An unusual (?) surf injury

[Ted]

I got worked this afternoon in some big surf with the Malama Kai. I attempted to duck dive under a crushing lip, but was sucked up, flipped on my back and bounced against reef. As I (on my back, pinned to the reef) held onto the board with hands on the rails in usual duck dive position, the turbulence violently flailed the board towards me and sprained my left thumb. Next time I'm letting the board go.

It seems like the thinness of the rail (compared to the Austin) encouraged a grip that allowed overloading of the thumb.

Anyone else have this injury?

[Paipo Jim]

As I (on my back, pinned to the reef) held onto the board with hands on the rails in usual duck dive position, the turbulence violently flailed the board towards me and sprained my left thumb. Next time I'm letting the board go.

It seems like the thinness of the rail (compared to the Austin) encouraged a grip that allowed overloading of the thumb.

Anyone else have this injury?

No, but I ground the SheeeeIIIIItttttt out of the skin on my right shoulder blade at Off The Wall while pinned on my back from the second time around in the washing machine. Also lots of scraped knuckles, split fingers, and bruised hands after pearl diving my paipos straight into the bottom on steep takeoffs.

[bgreen]

I haven't been thrown over backwards but have sprained my thumb hanging onto the rope handle of a nofin for too long during a wipeout. Like PJ I have scraped my knuckles duckdiving just after jumping off a rocky point into real shallow water. Without fins, the shallowness wasn't a problem, but holding onto the rails was.

Most of my wipeout injuries have involved getting hit in the head or once the board nose diving when I did a late takeoff in shallow water. I took off straight so my head was pile drived into the sand - this could have caused spinal damage damage. A while ago, a a physio who was looking at my neck asked if I had been in a car accident. Needless to say I didn't repeat that effort again.

Bob

[SJB]

Big wave.....pinned to your back on a reef. I would think a sprained thumb could have been the least of your worries Ted. I have visions of hamburger. I assume you were wearing your 2mm and helmet. Yes?

[spudnut]

I knew all of these years of grip exercises would pay off!

[Ted]

SJB,

I was wearing my helmet and two mm top. I heard the board smack the helmet several times as we communed at the bottom of the sea. The worst thing is that the tripod mounted camcorder didn't record anything, since I forgot to push the red button in my haste to get in the water. Pilot error on both counts.

Climbing onto the rocks at the end of the session without a strong left hand was a pain, literally and figuratively: my buddy grabbed my board first, then grabbed my left hand ("Ow, ow, OWW, my hand!) and hauled me up.

I slept well after some alcohol and motrin.

Ted

[spudnut]

Ted,

Do you the same injury would have happened on your HPD given the fact that it too is a very thin rail?

Also, how is the hand doing?

[Ted]

Spud,

I did wonder if the dishing of the HPD deck would lessen the potential to load the thumb, since the rail, though thin, is relatively more prominent.

My Paulownia project board is going to have the same plan shape and bottom contour as the Malama Kai, but the top is going to be dished to move volume laterally - sort of like a longer, narrow HPD made of wood with more bouyancy.

I did find a great thumb splint at Walmart for "arthritic or injured" thumbs. The thumb is doing better, but I am surprised how much one uses the left thumb for everyday activities. I need to get in shape for Samoa surf trip in 10 days.