2 Tips For Choosing The Right Safety Gear When Snowmobiling For The First Time This Winter
If you live in an area of the country that receives a lot of snow in the winter, then you may have finally decided to invest in a set of snowmobiles that will help keep your family outdoors and active this winter instead of spending too much time indoors waiting for springtime to arrive again. Snowmobiling can be a lot of fun, but it is a sport that must be enjoyed while keeping safety in mind.
Before your family gets out on those snowmobiles for the first time this winter, read on to learn tips for choosing the right goggles and helmets for your family to wear while riding, so your family can limit their chances of serious injury while enjoying their new outdoor hobby.
1. Choose Your Snowmobile Goggle Lens Color Wisely
If you have not yet purchased your family's snowmobile goggles, which are very important pieces of safety equipment when riding snowmobiles, then you may be surprised at how goggle lens color options you will have to choose from. Goggles not only protect your family's eyes from flying debris while riding, but with the right lens choice, also protect them from the sun's harsh UV rays.
It is important for your family to protect their eyes from the sun as much as possible while riding, since eye exposure to the sun's harsh UV rays has been linked to snow blindness, cataracts, and even eye cancer,
Snowmobile goggles typically come with lenses that are either yellow, clear, brown, amber, black, grey, red, rose, or green. The best lens choice depends on the lighting conditions when your family plans to ride:
- Yellow lenses are very versatile and can help your family see clearly on sunny days, foggy days, and days that are overcast and a bit darker.
- Clear lenses are best for riding at night when no light that can help your family navigate the riding course should be blocked.
- Brown, black, or grey lenses are best for very sunny days, so extra sunlight that could impede your family's vision is filtered out well.
- Amber and green lenses are almost as versatile as yellow lenses, although they are a better option when it is especially overcast.
- Red lenses work well in medium to bright lighting.
- Rose lenses are a good option on partly sunny days when it is a bit overcast.
If you are still confused by which snowmobile lens color is right for your family or you want to have the right color lens available no matter what the local forecast has in store for your area on the days your family plans to ride their snowmobiles, then you may want to purchase photochromic lenses. These lenses change color based on the outdoor lighting conditions.
2. Opt for the Right Protective Helmets
You likely know that your family will need to wear helmets when riding your new snowmobiles, but you may be overwhelmed at all of your options. There are four main types of snowmobile helmets: full face, modular, snocross (often called MX), and dual sport.
While full face, modular, and dual sport helmets can be very protective and have their advantages, they are often difficult to fit protective snowmobile goggles under due to the fact that they come with built-in face shields. While face shields do offer eye protection, better vision when riding is achieved when wearing goggles. In addition, after choosing a helmet that has a face shield that is one color (typically clear), you would not be able to switch up lens tint colors easily based on outdoor lighting conditions, as you can do when wearing snowmobile goggles.
Snocross (or MX) helmets are the best option for riders who plan to wear snowmobile goggles while riding. These helmets can offer great protection as long as you choose one that is approved by DOT, Snell, or ANSI, which are all outside, non-biased helmet safety rating authorities. Along with the lack of a face shield, which can limit your ability to wear protective goggles with the helmet, snocross helmets also offer superior ventilation to keep sweat to a minimum while riding and a sunshade that provides your family's eyes with additional protection from the harsh sun.
If you just invested in a great set of snowmobiles for your family to enjoy riding this snowy winter, then remember that it is important to choose the right snowmobile safety gear to keep your family safe while riding. Good goggles and helmets are a must for safe snowmobile riding. For more information, contact companies like Bob's Cycle & Snowmobile Supply.