Surfing Waves

Anyone who've had a broken rib? I got a crack in the rib in the surf almost three weeks ago, and I'm going crazy without surf I've been sitting on the beach watching my mates surfing, and today was the nicest, hottest day for ages, and I could just sit there watching...

My rib still hurts a bit, I've tried to do some pop-ups on the floor and it doesn't feel really good.. Anyone who has experience? What did you do when you couldn't surf? Did you go out before it was totally settled down? How long did it take before you could surf again?

And those of you that have had other injuries, what do you do when you can't surf? I'm a mess right now, I need some inspiration..

I remember when I tore my achilies tendon in Spain. I had to sit at the beach every day of the 2 week holiday watching perfect waves roll in with my mates surfing them and I because I only realy get to surf on holidays and weekends it was extra annoying.

I dont think there is really much you can do except try and relax and accept the fact that you will have to wait a while, and you should probably not do pop ups that soon after breaking your rib, that cant be good for it.

Anyway I hope you get better soon and think about i this way, worse things could have happened, so just accept it and try and forget about surfing for the time being.

Don't push it.

REALLY.

Do NOT try surfing until it's completely healed or you are only going to make it take longer to heal!

I hate broken ribs. They hurt.

Stone Fox wrote:Don't push it.

REALLY.

Do NOT try surfing until it's completely healed or you are only going to make it take longer to heal!

I hate broken ribs. They hurt.

Totally agree. I broke 5 in an accident at work and they took 2 months to heal up to a point and six months to heal fully! Sorry mate but you've just got to sit there and try not to sneeze, cough or laugh to much!

Duct tape some bubble plastic around your ribs, and go for it.

Things to do whilst dry... How about fimling your mate/others or get still shots etc..

hey dude, I've been there too. Mine hurt really bad, so I made a wrap from a wetsuit that padded it a bit. It helped, but wait for it to heal some first then give that a go. Good luck

Or mate I know what your going through, I broke my leg 3 1/2 months ago and still haven’t surfed,

was going to go this week end but there was no waves within a days travelling time,

take it easy and Get well soon

Hi dudes! Thanks for all replies! I'll follow you guy's advice and try to accept it and don't push it. And a wrap from wetsuit and some bubble plastic isn't bad ideas at all... I'll probably try that when I go out for the first times (in a few weeks time I guess). And I've done lots of filming and stillshots the last time. It's good to watch other people surf, I learn from that too, even if I wish I was there..

And Johno, I hope you also have a surf soon. I shouldn't complain.. 3 1/2 months..

coldkook wrote:Totally agree. I broke 5 in an accident at work and they took 2 months to heal up to a point and six months to heal fully! Sorry mate but you've just got to sit there and try not to sneeze, cough or laugh to much!

at work?
what kind of work do you do?

i broke my wrist a couple of weeks ago from snowboarding..im still in healing period, probably for another week or so..sucks coz there's like a swell every weekend here in so cal..bummer!

Hea, if you read my posts from late summer or fall, I cracked my ribs surfing as well. Do you recall how you cracked yours? I'm pretty sure that mine were cracked just from paddling and arching my back upward putting all of the pressure onto one point on my ribcage against the hard board surface. It took about 6-8 weeks before the pain went away. I tried surfing again and re-agrivated my ribs. I'm going to try wrapping ribs next time under wetsuit. I'm a little gunshy though since I've injured ribs every time.

Bub wrote:Hea, if you read my posts from late summer or fall, I cracked my ribs surfing as well. Do you recall how you cracked yours? I'm pretty sure that mine were cracked just from paddling and arching my back upward putting all of the pressure onto one point on my ribcage against the hard board surface. It took about 6-8 weeks before the pain went away. I tried surfing again and re-agrivated my ribs. I'm going to try wrapping ribs next time under wetsuit. I'm a little gunshy though since I've injured ribs every time.

Thanks Bub. I've been reading your post about cracked ribs, very helpful, thanks. I actually don't know how I did it. I had been surfing for many days, more than two weeks in a row I think, because the surf was sooooo good, and I was really, really tired when I got up from the water that day. I started to feel pain on the ribs on my right side after a few hours. I thought it was overused muscles, but the pain increased and I thought it was a little bit too much pain, it hurt when I was breathing and I couldn't lay on the right side at all. So I went to the doctor and he said it's a crack in the rib. I thought it was from the board, a whipe out or a failed duckdive or something, but I don't remember beeing hit by it. And now when I read your post then it makes sence that it might be from too much paddeling. I have been a little bit sore just under my ribs sometimes, but never so bad so that it's been bothering me at all. And that's all. I've never felt anything else around the ribs.

