# Tailbone Protection pls!



## usul1987

Hi all. I am a new boarder, practising linking turns and riding goofy, and have hurt my tailbone (coccyx) twice now while boarding! Injuring myself repeatedly really sucks and affects my confidence and my desire to go down the slope, so before winter and more snowboarding I really want to invest in some great protection for my tailbone - but I'm really not sure what to go with! 

I've looked at some threads (including on this forum) and know about the d30 Azzpadz. I've also read positive reviews about Demon's Flex Force Pro Women's Snowboard shorts and Forcefield Boom Shorts Impact Shorts. I'm not too concerned about looks, as my pants are loose anyway, but I just really want something which provides me with really good protection. Does anyone have any advice or suggestions re these or other products?

I should say, I did once try a pair of slightly too small impact shorts (not sure what brand they were but they had orange pads in them that were pretty firm), and they worked to some degree. However, I still bruised my coccyx with them when I fell after catching my edge once, and it took me one solid month to recover (admittedly, this was way better than the 4 months it took me to recover when I wasn't wearing protection!). Ironically, to date, the best method I have found for protecting myself is to use a really light weight sleeping bag and just stuff it down the back of my pants so it's really packed around my bum and back. I've fallen plenty times on the sleeping bag and I've never hurt myself! 

I'm female, 5ft8" (172cm) and waist size 28" (UK size 8-10, US 4-6), and if any of you have any guidance or can point towards one of these products, or any others, as the optimum solution, that would be brilliant and very much appreciated!


----------



## jae

I love my azzpadz d30. cumbersome at first, but once you get used to it, you'll just wear it without second thought. I slammed my tailbone on some rock hard ice, and that same day I landed hard on my tailbone again on cement fucking around. ordered the azzpadz d30 right after as I couldn't even sit down properly for a week. I went out the next week and it made a huge difference with a sore tail bone. 

I haven't had any gnarly spills after, but it keeps your ass warm when sitting in snow, protects it from unexpected hard chair lifts, and invokes confidence. caveats include, ass sliding everywhere, feels like you're wearing a diaper, and explaining it to your friends. my friends want it now after mocking me, and after a couple spills with them wincing and me being perfectly fine. 

haven't tried anything else, but I read that these were the least bulky. women might want some added hip protection.


----------



## wrathfuldeity

usul1987 said:


> I'm female, 5ft8" (172cm) and waist size 28" (UK size 8-10, US 4-6), and if any of you have any guidance or can point towards one of these products, or any others, as the optimum solution, that would be brilliant and very much appreciated!


The optimum solution is..."learn how to fall"...search some old threads...but basically for your tail...don't fall on it. Fall to the side and impact with your cheek...one side or the other...in a glance/angle manner so to avoid a blunt force impact to said tail/cheek. 

I'd type more but got to do some stuff in the creepy basement. Btw...we need pics of your area of concern to better advise you.

Welcome to the addiction of wreck and ruin.

xoxo Wrath


----------



## jae

wrathfuldeity said:


> The optimum solution is..."learn how to fall"...search some old threads...but basically for your tail...don't fall on it. Fall to the side and impact with your cheek...one side or the other...in a glance/angle manner so to avoid a blunt force impact to said tail/cheek.
> 
> I'd type more but got to do some stuff in the creepy basement. Btw...we need pics of your area of concern to better advise you.
> 
> Welcome to the addiction of wreck and ruin.
> 
> xoxo Wrath


idk man, shit happens even if you know how to fall.


----------



## KIRKRIDER

wrathfuldeity said:


> The optimum solution is..."learn how to fall"...search some old threads...but basically for your tail...don't fall on it. Fall to the side and impact with your cheek...one side or the other...in a glance/angle manner so to avoid a blunt force impact to said tail/cheek.
> 
> I'd type more but got to do some stuff in the creepy basement. Btw...we need pics of your area of concern to better advise you.
> 
> Welcome to the addiction of wreck and ruin.
> 
> xoxo Wrath


Yeah that half works. Last time I feel on my tail WITHOUT protection I sat on the side for 5 minutes in acute pain. I was sure I broke something. I was coming off steeps and turned on top of a big mogul on my heel edge before realizing that the downhill side of it was ice. SLAM! 
With Crash Pads 2500 Padded Shorts I bounce off my ass and keep riding. No pain. Of course hadn't had any major fall after hat time, but unless it's a pow day, I wear them.

