Are you 100% ?

Yeah, I know what you mean. I battled with a back injury that made it hard to get to my feet for on and off 10years. Some days I would have trouble just walking let alone surfing.
I didn't lie down though (if you know what I mean) and with constant treatment, stretching and exersise i've managed to get myself back in the water and surfing to a aceptable level again. Sure I can't surf as well as I did or would like, but at least I'm out there catching waves, standing up doing a few turns and enjoying myself.I still get days when I'm not a flexible as I would like but I just battle through them as best as possible and do what I can on the waves that my poor old body lets me.
When your not surfing for a long while it really is hard to get back to where you left off but be happy with just getting back out there and enjoying surfing for what it is and never give up trying. Oh and do ride a shortboard cause anything else is just a copout.

Hey Danny Boy,

I used to a fair bit of weight training and it seemed I was always carrying some sort of injury (shoulders, neck and back being the most common). Since giving that up I've been relatively injury-free. After years of recurring continuous injury it feels so good to be 100%.

One of my friends, Margaret Plag, is currently doing a study on surfers injuries. Her findings will be published on Swellnet in the near future. She also has suggestions on how to avoid injury or mitigate the effects of injury. I'll pop the results up here when they are finished.

As for you though, keep your eyes on the prize and I hope you get back to 100% soon.

hi,
i sit at my computer at work right now, with my left leg in a ankle to groin brace.
i had a grade 3 tear to my medial ligament in the knee. Until this point i had been relavity injry free. im frustrated and sad and fearful about this injury and when i might be able to return to the water. On top of this Vic has been getting some good swell of late, which has added insult to injury.
Im hoping your recovery is swift and you get out there and surfing to your fullest soon.
Stu, im looking forward to Margarets research, i was one of the subjects, so will be keen to see what comes from it.
regards
c.

Hi,
There is nothing worse than being injured and knowing that the surf is really good. I know it is hard but the best thing you can do is find a reputable allied health professional to assist you and follow your rehabilitation plan, this way you will have a complete recovery allowing you to go back to surfing at the level you were at before.
Of cause there are exceptions to the rule, but on most occasions I find that surfers (or any person who loves their sport or exercise) do not let themselves rehabilitate sufficiently resulting in limited movements or chances of re-occurrence.
Don’t let this or any injury get you down. Hunt around for the right allied health professional for you and most of all listen to your body. If you feel pain then stop what you’re doing, if you feel tired then rest, if you feel tight then stretch!
I wish you complete recovery. Look out for my research update on swellnet in the coming future!
Cheers,
Marg

Not to talk about the competition websites but Surfline has a really good Health & Fitness section on their sign. They also have a question and answer section that talks a lot about fitness.

Stretching and flexibility is the key for long term surfing.

Here are the 2 links :

www.surfline.com/health-and-fitness/

www.surfline.com/community/whoknows/index.cfm

I have got a lot of great information about fitness, health, surfing longer & better technique etc.

Hello Danny Boy,
Injured my knee years ago skating and been young didn’t get it checked out so now have to deal with stabbing pains in it, I find as long as I get plenty of exercise it seems to be ok, unless it's a cold day then it's f----d no matter what I do.

Dannyboy,
I broke my back in 95 at work. Had to have 5 years out of the water, mate talk about torture, I moved to Brisbane so the surf wasn't in my face all day about it. It was a good thing in some ways but was it ever hard to get some form back.
It took a good 5 years for me to start to feel good about my surfing again. I will never have a 100% surf ever again, but 60% is a good day.
I have found surfing to be the best rehab ever, my body grew into it's shape through surfing and it proved to be the best exercise in getting better.
From take off to kick out all the pain dissapears. Some days I am still too sore to surf but on the days that I am not I go for it.
My injury didn't break my spine, i actually tore all the muscles from my hips to the base of my skull and all the way to my elbows, tore my sternum, broke ribs, tore both sides of my neck, all really gnarly stuff.
I never ever paddle out without a good long intense stretch.
One thing though is that I am as happy now in the water as I ever was and I accept that I will be in a lot more pain than my mates at the end of a good surf.

