Hockey Goalie Additional Chest Protection?

padding

by Tracey_E - 2019-04-08 12:49:11

I've never played hockey, but hockey padding is pretty darned thick! Add if you feel like you need to, but I can't imagine anything getting through what you already have on. The devices are titanium, we aren't going to hurt them. I've had a bruise right over mine several times. Once my dog plowed into my knee and put my fist out to stop my face from hitting the door, had a fist shaped bruise right over the pacer after. The edge sticks out since my last replacement (I'm on my 5th) and I caught the edge scaling a wall in a Spartan race, that was sore for months. But the pacer is just fine! There used to be a video on Heartbeat International's site of a boy who was shot in the chest, pacer stopped the bullet, saved his life, and kept right on pacing. We bruise up, but the boxes are more or less indestructable so do what makes you comfortable. 

Vital Beat

by CyborgMike - 2019-04-10 13:45:44

I don't play hockey, but I do a lot of backpacking with 50-60 lbs on my back, so I bought a Vital Beat shield for my ICD/pacemaker. They used to advertise on this site. I'm only four months in and my "lump" is still a bit tender with a direct tap. I also had my implanted under the pec muscle to give me extra protection. I am less concerned with the potential for pain and more concerned about hitting it and knocking off a lead -- unlikely, but it is possible with a direct hit. The vital beat shield is expensive for what it is (like a sports cup for your PM), but it fits well and protects it well when I am hiking. https://www.vitalbeat.me/pacemaker-protection/  

wont hurt the device

by dwelch - 2019-04-12 02:17:09

Wont hurt the device, but will hurt the skin over it.  I dont know what the pads look like but I would certainly add a little more.  

that vitalbeat looks like it is worth a try.

Mechanically want you want to do is spread the energy out around the device not over the device, so dont remove anything on your current padding, but if you add more soft padding you might want a hole in it positioned over the device, so that any energy is spread out around the device and not on it, on the skin over it.  which is what that vitalbeat thing appears to be doing.  I didnt read the page much but ideally if you could manufacture something it would look kinda like that have a hard shell and a void over the device with soft padding around the edges of the shell...

I would have some concerns about the shell/plastic, if a puck  or baseball or whatever sport, can cause the shell to break creating sharp points that then dig into the device during the failure that might be worse than just taking the hit with no protection or your regular protection.

Extra padding over the device is going to cause pressure and rub and discomfort so if nothing else a ring of some thin foam or a folded up facecloth with a hole cut out, etc will keep your regular pads from touching/rubbing the skin over the device.

Maybe the only one to post here, but no doubt in my mind you are not the only person with a device that plays hockey, hopefully you find one of those folks here or elsewhere who have done the experiments and found a solution.

bottom line I dont think you will hurt the device, but if you dont do it right the pressure from the padding may cause pain and the rubbing as you move may cause additional discomfort, I would work on that first then second build/buy some armor to protect against a direct hit.

Tape one of these things to the wall and see how good your teammates are, see if they can get direct hits on it and see how it holds up.