learn-to-surf

Useful Methods to Protect Surfers from Injuries They Should Know About and Apply in Practice

How to Avoid Injuries on Waves

Injuries on Waves

Who doesn’t know that being on the water is dangerous?

Surfing with all the fun and enjoyment is quite a risky sport that requires a lot of time, dedication, training, concentration, and strength to start again and again after you have been hurt.

Behind almost every new achievement and the wave caught, there is an injury of the surfer.

To protect yourself, you need to know that the injures may be of two types:

  •  the first type is the one surfers do not get instantly but it can be felt within some period after riding;
  •  the second type occurs immediately, for instance, after the surfer has completed a trick with a wrong technique.

In the article here, you can find valuable knowledge to increase the awareness of how to avoid the injuries and those inaccurate movements which may lead to them as well as of how to protect yourself.

Injury of Eyes

injury of eyes surfing

Eyes are delicate and fragile when it comes to surfing, so every surfer needs to protect them.

The horrible traumas caused by the surfboard sharp parts may occur when riding or holding it in a wrong way.

The consequences may be devastating such as complete loss of the ability to see.

How to Prevent

special cap for the surfboard nose

To defend and protect the face parts including eyes, a surfer can make a special cap for the surfboard nose to protect the eyes.

It’s a cheaper way to protect and shield the sharp part of the surfboard from contact with sensitive parts of the body of a surfer.

Injury of Head

Injury of Head surfing

This kind of trauma usually occurs as a result of a clash with the surfboard edges, nose or tail, or fins. This is the most widespread way for surfers to get such harsh injuries according to investigations.

One more way to be injured is the causes and obstacles created by nature: underwater rocks, reefs, or the hard bottom of the sea.

Because of the collision with them, the surfer may suffer lots of fractures – of a cervical spine, a jaw, teeth, cheekbones, and get a concussion and other injuries of a head and neck.

How to Prevent

surf helmet

On the list of ideas on how to protect the head while surfing, many surfers appreciate surfboards with a soft kind of tops and helmets.

According to the word of advanced surfers, these measures may seem exaggerated but they work to protect surfers and even save lives.

At the contest Pipeline Masters, the surfer Tom Carrol was the example of using a helmet to protect himself.

Cuts

Reef Cuts

Arms, hands, legs, and feet of surfers are the most susceptible to lacerations in parts of the body. The skin on them is gentle and thin, that’s why one sloppy or careless movement in the wave may lead to an injury.

Cuts usually occur when the surfer touches the sharp edges of rocks, reefs, or even fins of the surfboard. The danger is that one cut may cause an infection developed in the blood.

That’s why it is important for every surfer to protect the body from them.

How to Prevent

Surf Booties

The decision on how to protect themselves for beginning surfers is to set the fins which are not hard and without sharp edges.

The surfboard will behave differently but the change won’t be significant.

Furthermore, to protect from the injuries that may occur will be a great advantage of it. However, for advanced surfers, the change will be noticeable.

To protect feet from injuries, the surfers are advised to wear special boots. Although they don’t look fashionable, they are rather safe to wear when you want to protect your feet and they are better than healing the wounds after the risky riding days.

Injuries of shoulders

Surf Shoulder

The shoulders may seem strong but, actually, they are fragile and may easily be hurt during an intensive ride. You will also need to protect them from injuries.

If you feel pain in the front part of the shoulder, it may be an indicator of shoulder joints problems. The injury refers to progressive conditions that may become chronic and affect the body after a long time of paddling.

How to Prevent

In this case, some light exercises like stretching will help to protect your shoulders from injuries.

The surfers mustn’t spend hours doing it but some minutes before going to the water and after riding may protect the joints from injuries.

One more tip to protect shoulders from the pain is to explore conditions a surfer will ride in: notice the spots, the work of the waves, and so on.

Useful facts about injuries

Injuries from surfing

  • Older surfers are more susceptible to traumas and injuries than younger ones. So such surfers need to protect themselves from injuries more thoroughly.  This may be explained by the fact that the body with the years becomes not so elastic.
  • Brave surfers who don’t care about the injuries are more likely to get such injuries because of the lack of caution. They just do not think they need to protect their bodies.
  • Smaller waves may seem safe but the statistics say differently. The injuries happen there more often than in the large swells so think how to protect yourself.
  • Waves that go overheard are more dangerous. You should protect your head and joints from injuries while riding them.
  • Maneuvers such as tubes and take-offs lead to injuries more often than others. Some extra equipment to protect your body is needed here.
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