Cage to half visor. Bad idea?

[Danrik]

I'm thinking of trading in my full face shield for a half visor. I am struggling to see the puck at times with the cage and think the visor will help.

Now, I am not in the NHL and get up in the morning and go to work. I am a little leery of losing some teeth or worse. Can anyone who's made this transition offer some insight? Good or bad.

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[Placebo Effect]

I haven't made it myself but have a couple of teammates that have. I have been tempted to make the switch before but have thought better of it. Obviously your vision will be better and the shields will be lighter. Depends on your level of play I'd say. I find at the lower levels players have a lot less control of their stick so you may get high sticked more often. My teammates have taken a few good sticks to their mouths and still have all their teeth so far.

I personally prefer the cage though.

 

[AHF]

I was hesistant to make that change two years ago, and now I don't think I'll ever go back to the cage.

 

[VladNYC*]

Why don't you try the Cage/Visor combo?

 

[OilTownHero]

Why don't you try the Cage/Visor combo?

this ^ I play competitively and a full face shield is required. It is just great compared to a full cage for vison..... I got an Oakley one, it is worth it.
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[190Octane]

http://www.hockeymonkey.com/oakclrvisor.html

I just got one of these after playing with a cage for the last 15 years, it goes down to around my upper lip and I'm wearing a mouthpiece. So far so good after 2 games.

 

[Nbr-17]

Like Rick The Rypper said, it really depends of the level your games are at. If the rest of the guys on the ice are pretty experienced it's a lot safer.
That being said I tried several combos out there and settled on the
Itech Concept II DLX it's a lot lighter than the ones with a metal cage at the bottom. Extremely well ventilated and excellent vision.

 

[Gino 14]

I considered it at one time, I wear a visor when I ref. When I was playing, I had a guys stick ride up mine and hit me in the cage, dented my cage and left me with a sore neck for about a week. The next week I took a deflected puck in the cage and that made my decision for me. Up till that time, I never took a shot to the face like either of those. Maybe your luck will be better. I always figure to each his own.

 

[noobman]

The cage/visor combo is probably the way to go.

I wear glasses when I play and struggle with keeping those unfogged as it is... I don't think that I could deal with keeping two things clean on the bench. Besides, I've taken quite a few sticks to the cage before, and I wouldn't want that to be my face!

Note that with a cage/visor you won't have as much ventilation. A half visor is probably comparable to a cage though.

Please make sure that you wear a mouth guard if you are going to go with a half visor.

 

[pfloyd75]

I've seen too many people lose teeth, get cut, break a nose, cheekbone, etc to not wear a cage or visor/cage combo. Besides, I don't even notice the cage when I play so there's no reason not to wear it.

 

[frito]

Please make sure that you wear a mouth guard if you are going to go with a half visor.

Please weat a mouth guard regardless of what face protection you choose. The main purpose of the mouth guard is to prevent concussions.

You could also try this http://www.hockeymonkey.com/itech-hockey-recon-full-shield.html. It allows for easy replacement of the shield piece if it becomes scratched without having to replace the entire uint. This looks to be an updated version of the metal one that I use and like. They don't appear to make the one I use any more.

 

[Nbr-17]

The main purpose of the mouth guard is to prevent concussions.

There is no proven evidence that mouthguards prevent concussions.
Concussions and the mouth guard myth

 

[Joe Cole]

Unless someone will cover your living expenses while you recover from dental surgery, or adapt to losing an eye (and you are ok with the potential of those injuries) the is simply no reason to go without a full face protection, either cage, full visor, or combo.

If you need the extra vision, it is because the game is too fast for you. You may need to play in a lower division.

 

[noobman]

If you're playing full contact hockey with a full cage then I might be in favour of a mouthguard. If you're playing with no bodychecking then the risk associated with not wearing a mouthguard is relatively low.

I used to wear one (the style that clips onto your cage) when I first started playing, but nowadays I don't really bother with it.

I've seen too many people lose teeth, get cut, break a nose, cheekbone, etc to not wear a cage or visor/cage combo. Besides, I don't even notice the cage when I play so there's no reason not to wear it.

You don't notice it until you play without it. I've taken my cage off to play pond hockey a few times and it really does make a world of difference. The cage doesn't bother me enough to warrant ditching it for league hockey, though.

 

[Danrik]

It's not that the game is too fast. I play D and when we line up at center ice for a faceoff the center bar is directly in line with where the puck is going to be. I find I have to dip my head real low to be able to see what is about to happen.

Thanks for the input everyone. I will probably stick with my cage even though I feel like I am losing out a bit.

