Advice on sore ribs???
Know the feeling. I've got a protruded bone at the base of my sternum that's given me similar grief over the years (not noticeable under a wetsuit, but back-to-back surfs in a rashie or less gets sore).
There was some discussion on padded rashies in this forum: topic: https://www.swellnet.com/forums/wax/320356
Aaah awesome cheers for the link Ben. Yeh that was actually the exact topic I remember reading now, I'll look them up.
I think there is even some air cushiony thing you can get.
I use to have this problem, but after marrying my Indonesian wife I've put on a few kilos so have some natural padding now.
Cheers Indo, after reading the comments on the link Ben sent through, Im gunna contact a local wetsuit repairer and get some 5mm sewn into a nice new rashie. I'll let yuz now how it works. Sounds like I might also need to buy my missus a few new cook books too.
You have to push through the pain barrier. Surf regularly the problem will disappear and toughen up boys .
just pad up your chests or get a big wave PADdle vest!
I have the same thing Ben mentioned above, protruding lower part of sternum. The problem isn’t pain, it’s the skin that gets abraded off. It takes a long time to heal up. If I’m surfing regularly I end up with a bleeding wound the size of a 20 cent piece.
Only happens with rashies. A patch of wetty neoprene sewn into the inside fixed it
After time i use to get kind of grissley fattys tissue built up like a lump, didn't look good and still hurt when i surfed anyway.
For most of us, winter surf escapes mean going straight from steamers to boardies with long sessions and intense paddling. This usually results in the dreaded rib rash or bleeding before the first week ends. One one surf trip I was with a couple of guys who were medical types. One sprayed around his lower ribs before surfing with that clear spray on bandage stuff, the other guy had strips of elastoplast about 5cm wide protecting his ribs and he left it on all week. It looked really uncomfortable and he did periodic repairs on it. They wore rashies out every surf, and both systems worked, although their rib cages got a bit sensative to the pressure.
I have had one of these http://paddleair.com/ergo/ which works well although a bit bulky.
For a few years now I've been using rashies with neoprene padding in the front. Originally 2mm, then 3mm and then 5mm. On receiving the one with 5mm, I thought it was overkill but it is great. It avoids the rib rash, and enables a painfree transition from wetsuit to boardies and rashie.
When I used to surf regularly I would just get a red blemish on the 2 bottom ribs that would only last half hr after a surf, no drama. Now , like Chin said, theres 2 abrasions. In my case though the pain of laying on my board and paddling is the real issue. Im def going the 5mm neoprene/rashie option, cheers for the feedback. I just need to surf more, easy...why did I just move to Perth??...oh yeh kids..looks like neoprene for now!!
First sign of redness apply 3B (breasts, butts and ?) chafing cream. You Might be paid out for the entire surf trip but you will still be surfing
Get a rash vest and sew some wide strips of neoprene cut from an old wetsuit as pads on the front under the rashie with the nylon layer towards the skin. Use a really strong thread - nylon or the strongest sewing thread out there that will last in salt water. Then put a dab of Vaseline on your ribs before each surf to stop rubbing. Saved me from all sorts of trouble (major skin break down and potential infections) in Indo. Cost low, comfort high and looks like a normal rashie from the outside..
I had problems where I couldn't lay on my boards years ago. My solution
was I put car washing sponges under my wet suit and it worked for months.
Ben you still get that protruded base of sternum bone issue? Something that has cropped up myself. Really irritating. Mine just seemed to pop out after a trip to indo.
I think this is a particular issue for cold water surfers who surf in a steamer year round at home. (I'm in this category) When I go somewhere warm and surf in boardies my ribs get very sore. Not a skin abrasion issue, but a bruising issue. After a few days I'm so sore that I have to surf in a springsuit which helps a bit. This wasn't an issue when I was younger, but I've taken quite a few knocks to the ribs over the years which hasn't helped things. I'd be fucked somewhere like Mexico or Sumatra where the water's super warm. Other than taking painkillers before every surf I don't really know what to do about this.
Here's another thing for you guys to think about: How to woman surfing in tiny bikinis cope? Surely their skin must get shredded.
Solitude - yeah, still got it. Sounds like yours appeared like mine did, suddenly out of the blue. No idea what caused it either.
Went to a doctor, who helpfully suggested that I "tape a sponge over it when I go surfing" (good one, mate!).
Another doctor said the only option was to - and I'm not kidding - open up my chest and shave the bone down.
I've found that if I surf regularly with just a rashie (i.e. no wetsuit to pad it), after a period of abrasion/rash, it'll eventually thicken the skin - kinda like a callus - and then it's a little more bearable. Otherwise, I just stick to wearing a vest or springy through summer.
Ben you ever had pain with twisting your trunk or upper gastric type symptoms with it?
Nothing like that at all. Just a couple of hernias (one inguinal, the other umbilical) but I can’t see how they would be related.
Hi all I have another question to the collective swellnet experience. At this particular junction of my surfing career (47 yrs old FIFO with heaps of grommets in the city. Some would say hell!!..anyways), Im only able to do infrequent surf missions. The problem is my ribs. Being a lanky streak of pelican s*@#t , man my ribs get bad after one 4 hr sesh. The more I back it up, the worse they get.
Its not really a case of pushing through, one trip I surfed everyday for 2 weeks and they were bleeding like theyd been sandpapered or grazed, and bruised. Another trip I surfed everyday for a cupla weeks, then took a week off up in Lake Toba. Layed on my board first surf at Nias and they were still f#@%$!d !, a week later! It actually takes some of the enjoyment factor out when every stroke evokes a painful grimace.
Ive tried wearing a springsuit which helps a bit, not much and it gets a bit hot (plus this trip will be monsoon). Ive tried ice after a surf which does help a bit but not often practical in the tropics.
Im going for a vest this trip and remember reading somewhere about a padded rashie for this exact problem which makes me feel others experience similar issues. Unfortunately getting a few surfs then letting them heal before the trip may not be an option. Sorry for such a long winded whinge, just thought Id see if there is any other people who might have a new way to combat this problem. Any insight will be appreciated, cheers.