What's Your Next Surf Trip Going to Be?

You have plenty of time to recover. Do stretches, see if you can be given an opioid for just a few days. Hot baths, each AM, and again in evening. At night, sleep with a pillow between your knees on your sides- it takes positional stress off of your back. Laying on your back can aggravate it.
No alcohol while taking opioids, sir. Only morons mix those two. Deadly combo.
And....have a great time in PR. When there, go into ocean with NO board...float looking up at sky--relax your back and your entire body while floating.
Dr. Barry

 

Wow, panhandler!! Great going--I hope you have great time and with the family!! Could not be better!!
NZ is one place I would love to see!!

 

Get your pelvic ring aligned by a good PT. Not kidding. Do it today, your back will be ready by Saturday.

 

Wheels up CR in 3 more sunrises.

 

So, I have an outside chance of going with a large group (12-16) and rent a badass private unit (sleeps 24, maids, chef etc) in Manuel Antonio. The place looks so unreal. There would only be two surfers (me and my cuz). Group vacation/party/fish/surf etc!

I have always blown through that area in route to Pavones and other than a quick stop in Quepos one time, I haven’t surfed that corridor of the coast.

Anyway, any swellies with recon for that stretch? I can identify where the spots are...looking for anecdotal evidence to maximize the scene. Looks like October 19 or January 20’.

 

Go JD go! Epic surf trek in the making

 

Have you been to that area? Not sure yet on it. Sorta waiting to see if they pull their act together before I throw my hat in.

 

Wish I could help you but I'm waiting on the same info you are lol. Wife wanted to go to Manuel Antonio last trip but I voted her down.

Place looks super cool and it's a big lush national park. Probably go there next CR trip. I did some research and it seemed like you had to go to Quepos or Dominical for surf iirc. But I usually explore anyways, not much for sticking to whatever's out my front door.

 

My next surfing trip will be the bathtub with a yellow rubber ducky to ride.
Actually, on a serious note, I would like an Indo trip, but I hate long plane rides. The trip from Boston to PR was bad enough and that is about 3 1nd 1/2 hours.

 

I checked some of the areas out around there on the way down to Pavones. i think you're better off south of the park like Playa Matapalo. there's a couple by there too, just don't remember them off top of head. i thought Playa del Rey was better than Quepos, Quepos dirty as sht, both north of said park. also heard ppl surfing that wall by Manuel Antonio, but i'm pretty sure that's a no no

 

Hatteras for a week in April. Does that count?

 

Iv had back issues for 12+ years. Since high school. It tends to be fine because i stretch alot. When i fall off the stretching schedule is when it starts messing with me.

With that being said, here's my advice.

1) this is purely my opinion. No offense to anyone. But i highly advise to stay away from any pills. Im a bit extreme, i won't even take aspirin or tylenol for a headache. Seen to many people close to me ruin their lives. Some starting from a minor injury. I know it's an extreme opinion, but it's my .02, you can heal other ways. And actually heal other then masking it.

2) stretch and heat. Like others suggested, take it slow. But i bet you'll be feeling better in a few days. When i get flare ups it usually takes about 3 days off good stretching. IMPORTANT.... hips, legs, shoulders, basically everything. Stretching just your back may help, but to be safe stretch it all. Your back could be over compensating for tight muscles else where.

3) take it easy. If your feeling better at day 3, keep stretching and relax. Iv felt better to many times to just reinjure and go back to square one.

There's been plenty of swells when i get a flare up and have trouble doing simple things like get out of bed. I do everything i just mentioned and I'm good within a few days for swell. To be safe, start stretching now and don't stop till your back from the trip. Or you could never stop stretching. That works too.

Hope you heal up and have a fun trip!

 

Saw mr dr right after posting and he echoed a lot of the si brain trust. He put me on Aleive, said ice 3 x daily, then heat starting around Friday. Said light stretching is a great idea, as long as I don’t push it. Also said to take it easy (no soccer till after I get back - I play in adult leagues 3 x a week). Thanks for all the solid advice. The thing that caught me off guard is that I’ve never had back problems before. I run abt 15-20 miles a week, play soccer, surf and hit a suspension trainer a few times a week and do yoga every so often. Im not overweight and thought I had a strong core??? I think as long as I rest, keep stretching and take it easy I’ll be good to surf. The first day I couldn’t bend over and touch the top of my knees, today I can almost touch my feet. Before I got hurt I could bend over and put my palms flat of the floor. I’m still in shock that it happened in the first place.

 

Like i said, more often than not it's not your back. The back just over compensates for tightness or weakness else where. Regardless, glad your feeling better!

 

Pelvic ring

Seriously

 

Looking to do the same...

 

What flight/plane do you usually take to PR?
The flights to indo, maldives, etc are so much different (better) than the Southwest/Jetblue flights we normally use.
I get in a zone and mow through a bunch of movies. Trip back is worse b/c I've gone through most of the good movies, but I'm usually pretty exhausted, surfed out, sunburnt, etc.
You won't know unless you go.