worst surf injury?

was really excited about some mid-summer waves so I just ran staright into the shore break, planning to jump over the first one, plane out on my board, and paddle out. Slipped in the perfect spot, fell into the pit of the shorebreak wave, board smacked me in the face breaking my nose, I went over the falls on the sand and hyper-extended my back. Double whammy.

 

Ouch

I was surfing with a large pack of locals at playa grande costa rica. It was so crowded that a local surfer surfed over my leg and left me with a nasty wound from his fin. It sucked

 

I took a bad tumble during Hurricane Sandy and pinched a nerve in my shoulder which kept me out of the water for about 4 months because I couldn't lay on my belly or paddle without significant pain and/or numbness. The worst out of water injury that has effected my surfing (and the worst injury of my life and I've broken all kind of bones) was a big damn bone bruise in my knee that happened while rock climbing and having it torqued the wrong way. I've since re-aggravated it 3 times and it takes 3 months NO SURFING/EXERCISE before you can slowly get back in to anything. So that's 9 months out of the water over the past 4 years right there. I'm the kind of guy who doesn't care about pain so long as I can do what I enjoy but I have been humbled and taught a great lesson about caring for an injury the proper way.

 

i take off to a back side rail grab barrel and before i know this thing starts suckking up and throwing hard. i start to go up with it and my board comes out from under neath me goes up and over with the lip and one of the fins slices my chin/cheek. wasn't too bad.. no stitches or anything but i did look like raul ibanez for a few days

 

My son had to have 11 stitches done to the top of his head when a guy ran over and cut him with his fins during the big Sandy Swell a couple of years ago.

I can't find that picture....

But I did find this one from when I had my three front teeth knocked out by a longboard to the face. It's an xray from right after emergency root canal and temporary screw & bonding. That little episode cost me at least $5k in dental bills over two years.

What bothers me is that I had one cavity and almost perfect teeth prior.

My wife thinks I should take up golf.

 

ribs meeting puerto rican reef

 

Nothing major, luckily but I've had my fair share of cuts and bruises.
I took off on a super late drop, and just said f it back during that first real swell we got in November and my arm must have got ripped backwards, 'cause my shoulder is still bothering me...hoping it's not a rotator cuff injury...I've been putting off having it looked at, hoping it will heal on it's own, but I guess if I don't see any improvements soon I'll bite the bullet and have it looked at.

 

Feet meeting Puerto Rican Urchins

 

I did a sweet pop shuvit at the end of a close out. I missed the landing by 3.5 miles and when the wave caught up to me, it pushed the board and the nose went into the back of my head. Didn't really hurt so kept surfing for 30 more min until I saw blood. Got a few stitches and surfed with a swim cap (to prevent infection) for the next 2 weeks.

#chophopshuvitsarehardcore

 

Four broken ribs and damage to my air sacks in my lungs. Back in the water 2 months later.

 

Get it looked at, Koki. I dealt with severe shoulder pain for 3 years because I thought I needed surgery. Turned out a $2 cortisone shot cured the issue for life (so far).

I smashed my foot on the bottom really hard this fall. Seems lame, but it took 3 months for my foot to feel normal again. Thought I broke it, but xrays were neg. Other than that, chronic shoulder discomfort from paddling. The good news is it doesn't hurt when during a sesh. It only hurts after. I can deal with that.

I bet most of you have shoulder problems, no?

 

I went to drop in on this 5ft wave and got burned by some dude so I awkwardly fell forward. I felt my face just get numb then my body was in a scorpion position. Thankfully I didnt get knocked out, when I came up I turned around (standing on the bar) and asked some guy if I was bleeding. His response was "Holy $&^* man you need to get to the hospital". I could taste blood, I put my hand on my face and it was covered in blood. Some random surfer was holding my board while he was helping me get home (because I walk to the beach). While we were walking up to the beach access three really fine girls (im not kidding) came walking out of the beach access so I took my board from him and probably felt the most badass ive ever felt. We got to his car and I looked at myself in the car mirror and my face was a bloody mess. My lips were cut, my left side of my face was all so numb and bleeding. I suffered a small concussion, and my two front bottom teeth are now crooked. The next day I had to go to work (a surf shop). Everyone knows me for being the funny guy and some people dont take jokes so literally the second I walked in one by one "who punched you". This lasted a week until the scabs and bruises went away. This was only a few months ago too.

 

Early morning session chest high swell week before Sandy- finished out a wave and hopped out the back of it. As I surfaced the board came flying back at me along the top of the water and hit me in the eye. Fractured eye socket, torn eye lid (8 stitches in the lid) mild-concussion, blood everywhere and can't see. How I got to the beach is beyond me but I flagged a couple walking by (who thought I was waving at first..untill I fell down). Backboard off the beach (sled of shame) to the hospital. Luckily only lost about 15% vision in the eye. Still a little wigged out sometimes...

 

worst experienced- 10 staples in my head from a fin hitting it. Wouldn't have been a big deal if I wasn't at a spot you can only get to by boat. It probably would have been even better if the boat would have started up too.

worst seen- A guy in the line up at crystal pier in nc went to hit a lip and his front foot slipped off the rail, his board flipped over fins out, and he proceeded to slide down the board over the fins. I helped the guy to the beach where the lifeguards were waiting. When he moved his hand to show them the damage both of his nuts were out of his sack and in his hand. Thats the only time in my life i've actually thrown up from seeing a wound

The first time I ever paddled out, ever, I got knocked off the board and tried to get back on during a bombardment of what I felt like was 30ft monsters. Got credit carded when the next wave flipped me, and my board pinched the head of my d against my thigh. I'm not talkin about a playful drunk slut pinch either. I'm talkin channel locks on a rusted bolt clampdown.

 

I didn't get seriously injured (for once) but back in Nov 2009 I had back surgery (vertebral fusion) and wasn't cleared to get back in the water until June. I was so amped to get in I rushed out soon as we got to the sand. It was low tide, wind had been blowing hard for a few days, there was a choppy wind swell and it was sucking really hard across the bar. Wasn't much water over the bar at all. Impatient, stupid me tries to jump the first wave I see, get in late, and got scorpioned. Hit so fast I didn't even have time to get my forearms up to protect my face. Literally stuffed my mug right into the sand bar and bent me all the way over until finally my face let go and I got rag dolled across the bar. I stood up and was freaked out thinking I'd broken the fusion or the metal cage holding it together. Moved the toes first, then the legs, and then figured out I wasn't headed to the emergency room. Wrapped it up and went in and when I walked up my wife is freaking out wanting to know what happened. I said I'm fine just wiped out then she tells me I'm bleeding. Faceplanted so hard I split my forehead open and had blood running all down my face. Scared the crap out of me...Went back out a couple hours later once the tide filled in some.

 

yea man my last encounter was on my last step before jumping in and BOOM! They got me good on my backfoot so bottom turns felt wonderful!

 

This gets my vote for worst ever...just reading it makes me want to curl up in a fetal position.

 

Yup, me too...I remember a similar story from Sick Surfers Ask The Surf Docs where a dude sliced open his sac w/ his fin, but through his wetsuit, and he didn't know it happened until he took off his suit and his ball unravelled.

As far as worst injury for me...had a few board to head types of things...but the only thing that ever really freaked me out happened this fall at some point. Head high day, got scorpion-ed real good in a closeout barrel...kinda got trapped w/ my board in front of me and feet/legs were pushed back and up behind my head. Funny b/c I wasn't really bracing for impact, and I had plenty of times where I'm ready for it and the wave ever so benevolently let me punch through the back. Lower back was sore for a while though.