Writing an article on surf injuries. Just the facts. Not looking for how it happened. My worst: 32 stitches in thigh. Out of water for 2 months. What was your worst and how long were you sidelined? No names will be used if you share. Thanks! http://seasandsurf.com
My worst was a severely sprained knee. Had to have lots of fluid removed. Was out of the water for about a month. Unfortunately, a number of years ago I knew someone that had their fin cut their jugular. Got rushed to the hospital for surgery etc...unfortunately, he was NEVER the same ago and died a few years later due to "Complications".
Got a staph infection from surfing a rivermouth after it rained in San Diego. The doctor said that an in grown hair or something on my inner thigh likely was where the infection began from. There were traces of multiple bacterias etc. After 2 weeks of progressively getting more and more painful, a bruise burst on my inner thigh and when i scraped it off, there was a clean, 3 inch deep hole about as wide as a dime that had eaten its way all the way down to the muscle. I could see my own muscles. But when the thing burst, that is when the pain ended. Up until that point, I couldnt walk for about 2 days... Went to the ER twice, had to take like 4 rounds of antibiotics, as my body faught off a couple of them... Over-all time out of water: 4.5 weeks. Other injuries include: 2 gashes (one on forehead, one on neck) from board and fins to the dome on heavy days... A broken big toe, that never healed to 100% that happened while duck dive a 15+ foot set wave. I was about 10 feet under water and the lip came down on the back end of my board, and I had my toes on the tail pad pushing as deep as I could, the pressure from the lip smash my board and myself like a ragdoll... The instant impact broke my big toe and the one next to it.... Leash broke, board messed up.... But overall a minor injury... I still surfed everyday with the broken toe, which is why it never healed the whole way. Its fine when I surf, but after a long day at work, when I sit down, sometimes I feel a throb of the tow. Thats about it other than the little cuts and scrapes we all have on our feet from leashes and fins.
was paddling out and got caught at the top of the wave and sent back into the surf. board and leash pulled my right leg one way and my left leg was pulled by the wave the other direction like a pair of scissors. wound up with a pulled hip flexor and possible hip fracture(multiple doctors could not agree if it was or wasnt). went back out the next day, but then took a couple months to heal up.
While surfing a 15 foot swell in puerto rico I overused and stressed out my trapezius but managed to stretch out and only felt a little tight that night. Next day I paddled out and when I pushed through a set I felt a shooting pain shoot up my neck and I couldn't lift or move my right arm more than a few inches. Managed to make it to the beach (obviously or I wouldn't be writing this) and had my buddy drive me home. About an hour later I had zero movement in my neck, right arm, and back. Went to a professional massage therapist for a few sessions to work on the movement and receive instruction on how to regain movement. Worked daily for 30 mins on stretching and was unable to surf for 4 full months. A year later my neck is still tight every day, I have to stretch every day, and I still get shooting pains every now and then. Everyone over the age of 25 needs to do yoga!
dislocated my shoulder, out only about a week, popped right back in, did stretches to help it heal quickly
Dislocated my shoulder on a head-high closeout wearing a 5/4/3 suit in the dead of winter. My shoulder had dislocated before but because of the rubber i was wearing and being in the water I couldn't get it to pop back in until I swam in with one arm and got up on the beach. It was dislocated for a good half hour while i got tossed around the whitewash. Ended up with surgery a month later and 3 months worth of therapy with about 6 months total out of the water.
Lots of injuries too my feet. Broke 2 toes surfing in Oahu but other than that nothing serious, just cuts and jams. I slid off the Jetty during Hurricane Ike, that was really fun. Scrapped all my skin off on my side. Still surfed that day though but I was super drained. My Gf had her fin go into her thigh. Pretty bad for her, since girls don't like their leg meat hanging out after a day of surfing. 10 stitches and I could only keep her out of the water for a week. She got back in a few days before stitches needed to come out. Just the normal board to the head, doesn't really hurt it just pissing me off really bad and i get really loopy.
injuries Stitches to the forearm (from a fin), out only a week. My brother dislocated his shoulder surfing Bill last summer. Took the winter off to rehab and avoid surgery, still not 100% though.