Stunet,

I was in a similar boat and still am, I suffer from shoulder and neck strains after a surf occasionally cause of overworked joints from the weights. I've just learnt how to deal with it more or less now to the point where I know how much I can put in the day before at the gym without interfering too much for the next day.

Sounds kina pathetic to keep doing it, but if your going to be dumb, you have to be tough.

I agree with Marg, I used to be a sports trainer for a long while and most guys just about always return to thier chosen activity well before they should, prolonging the pain and injury recovery process. Is it worth it? probably

Marg sent around some preliminary findings (and I hope she doesn't mind that I'm posting them here), two things stood out to me,

1) About 90% of surfers over 50 years suffer from a chronic injury. And,
2) Nearly no surfers cool down - the cool down is the most important to prevent your muscles staying tight and contracted especially if you are going to jump straight back into your car and go to work where you sit most of the day.

I guess, in a way, those two points are related. Certainly the first point is enough to pay heed to the second. When Marg has finished with the study it's gonna be interesting to see the results - I think it's the first of it's kind.

PS: 'If you're going to be dumb, you have to be tough'..ha!..nice one Keegz.

Yerrr....not quite as good as your earlier work.

Not having seen the study I can only assume that its done scientifically. But want to know does the study also include people who don't surf? maybe 90% of anyone over 50 has a chronic injury regardless of whether they surf or not.

I do see people warming up sometimes, but you're right in 20 years of surfing I have never seen anyone do a cool down routine. Unless cooling down means drinking a cold VB and/or sucking back on a ciggi/bong.

surfing has a lot of rest periods when you do nothing but wait for a wave, I can't see the point of a cool down that's anything more than a walk back to the car/cafe/pub :)

Hi lost climber and brendo,

Yes, the study was conducted scientifically. The study is specifically for surfers and did not include others who do not surf. Perhaps anyone over 50 years has a chronic injury but why not try to prevent them? The over 50 year old surfers with chronic injuries suffer from injuries as lower back pain, shoulder problems, neck problems, and knee problems, as the most common chronic injuries. All have attributed these injuries as a result of overuse from surfing (paddling, hyper extended back etc) and stated that these injuries now prevent them from surfing as much as they would like to.
I have a background as an exercise physiologist and surf nearly every day, although there is a lot of waiting around for waves at times you still exert alot of power in your shoulders, back, knees, hips, and ankles when you do get a wave which definitely requires some stretching after it to stop your muscles tightening up. I know it is much nicer to just head to a cafe for a cup of coffee but stretching only needs to be for about 5 minutes after you surf.... perhaps I should call it post surf stretching and not a cool down so people don't go and grab a VB?!

so a stretch, then coffee! Sounds good, not 50 yet but definitely don't want to be out of the water when I am that old !!

Thanks for all the supportive words and info guys, it's good to know I'm not alone!

Brendo,
I'm the wrong side of 50 and just starting surfing. 50 is the new 40, or is it the new 30?? I'm hoping to be going at it for another 10 - 15 years (if I don't get any injuries). Haven't been doing any stretching before or after, but sounds like I'm courting trouble if I don't start doing so. Better start from tomorrow. As for cooling down, man I barely carry my board back to the car after a surf let alone performing a set of yoga like moves.

So frustrating, I have two sea ulcers.. one on my left knee and one on the nuckle of my left foots big toe. They hurt like a mofo and just don't heal. I've been wearing a left foot boot and have recently rolled back into my steamer to deal with it..

thanks for the extra info. didnt mean to cause offence. maybe I have been watching too much TV with politicians pulling out quotes from studies to use for their own purpose.

But thats off topic. It would be interesting to know what the careers of those in study are as well. I was in the building industry before and found most of my niggling injuries came from work not play.

I do stretches everyday and find it really helps my flexibility and I don't suffer from strained muscles or joints. Cant say that I do them immediately after surfing. Being in Tassie I am more concerned with getting the wetty off and turning the car heater on to thaw out.
I would rather have sore back from surfing than sitting behind a desk.