Common Surfing Injuries | How to Avoid Them
Surfing is a sport enjoyed by over 2 million people in the United States and 18 million people around the world. It is a surprisingly safe sport with the average surfer sustaining an injury only once every four years. Furthermore, most surfing injuries are minor and result in little or no down time. Nevertheless, surfing can cause several distinct injuries - some of which may be threatening. This article will focus on the most common surfing injuries and offer ways to prevent them.
What are the most common injuries?
- The most common surfing injury is a laceration or cut, which accounts for about half of all surfing injuries. Half of all lacerations are caused by direct contact with the sea floor.
- Joint sprains account for one-fourth of all surfing injuries, most commonly to the back, shoulder, knee, and ankle.
- Dislocations and fractures account for the remainder of injuries with the nose, teeth, and ribs the most common fracture sites.
- The legs (37%) and head (35%) are most common areas of injury. The torso (16%) and arms (12%) account for the rest of injuries.
Acute injuries account for almost 75% of surfing injuries. Aside from lacerations, acute knee injuries are common two-thirds of these knee injuries are sprains, cartilage tears, and dislocations, mostly caused by excessive body torque when performing turns on the wave face, when landing from aerial maneuvers, or due to a fall.
Surfers are also prone to chronic, overuse injuries. The most common chronic injuries are strains of the shoulder, back, and neck due to repeated paddling out into the surf. Chronic ligament sprains of the knee occur frequently due to frequent turns and twists.
What causes surfing injuries?
The most common cause (almost 50%) of injury in surfers is hitting a surfboard, either your own or someone else's. Wipeouts in deeper water cause about one-third of all injuries. Finally, falling and hitting the seabed or sea litter is responsible for almost 20% of surfing injuries. Seabeds of coral double the risk of injury compared to sandy seabeds.
Who gets injured?
Experienced surfers tend to have more severe injuries than novices do because they surf larger waves in more challenging conditions. Inexperienced surfers tend to be injured more frequently, although their injuries tend to be less serious. Competitive surfers have slightly higher injury rates than recreational surfers 1 injury for every 150 hours of surfing. However, competitive surfers usually ride higher waves, perform numerous turns and twists, and often execute aerial maneuvers. Variables that increase the risk for a serious injury (requires hospitalization) versus a minor injury are age over 30 years old, advanced or expert surfing ability, and wave size over the head. There is no difference in the injury rates between men and women.
How to prevent surfing injuries?
- Buy protective equipment. Use rubber guards for the nose and fins of your board to prevent lacerations. Wetsuits can also prevent lacerations from fins. Only 5% of surfers use rubber guards.
- Wear a helmet to prevent head injuries, especially when surfing near shallow reefs or in crowded conditions. Only 5% of surfers regularly wear helmets. Although concussions account for only 6% of surfing injuries, they are potentially the most serious because they can result in drowning. One out of every 100 surfers has reported a near-drowning experience. Never surf alone.
- A surfboard leash ensures access to a flotation device in case of disabling injury and lowers risk of injuries to others from loose boards. However, leash recoil increases the odds of the board striking you in the face or head.
- Good physical fitness, including strengthening and stretching the neck, shoulders, and back, can help to prevent chronic injuries.
- Ask the locals about water conditions before surfing in an unfamiliar area.
- Be realistic about your abilities; don't be peer-pressured to surf waves beyond your skill level.
- Stay sober. One in 100 surfers has admitted surfing while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Spread out. It is typical to have 15 surfers in the water at any one time. Injury rates have been shown to increase with more surfers in the water.
Summary:
Surfing is a fun sport and a great way to stay in shape. As with most any sport, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Just following a few guidelines for safety can make all the difference in the world. While good physical fitness is defiantly a safeguard against injury, so is a good diet as well. A healthy diet rich in whole food vitamins and antioxidant foods translates itself to a body that has the tools it requires to quickly repair when injured. While vitamin supplements may prove helpful in some cases, it is best to choose whole food supplements such as pure aloe vera juice for its naturally rich vitamin content.
Contributed by:
Dr. Linda Kennedy MS SLP ND
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