Grant, Sam de Haan, Travis Belsito or Karolina Winkowska. By making helmets feel like an effortless part of the sport, rather than a forced safety measure, we’re bridging the gap between generations and driving mass adoption.

Wakeboarding and – to a lesser extent – kiteboarding, are the two main demands for water helmets. What about the potential with surfing and foiling?
At BangProof, we see huge potential for helmet adoption in surfing and foiling, just like we do in wakeboarding and kiteboarding. While wake and kite riders have already embraced helmets in many cases, surfing and foiling are still in the early stages of this shift—but the need for protection is undeniable. Historically, surfers have resisted helmets due to weight, bulk, and aesthetics, but that’s where BangProof changes the game. Our helmet-hat hybrid keeps the natural look of a bucket hat while providing real impact protection—something surfers can wear without feeling out of place in the lineup. With wave pools, slab surfing, and crowded lineups becoming more common, head injuries from boards, reefs, and collisions are a growing concern. Pros like Owen Wright, who suffered traumatic brain injuries while surfing, have already started changing the conversation around safety. Foiling presents an even stronger case for helmets. Whether it’s downwind foiling, wing foiling, or tow-in big wave foiling, the risk of high-speed falls and contact with the foil is serious. Riders are already using impact vests—adding a helmet is the next logical step, especially as the sport grows. BangProof’s lightweight, low-profile design fits seamlessly into foiling culture, offering protection without restricting movement or style.

Two designs are seen in the surf helmet category: hardshell or soft helmet. What is your position on the two respective designs?
At BangProof, we believe the future of water helmets lies in combining the best of both worlds—the protection of a hardshell with the comfort and flexibility of a soft helmet. Traditional hardshell helmets provide maximum impact resistance and are commonly used in wakeboarding and kiteboarding, where high-speed crashes and obstacles like rails or kitesurfing gear pose significant risks. However, for surfing, they can feel bulky, restrictive, and visually out of place, which is why adoption has been slow in that community. Soft helmets, on the other hand, are lightweight, flexible, and comfortable, making them more appealing for surfers who want minimal interference. But the downside is that many soft designs don’t meet proper impact protection standards, leaving riders vulnerable in serious wipeouts or collisions. And what’s the BangProof’s position? We’re pioneering a hybrid approach that delivers CE EN1385 certified protection while keeping the design sleek, lightweight, and natural—more like a cap than a helmet. Our goal is to remove the barrier of discomfort and style concerns, making helmets something riders want to wear rather than feel forced to. By integrating smart materials and impact-absorbing technology into a flexible, low-profile design, BangProof is redefining water helmets—not just for wake and kite riders, but for surfers and foilers as well. Protection shouldn’t come at the cost of comfort and style, and with BangProof, it doesn’t have to.

Please take us through your water helmet range.
In our product range we have two key products in various colors : bucket hats and snapbacks. These share the same impact absorption technology, diolen/kevlar anti-cut layers and retention system. Our snapback helmet looks like a baseball cap but provides certified head protection. Perfect for riders who want to keep things low-key while still benefiting from a lightweight, impact-resistant design. The bucket hat version offers the same high-level protection but with a wider brim for sun protection and a more relaxed aesthetic – perfect for long sunny days on the water.

Do you implement similar technologies than in other boardsports? (material, core & shell layers, fit, impact control systems…)
We are working on bringing our technology to the other sports – from snowboarding to skateboarding. However, it takes a lot of development and new certification process so it takes time. We are on the right track tough!

What is your marketing speech to convince retailers to stock water helmets?

Key Products:

BangProof Bucket Hat:
A revolutionary water sports helmet that fuses the laid-back style of a bucket hat with top-tier safety. Its impact-absorbing material stays flexible at rest and hardens on impact, featuring Diolen/Kevlar layers for cut protection. Certified to CE EN1385 standards, it offers superior sun protection, comes in various colors and sizes. Used by World Champs like Daniel Grant or Karolina Winkowska!

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BangProof Snapback Cap:
A revolutionary water sports helmet that blends the style of a baseball cap with superior safety. Its impact-absorbing material remains flexible at rest and hard on impact. It features Diolen/Kevlar layers for cut protection. Certified to CE EN1385 standards, it is perfect for water sports and available in a wide range of colors and sizes. World champions approved!

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