SURFER’S EAR

There are only two truly distinguishable types of surfers. Those who wear earplugs and those who don’t. Those of us who don’t wear ear plugs view them with feelings of curiosity, suspicion and occasionally guilt. Guilt that perhaps we should be wearing them. Most of us don’t give earplugs any further consideration after that. […]

SURFER’S EYE

Surfer’s eyes get a battering from the sun, wind, sea, salt and sand. Its small wonder then that some surfers suffer from a condition known as ‘Surfer’s eye’. Its not exclusive to surfers however, and is actually the oldest known eye conditions known as Pterygium. What Is it? The eye has a layer of tissue […]

SHOULDER DISLOCATION

The shoulder is the most commonly injured joint in surfing with dislocations and tears. You can understand why. With all that arm paddling and being bundled when we inevitably stack it, this ‘ball and socket’ joint is seriously working hard. – Shoulder dislocations and injuries can, at best, keep you out of the water for […]

SHARK ATTACK

A random splash or a darting shadow. The slightest of triggers can turn a fun surf into one that’s at risk of being ruined by a background level of anxiety and fear. Shark attacks are horrible, there’s no getting away from it. They’re terrifying in their intensity, merciless, bloody and a horrific emotional experience for […]

SURFER’S NIPPLE

BREAST & NIPPLE PAIN It seems that having breasts isn’t always as great as some guys imagine! Painful breasts & Nipples is something that plagues a surprising number of women after surfing. It’s actually not that uncommon for women (and some men) to suffer from breast and nipple pain after surfing. It’s so common in […]

REEF CUTS

CORAL CUTS Kissing the reef. Lets be honest. Coral cuts can be really cool, but only when the pains gone and the cut’s heeled up. A badge of honor. Reef cuts have the potential to ruin your trip, and if they’re not dealt with properly, can kill you. Not so cool. Reefs include coral, all […]

WEEVER FISH

THE STEALTHY ASSASSINS OF THE EAST ATLANTIC – That’s Weever. Not Weaver. Some people really seem to care about this, but fair play, it’s the fish, not the bird. – Now the UK may not have bacterial infested coral, sea urchins, hospitalising jelly fish, Bull sharks, White Pointers or generalised tropical water badness, but European waters are […]

PAIN IN THE NECK..

Injuries to your spine are serious. Paralysis & death is not uncommon after SPINAL INJURIES. I’m sticking my own neck out writing this! The purpose of this article, & the information in it, is to get more people safely to a hospital. Apply common sense and don’t take chances. Not all spine injuries are dangerous, […]

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.. […]

KNOCK OUT

ADULT HEAD INJURY That moment when you realize that you’re not invincible as you get smacked in the head, really hard, and the lights go out. What do you do when you’ve hit your head? I almost decided not to write an article on head injuries because of how serious they are. It was the […]

LITTLE URCHIN

SEA URCHIN INJURIES Sea Urchins are found in oceans all around the world. they sting and can be your nemesis. Sea Urchins are the reason why a lot us wear reef boots to protect our feet. Floundering (insert trying to look like a pro here!) on the reef trying to get in or out of […]

CUT UP

WOUND MANAGEMENT Licking your wounds is something we’ve all learned to do since we’ve been old enough to fall over. It seems the fun police are winning in the UK, with ‘Health and Safety’ being used as their motto. Having said that, getting on a late night bus that’s twice your age, being driven (fast!) […]