Surfing Waves

Well a bit over exaggerated but finally had my 2 weeks surfing holiday in warm water 27C without a wetsuit. My ribcage was rubbing against the board too much and I was getting bruises/ blood rash. I was in so much pain so I had to take a big breathe and hold it in to puff my abdominal up which stops my ribcage clashing with the board. I launch myself into paddling position on the board. I landed on the board too hard and it felt like I put too much pressure to my internal organs that I felt a sharp pain in my lungs. I'm perfectly fine now but has anyone done anything as stupid as this?

I just remembered when I first started surfing, I would also hold my breathe when I paddle for waves. I would get a headache straight away, maybe because of the lack of oxygen. Not sure if I still hold my breathe now but I don't get the headaches anymore.

Rash guards are meant to keep you from getting rashes or a T shirt works too. In all my life surfing I have never had a chest pain so no clue about that. Currently I don't surf enough to need a rash guard but I wear one if I don't want to put sunscreen on as protection from the sun.

Something that a few people do, including me still at times until I catch myself is grit your teeth when paddling for a wave. If you have sensitive teeth, that can lead to a headache pretty quick. Plus 'gritting' your neck muscles (if that's a thing) as you tense up for the same reason. As you get better/more comfortable on the wave, you don't tend to tense up because its not stressful. Unless you have a stupid habit like me - I actually think it comes from lifting weights and wanting to tense up the body during that peak effort and has become an automatic response by my body (as soon as I notice it, it goes away - brain can override muscle memory)

Chest pain from surfing is a known issue - there are chest pads and things that some people use. I've never had it (always use a wetsuit) so don't know much about them. Maybe you just need more chest padding, eat a bit!

However, surfing throws up injuries that have never happened before and never happen in every other sport, so you may have just given yourself one of those one off unique problems

I do wear a thick rash guard however I'm quite skinny 64kg so my ribs do rub against the board. Also I really made good use of my surf trip where I surfed every day for 1-2 sessions. Each sessions is around 2 hours so I didn't give myself any time to recover from the bruises.

dtc, you're right. I do grit my teeth and tense my neck muscles. I can see them so clearly when I had gopro videos. I tense up very hard when I start to paddle. I also have sensitive teeth which might be why I had headaches. But I don't have them anymore, either I'm used to it or I don't stress myself as much now.

I can't surf without a wetsuit top...I wear one of those vests with the sole purpose to pad the ribs. All that I read about just needing to toughen up and surf more just isn't true I my case...I surf plenty and if I go topless I can't handle the pain after 15 min.

My first time surfing I caught whitewater and rode it in....didn't know what to do next so I jumped off the board before getting to the shore break. Didn't know to jump away from the board and caught a rib on the rail on the way down. Had to take 6 weeks off (tried a few times but had ripping pains) just after I had only just begun. Cracked rib I reckon (actually a separation of cartilage from the ribcage according to a website commonly termed a cracked rib).

Before I could hold an arch I'd paddle more flat and a point on my diaphragm would get really sore; that issue is over now.

Growing pains...don't miss them.