Monday, July 12, 2010

Capt. Ron's Post: Standup paddle surfing injuries

Editor's Note: Periodically, my surf buddy Capt. Ron chimes in from the Florida Coast... all I can say about the topic of this post is OUCH! But, then again, if you're going to rip, you've got to take some chances- Thanks for the killer piece Capt.!

Here I sit healing up again and decided to write a little excerpt about my adventures or should I say misadventures while SUP surfing.

Lets start from now and go back to the beginning. About 12 days ago I partially tore my achilles tendon and fractured my heal on my rear foot and let me tell you it freaking hurts. I am getting to old to spend to much time healing up from the stupidest of things. It did not happen riding a barrel or giant floater or doing a air even though I land alot now a days and get some ankle shocks. This was a result of trimming down a thigh/waist high section I was a little forward on the board and the section broke as I was scooting by and came down on the edge of my rail. The result was a hard shocking push of my board, as if a car ran straight into the rail, it did not knock me off I kept going but said to myself man that felt like it broke both my ankles. Well I was half right anyway. SO here I sit healing myself once more but do not need surgery than goodness and am in good spirits and feeling about 70% better than just 4 days ago.

Here is a good one that happened about 3 weeks or so ago. I realy do not need to tell anyone how bad it hurts to get hit by a SUP or the paddle for that matter. Well I was playing with some chest high closeouts and I realy like to do a layback snap at the closeout part rather than a floater. Well I get speed go up and half way through my turn in the lip I break the fins lose. No big deal I do that on purpose alot. Well the lip hit and grabbed my tail as I was laid back planning off my paddle
and pushed the rail with great force into my left outter thigh 3 hard times. Yeah I could not walk for 20 minutes and cussed even longer then that. I ended up with 3 baseball sized knots on my leg for a week.

This past winter it was a decent day here it was these chest to head perfect a frame barrels and I was getting some and ofcourse getting a little cocky about it. I started airing out the back of some of the waves that started to close out on the inside. Well about 7th wave or so I aired out of a beautiful one pretty high to 5ft or so under the board and as I did I was in perfect position to land it, then a gust of wind hit the board causing it to teeter on my front foot, back foot was free of the board I came down on my front foot landing hard with my back foot hitting the edge of the rail. IT compressed me so much on my front foot that my hip bone actually came up and broke my lower 2 ribs on my left side. That sucked it knocked the wind out of me and I saw stars and spots for a while and my day of surfing perfect A frames was over. DOH!

Back when I got my 1st SUP I was riding a 11'6" Laird beast. I got to where I was doing some decent oldstyle turns and cut backs on the thing. Well I was surfing bare foot and on several occasions I have broke the Metatarple and sezmoid bones in my back foot just from turning that beast. When you turn hard enough that you hear something in your body go "SNAP" maybe you should slow down a bit. Yeah right! I now wear split toe reef shoes with support/cusion inserts in them ever since and no more foot problems.

Then there is alot of stupid things like turning my head around while taking a hard paddle stroke to look behind me and throwing my back out so bad it knocked teh wind out of me.
The funnest one was the first paddle I ever broke. I was power stoking for a wave and my handle broke just below my lower hand and I did a complete front flip and body slammed myself on the deck of my board. Yeah there was some serious cussing going on that time too.
Ever while paddling out through teh waves go over a pitching wave without dropping back to surfer stance and have your board hit you in the forehead? I have.
Why do I always have to learn everything the hard way? Ever whack your shin or foot with your paddle blade?
Ever dislocate your shoulder from keeping a hold on your SUP in some nasty conditions so it won't hit the crowd in front of you. Yep I learned that lesson the hard way to.
My wife says I am kind of different I have always strived to be the best at whatever I do even if it kills me or just mames me a little.
Peace and be safe everyone,
Capt Ron

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