DROWNING – what to do

How many of us would know where to begin if we were suddenly confronted with a drowned surfer? Surely we all should? The aim of this article is to give you a sound starting point from which to make a positive difference. Not to replace official training which is something all surfers should be considering. […]

CHILL OUT

HYPOTHERMIA from surfing in cold water should not be dismissed as something that kills the weak and niave. Hypothermia has the potential to catch us all off guard at some point, no matter how experienced we think we are. It kills. How it kills depends on the situation. Most of us can hopefully spot when […]

FEVER PITCH

TROPICAL FEVER Imagine if sharks killed one million people every year. You would seriously think twice about paddling out at any location where there were reports of regular fatalities, and if you did still go you’d be likely to change your behavior. Why is it then, that when Mozzies are responsible for tropical fevers that […]

MENTAL DENTAL

TOOTHACHE, gum disease and teeth damage are a pain on a surf trip. Literally. Dental problems such as toothache are very unlikely to kill you, although the pain can be so severe, it may seem that way at the time. – DIFFERENT TYPES OF TOOTHACHE Hurts all the time? The toothache wakes you up at […]

FEELING THE BURN

SUN BURN It hurts, looks rubbish and is a burning reminder of the real risk of skin cancer all of us face from the sun. Skin cancer kills more surfers than drowning. Maybe we should be worrying more about the UVA & UVB properties of our creams, than how long we can hold our breath.. […]

THE RUNS

TRAVELLERS DIARRHOEA Avoiding dirty local water by not having ice or salad while travelling. Taking daily ‘friendly bacteria’ tablets to try and out compete the nasty ones to prevent Bali belly. Avoiding local food (badly cooked chicken, reheated rice, food with raw eggs & ice-cream) and washing my hands before eating anything.. I’ve tried it […]

WITNESS THE SICKNESS

SEA SICKNESS Chunda. Blow chunks. Spew. Sea soup. Chuck-up. Vomit. Barf. Wretch. Hurl. Technicolour yawn. Puke. Losing lunch. Tossing cookies. Yacking. Ralfing. Heave. Doesn’t mater how you say it. Sea sickness is really grim once it gets going and you know that you’re miles from land. It’s embarrassing too. Everyone knows that there’s a direct […]

EAR INFECTION

Surfing makes you more likely than the next person to get an ear infection. Having surfers ear or perforating your ear drum whilst surfing makes it even more likely. Whilst very rarely dangerous, they can be very painful, disorientating and worse of all keep you out the water. There are simple preventative measures you […]