They should be mandatory as you learn!


----------



## chomps1211

KIRKRIDER said:


> ....They should be mandatory as you learn!


Seems about the only thing I got right while learning was "keeping my weight centered/forward" on the board. I think most of the ass first, _*hard*_ sit down falls I see from noobs result from riding _waaaaay_ in the back seat. 

As I was learning, seems almost all my falls were forward! :dunno: Not that a scorpion or hip pointer injury is necessarily preferable to a bruised & busted coccyx! But learning to weight the board forward properly can eliminate a lot of those heelside slipouts and butt bouncing. 

That said,... I did endure a couple of pretty severe hip injuries first two times out. Closest commercial product I found that offered adequate hip protection were Hockey pants. And I just wasn't willing to sacrifice my dignity or cool-ativity wearing those. :blink: :laugh:

I came up with this as a pretty effective DIY solution. 









A cut up yoga mat,.. Some Football hip pads, 3/4 inch webbing, snap buckles, and a button snap attachment kit from REI and viòla!!! :grin:

Worked too! . Prevented a 3rd painful hip injury! :grin: :blink:


----------



## SnowDragon

I've used several padded shorts over the years.
For specific tailbone protection, I would recommend the Azzpadz.
Great combination of protection plus low profile.


----------



## Matty_B_Bop

jae said:


> I love my azzpadz d30. cumbersome at first, but once you get used to it, you'll just wear it without second thought. I slammed my tailbone on some rock hard ice, and that same day I landed hard on my tailbone again on cement fucking around. ordered the azzpadz d30 right after as I couldn't even sit down properly for a week. I went out the next week and it made a huge difference with a sore tail bone.
> 
> I haven't had any gnarly spills after, but it keeps your ass warm when sitting in snow, protects it from unexpected hard chair lifts, and invokes confidence. caveats include, ass sliding everywhere, feels like you're wearing a diaper, and explaining it to your friends. my friends want it now after mocking me, and after a couple spills with them wincing and me being perfectly fine.
> 
> haven't tried anything else, but I read that these were the least bulky. women might want some added hip protection.





GreyDragon said:


> I've used several padded shorts over the years.
> For specific tailbone protection, I would recommend the Azzpadz.
> Great combination of protection plus low profile.


Do those Azzpad D30 shorts fit under slim pants? Or are they bulky? Checked their website, but want to hear your firsthand experience. 

Thanks!


----------



## dave785

i use the Demon d30 snow shorts. They have it designed specifically for tailbone protection. I won't board without them.


----------



## jae

Matty_B_Bop said:


> Do those Azzpad D30 shorts fit under slim pants? Or are they bulky? Checked their website, but want to hear your firsthand experience.
> 
> Thanks!


depends on how slim. they fit under my burtons and dc pants. dc are a little tighter, but still fit. my waist is 36, burtons are XL 36-38, DC's are XL 35-36.8 and they still fit under, except a little tight. need ass room for sure, if you have a fat ass, then it'll be sketch.


----------



## Matty_B_Bop

jae said:


> depends on how slim. they fit under my burtons and dc pants. dc are a little tighter, but still fit. my waist is 36, burtons are XL 36-38, DC's are XL 35-36.8 and they still fit under, except a little tight. need ass room for sure, if you have a fat ass, then it'll be sketch.


I'm a 31-32, and I prefer the slim, tailored look. I have a couple pairs of Burton's Southside slim pants, for example. 

Just curious if it'll look like I'm wearing a diaper, and if there will be ample room.


