Worst injury while surfing

Sting Ray, dawn session on 21st B-Day.

 

...Surfing is not your thing, chum.

 

Blew out my eardrum during a hurricane swell a few years ago. When I hit the water and felt it puncture, I immediately went into vertigo and couldn't find the surface of the water. Had to grab my leash and pull myself back up. Laid on my board and caught a stomach ride into the beach then army crawled up. It healed nicely, but the range of sound I once had is no more. I think the vertigo underwater was worse then the actual punctured eardrum, definitely scarier.

 

I think that pretty much tops mine. But anyway, chronic whiplash for almost 2 years now. Comes back every time I surf, especially multiple sessions. North Shore (JK's). Waves were 6-8 on the sets. Guy dropped in on me and I landed back-end into the face. Only time I was blatently snaked on N.S after 2 years of living there. Guess it was the quality of the snake, not the quantity.

 

Man, there are some seriously heinous injuries in this thread. I got nasty whiplash on a set wave last time I was in Hawaii. Not sure how big the actual wave was, but the swell was about 6 feet that day. Nobody cut me off, I just kooked out, caught a rail, and ate it on my own.

During that same trip, but not on the same day, I kicked a sea urchin while swimming for the surface. I had tons of spines sticking out of the bottom of my foot, they were even in between my toes. Couldn't walk for about a day, but soldiered on and was back at it the following day.

 

broken face

it was 4ft and wayy too choppy.. washer machines status.. cold, windy, cloudy, early spring afternoon. no one else was out in the water. my boots were too big and bloated with water. i took a wave and got jacked up from either backwash or the sideshore chop. i stood up and superman dove straight down to the flats, though my board had already been driven down there by the wave. my face smashed right into the rail of my board. instead of the board giving in or dinging the least bit, my ZYGOMATIC ARCH absorbed all the force and collapsed. I was seriously dazed but made it to shore bloody with a concussion and broken face. XRAY showed the bone completely seperated and pushed into my face. the surgeon sliced into my temple, went in behind my face, and pushed the bone back out in place. 12 stiches on my face and 10 in my temple. im lucky i didnt get knocked out, i'd have drown being that i was by myself. still have a nice little dent and scar. DONT SURF 100% BY YOURSELF.

 

Three crushed disc and one herniated disc
My back has never been the same

 

broke my left clavicle (collar bone) in july.

shoulder high-ish.

 

Chopped 1/2 my pinkie toe off my right foot with my leash (hence the nickname...end of my very first season (2001)/ head high waves. My buddy who drove me to the hospital broke his board in half at almost the the exact same time....you wanna play 'ya gotta pay!