It's been healing very slowly, and this week is the first time I actually feel that it's getting a little bit better. I can still feel it when I breathe, and I can lay on the right side if I lay in a certain position.

I have been surfing since march, and I've been surfing a lot since march. Almost every day I would say, except for the last time I was injured (from a fen and 15 stitches in the forehead), since I'm addicted to it and love it and just have to be out there. There were some good tips at your posts, and I also think that we have to build up the body slowly, make it stronger. Maybe also the muscles in the stomach and in the back to help to lift the upper body, and don't push it up with the help of the ribs? I don't know, I'm still just a beginner, but that's my spontaneaus feeling when I read some of the posts.

I'm not so worried about that it hurts right now, except for that it sucks beeing away from it (less patient and a pain in the *** for the poor people in mysurroundings). I'm more worried about my surf future. How are your ribs now? When was the last time you surfed?

My ribs feel fine now. I haven't surfed since early November. I cracked them in July. Then in November when I tried surfing again, I was fine paddling around for about 5-10 minutes and then the pain came back. The doctor gave me some anit-inflamatory pills and the pain went away in 3 days (as opposed to 4-6 weeks last time). I have alot left over pills that I'm saving for next summer (just in case). If it weren't illegal, I send you a few pills in the mail
Everything you described with your ribs was exactly the same as me (right side only, hurts to lay on it etc.)

Bub wrote:My ribs feel fine now. I haven't surfed since early November. I cracked them in July. Then in November when I tried surfing again, I was fine paddling around for about 5-10 minutes and then the pain came back. The doctor gave me some anit-inflamatory pills and the pain went away in 3 days (as opposed to 4-6 weeks last time). I have alot left over pills that I'm saving for next summer (just in case). If it weren't illegal, I send you a few pills in the mail
Everything you described with your ribs was exactly the same as me (right side only, hurts to lay on it etc.)

Thank you Bub , I hope you are able to go out for a surf again soon! I have promised myself to do some extra exercises to strengthen up the muscles around the ribs, in the stomach and in the back, and also go swimming a lot more than I do now, just to get stronger and hopefully prevent injuries in the future. You are more than welcome to send me a pm or something and let me know how your ribs are progressing. Be good!

That sounds awful! Not being able to go surfing for that long?! Hell on earth! Is there any precautions that I can take to make sure I don't suffer the same fate? Will going swimming more really help?

Wrap yourself in bubble wrap? probably end up drowning but hey..it may work

TicTac wrote:Wrap yourself in bubble wrap? probably end up drowning but hey..it may work

Actually, I might just try the bubble wrap idea.....anything to keep the ribs from cracking again. I wouldn't dare be seen wrapping the bubble wrap around my ribs on the beach....people would think I'm a freak/wacko. But I'll could wrap up prior to zipping up the wetsuit out at the car. Other surfers will wonder what the heck is that popping sound as I paddle out though! Probably just think I ate at Taco Bell before I entered the water! I just wonder if the bubble wrap would pop itself out and then you have no cushion after only a few minutes? Someone be the guinea pig...I want a report on the subject by close of business next Friday!

Adrenaline Fueled wrote:That sounds awful! Not being able to go surfing for that long?! Hell on earth! Is there any precautions that I can take to make sure I don't suffer the same fate? Will going swimming more really help?

I don't know if go swimming more would help, but it strengthen up the body anyway. It helps to build muscles in the upper body and I have a feeling that it must be good.

Hi guys,

So I tried surfing for the first time in Taiwan during my trip half a month ago or so.

I didn't get any proper classes or so, my girlfriend kinda told me how to paddle and then she gave me a foam board and off I went so I couldn't do much at all besides paddling around and discovering that even lying on the board or sitting on it can be quite a challenge.

Anyways, after the first time I felt kinda sore ribs but no biggie. Second time we didn't have the foam board so I went out on her fibre glass one (I could barely balance myself on top of it) and took quite a beating. After that one I felt the pain increasing a lot but I still went for a third go again on a foam board.

This time when I came out I felt some really intense pain and it lasted for quite some days, it hurt constantly and sleeping on the tatami at night was excruciatingly painful.

Eventually the pain wore off but a few days ago I touched the left side of my ribcage and I found out that there are two massive bumps on one of my ribs like a segment of it maybe 3 cms long just detached from the rest, also I realized it still hurts when I make some movements but I guess I just learned not to pay attention to it.

Started reading some of the stories here and I'm getting kinda freaked out thinking I might actually have cracked the rib and wondering if I should do something about it.

What do you think? Can I just ignore this and carry on? I plan to give it a go again in September and I don't want to be out of order after the first time out.

Thanks!

M.C.