 

[shoeshine boy]

If you're playing full contact hockey with a full cage then I might be in favour of a mouthguard. If you're playing with no bodychecking then the risk associated with not wearing a mouthguard is relatively low.

perhaps I should share the story about a guy who plays in the same league as PFloyd and myself. this guy has been wearing a half shield for a few years. he plays in the second from lowest division in the adult league and also plays in the rec league (all skill levels together). he makes the mistake of meeting some buddies for a few beers before his rec game one Friday night. he's so blitzed when he takes the ice (I wasn't there. I don't know why his captain even let him on the ice) that he passes out mid-shift, falls forward and hits his chin on the ice losing a couple of teeth in the process.
he immediately went out and bought a full cage.

 

[blueberrydanish]

perhaps I should share the story about a guy who plays in the same league as PFloyd and myself. this guy has been wearing a half shield for a few years. he plays in the second from lowest division in the adult league and also plays in the rec league (all skill levels together). he makes the mistake of meeting some buddies for a few beers before his rec game one Friday night. he's so blitzed when he takes the ice (I wasn't there. I don't know why his captain even let him on the ice) that he passes out mid-shift, falls forward and hits his chin on the ice losing a couple of teeth in the process.
he immediately went out and bought a full cage.

so it also protects against mental Pejorative Sluration, good to know

 

[shoeshine boy]

so it also protects against mental Pejorative Sluration, good to know

FUTURE moronic-ness, yes.

 

[fat pat]

i switch back and forth. i will sometimes put the halfer on for some skilled rat hockey sessions, and i generally always leave the cage on for my leagues. im playing in a c league now, and when i start playing b ill re-evaluate. but in games people are too screwy with their sticks to make a halfshield worth it. also i like to block shots. the difference between my 9500 cage and my halfer isnt very noticable.

 

[noobman]

perhaps I should share the story about a guy who plays in the same league as PFloyd and myself. this guy has been wearing a half shield for a few years. he plays in the second from lowest division in the adult league and also plays in the rec league (all skill levels together). he makes the mistake of meeting some buddies for a few beers before his rec game one Friday night. he's so blitzed when he takes the ice (I wasn't there. I don't know why his captain even let him on the ice) that he passes out mid-shift, falls forward and hits his chin on the ice losing a couple of teeth in the process.
he immediately went out and bought a full cage.

In as painful as that story sounds, it's really his own fault for drinking too much before hitting the ice. I mean it's one thing to play with a buzz on, but if you're at the point of passing out then GET OFF THE ICE. I personally wouldn't touch any alcohol shortly before or after a game.

 

[frozenrubber]

It's not that the game is too fast. I play D and when we line up at center ice for a faceoff the center bar is directly in line with where the puck is going to be. I find I have to dip my head real low to be able to see what is about to happen.

Thanks for the input everyone. I will probably stick with my cage even though I feel like I am losing out a bit.

I would also suggest looking at another cage. Each company has a different wire geometry and that might easily fix your problem.

While the half shield/half cage units would fix your problem the best, I don't like the lessened ventilation as well as cleaning.

I've evaluated a bunch of cages, and I still use a Jofa one on all my helmets. It doesn't interfere with my vision at all.

 

[shoeshine boy]

I would also suggest looking at another cage. Each company has a different wire geometry and that might easily fix your problem.

this is good advice. I started out with a visor/cage combo. I switched to the cage because I was getting tired of my visors getting scratched up. I like the Zleader cages (which I believe are discontinued) because they don't require straps to stay closed. I had a chrome one which was pretty good but the shiny-ness of the chrome on the inside was bugging me so I spray-painted it a titanium color and have been very pleased ever since.

 

[frozenrubber]

One more quick tip, the cheapest solution, check your helmet fitting.

I see so many players with their helmets to far back, or too forward, sitting on their eyebrows. Check your helmet for proper positioning and tighten and calibrate your helmet accordingly and check if this changes your line of sight issues.

It may not solve the problem, but I would try this before spending money.

 

[Analyzer*]

Why don't you try the Cage/Visor combo?

I would imagine it would be a bit annoying to clean the visor part ? Even with the cage at the lower half, your breath is bound to fog up the visor still.

You have trouble seeing the puck while wearing a cage ?

 

[190Octane]

I would imagine it would be a bit annoying to clean the visor part ? Even with the cage at the lower half, your breath is bound to fog up the visor still.

You have trouble seeing the puck while wearing a cage ?

I used one of those itech hybrids and fogged that thing up big time. The visor I haven't had any issues with fogging yet.