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There is a reason motorcycle helmets don't have "break-off" face guards and that the only ones with a flip-up mechanism (Nolan, etc.) catch a lot of crap for that design (even if it is a nice feature in terms of comfort and for ease of communications). If I take a hit to the chin guard (which I have had happen on my FNA), I want to make damn sure it's still there for the next hit that I could take while I'm searching for a roll. That's why motorcycle helmets are built that way; they presume at least two hits.
My other concern for a snap-off design is that unless the force is equal on both sides, it's going to snap one side's connection point, and potentially could create a floppy, dangling and perhaps jagged piece of plastic/fiberglass/whatever that could do damage if it swung into the face.
Additionally, I don't think a full face helmet is going to get hooked on a rock or an underwater tree branch/stump, which is part of the presumption with a break-off design, it would seem. If that was happening, it would be more likely to hook life jackets straps, rescue vest tether rings, sprayskirt loops and so forth. It's really quite rare for that to happen to paddlers, and in my time of paddling, I've only known one person to have anything hooked, and that was because he swam into a cave that was stuffed with gnarly pieces of wood (it snagged his sprayskirt loop and actually yanked it off of him, allowing him to swim free).
Personally, from what I've seen, the Sweet's seem solid and the jaw protector isn't likely to snap off. And of course the same holds true for FNA helmets Xstreme. IMHO, detachable is OK, but it should be an intentional removal (screwdriver, allen head bolts, etc.) and not up to some engineered release point.
Geoff |
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I think I disagree. Here's why New 
BoaterTalk 