----------



## jae

Matty_B_Bop said:


> I'm a 31-32, and I prefer the slim, tailored look. I have a couple pairs of Burton's Southside slim pants, for example.
> 
> Just curious if it'll look like I'm wearing a diaper, and if there will be ample room.


you should be good with the m/l version. I'm wearing the l/xl version but I'm on the smaller end of the scale, maybe even a m/l size now. only way to know is to try it on. I would imagine it's less than full crash pants i.e. the hillbilly (I think mizu recommends those), because it's just the ass and not the thighs/hips/ass. my azzpadz does stick out somewhat, but nobody's really checking out my ass.. especially with a jacket on.

basically it'll make your ass look fatter, but it won't look like a diaper, it just feels like a diaper.

if you got room in your pants, they'll fit. if you're wearing painted on skinny jeans type, yeah, probably not.


----------



## SnowDragon

jae said:


> you should be good with the m/l version. I'm wearing the l/xl version but I'm on the smaller end of the scale, maybe even a m/l size now. only way to know is to try it on. I would imagine it's less than full crash pants i.e. the hillbilly (I think mizu recommends those), because it's just the ass and not the thighs/hips/ass. my azzpadz does stick out somewhat, but nobody's really checking out my ass.. especially with a jacket on.
> 
> basically it'll make your ass look fatter, but it won't look like a diaper, it just feels like a diaper.
> 
> if you got room in your pants, they'll fit. if you're wearing painted on skinny jeans type, yeah, probably not.


Agreed.
I thought they were quite low profile and were hardly noticed, if at all, under snow pants.
But if you wear painted on pants, well...

To be clear though, the main part of the protection is from the curved plastic piece that covers the middle part of one's backside. The d3o pad, if you get that version, is quite small, but likely worth the extra bit of protection.


----------



## robotfood99

I use Dainese soft pro shape shorts and they are possibly the most form fitting protectors out there. I don't think they market it as snowboard equipment but I came across it in a bike shop and found it to be very effective. I can wear slim pants like Holden skinny denims and it barely adds any bulk. One downer is that its coccyx protector is a bit narrow, covering your tailbone just fine but no pads on the cheeks. So I wouldn't recommend it for beginners. And its pretty expensive but if you look around the bike retailers they can be found on discount sometimes.


----------



## emt.elikahan

usul1987 said:


> Hi all...
> Ironically, to date, the best method I have found for protecting myself is to use a really light weight sleeping bag and just stuff it down the back of my pants so it's really packed around my bum and back. I've fallen plenty times on the sleeping bag and I've never hurt myself!


Umm, is no one else curious about this??


----------



## KIRKRIDER

Matty_B_Bop said:


> Do those Azzpad D30 shorts fit under slim pants? Or are they bulky? Checked their website, but want to hear your firsthand experience.
> 
> Thanks!


Depends on your ass volume  Trying one is the best way to find out.


----------



## KIRKRIDER

emt.elikahan said:


> Umm, is no one else curious about this??


You mean a kids sleeping bag? Aren't you hot while riding? Crash paints are made f fine mesh and padding.


----------



## wkd

i bruised my tail bone on the 2nd day of learning to snowboard. couldn't sit down for 2 weeks. my friends were going up to the snow again 1 week later and i didnt want to miss out so i bought the burton gform ones. works really well. didnt have any extra pain when falling on my butt and was comfortable enough to wear them for a 4hr drive. 

only downside is that they kind of feel weird under the buttocks when you walk about (they dig in a bit) but i'd rather live with that than not being able to sit down for 2 weeks.


----------



## 16gkid

I had big slams on my tail bone when I was learning, much like everyone else, found this 1st and worked decent, but hard to stay in place- Waxel 1/2" Thick MEDIUM Tailbone Pad GREAT PROTECTION! | eBay
Then found this, which I still use now when I wanna try some stupid stuff, fits between pants and compression gear perfectly and doesnt really move around a lot- Waxel 1/2" Thick MEDIUM Tailbone Pad GREAT PROTECTION! | eBay


----------



## wrathfuldeity

emt.elikahan said:


> Umm, is no one else curious about this??


I'd think that'd be one hot tail


----------

