Surfing Waves

Has anyone experienced headaches while surfing? I just started getting back into surfing after years of being away from the ocean and I started to get a headache as I paddled through the whitewater and to the lineup.

Ice Cream headaches from cold water ?

Gritting your teeth?

Kyphosis or tight shoulders from lots of computer work being forced to stretch the other way as you lift your head and use your shoulders (basically your muscles complaining about being made to do something they aren't used to doing) <- most likely this.

Stress

Squinting from bright light and reflection off the water?

I've been surfing off and on for 10 years and frequently get strong headaches after paddling hard after about 40 minutes in the water. They are strongest when I sit up on the board when waiting for a new wave. It sounds similar to your issue. I also get nauseous feelings with it, almost like motion sickness. I am also a keen rock climber and use a computer in my day job so have a rather curved upper back as a result of these two things and guess it may be the position on the board when paddling that is constricting blood flow to the head. If anyone has any ideas of how to solve this it would be great as most of my surf sessions have to get curtailed after 45 mins and I'm not sure if it could be doing any other damage!

I found this article http://www.johnhartfitness.com/surfers-paddling-nerve-compression-neck

Thankfully I experience the exact opposite.....only time I can completely free myself of life's headaches.

Thanks Oldmansurfer - really useful article and the last paragraph of it seems to make sense. I love surfing so it would be great to avoid the headaches! thanks a lot for your help.

I used to get that, but it was because I was so tense and I forget to breathe when paddling out. I still do occasionally forget to breathe when I see overhead lip breaking on top of me.

When I feel the stress on my neck is getting too hard, I put my head down so it rests with the forehead on the board. First I look what's ahead off course then put the head down and do about 10 strokes, look again adjust direction. etc.
The pain in the neck, or is it between the upper side of the shoulders, sometimes keeps me from sleeping. Lack of sleep keeps me from surfing, so it takes care of itself it seems..

Keep your back arched so your neck doesn't need to arch so much. I just noticed recently that if I arch my back before I popup I can get my hands back a few more inches and it makes the popup easier. But then maybe it's back problems instead of neck problems.....other solution don't get old...

oldmansurfer wrote:Keep your back arched so your neck doesn't need to arch so much. I just noticed recently that if I arch my back before I popup I can get my hands back a few more inches and it makes the popup easier. But then maybe it's back problems instead of neck problems.....other solution don't get old...

Agree with this....when I am tiring towards the end of a sesh I remind myself to get my chest off the board, both when paddling around and when going for a wave....better form, more effective paddle and a hard cobra arch, chin up and chest high enough that if a light were attached it would shine forward like a headlight, arch up before pushing with hands and for me is a quicker and cleaner get up....

oldmansurfer wrote:Keep your back arched so your neck doesn't need to arch so much.

I'll try to give it some attention next time. I was already working it in my cat/cow pose in my daily yoga after seeing an item Chris Mills did on it.
At 01:30.

Tudeo wrote:

oldmansurfer wrote:I was already working it in my cat/cow pose in my daily yoga after seeing an item Chris Mills did on it.

At 01:30.

good stuff, thanks!!