Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Medical illnesses and injuries encountered during surfing

  • Published:
Current Sports Medicine Reports

Abstract

Surfing is an exciting sport enjoyed in many coastal communities around the globe. Participants are prone to various conditions ranging from acute injuries to conditions borne from chronic environmental exposure. Lacerations, contusions, sprains, and fractures are the common types of acute traumatic injury. Injury from the rider’s own surfboard is the prevailing mechanism of injury. Interaction with marine animals may lead to injury through envenomation. Although jellyfish stings are common, no definitive treatment strategy has been proven most effective in dealing with such stings. Exposure to jellyfish and other nematocystcontaining larvae can cause a reaction known as seabather’s eruption. Stingrays and coral reefs present further hazards to the surfboard rider. Infection of wounds is often seen and should be treated with fluoroquinolones or third-generation cephalosporins to cover Vibrio species, along with Staphylococcus and Streptococcus species. Otologic sequelae of surfing include auditory exostoses, ruptured tympanic membrane, and otitis externa.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References and Recommended Reading

  1. Nathanson A, Haynes P, Galanis D: Surfing injuries. Am J Emerg Med 2002, 20:155–160.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Mendez-Villaneuva A, Bishop D: Physiological aspects of surfboard riding performance. Sports Med 2005, 35:55–70. One of the only studies assessing fitness level of surfers.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Lowdon BJ, Pateman NA, Pitman AJ: Surfboard-riding injuries. Med J Aust 1983, 2:613–616.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Sunshine S: Surfing injuries. Curr Sports Med Rep 2003, 2:136–141. Comprehensive recent review of surfing injuries.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Kim JW, McDonald R, Rubsamen PE, et al.: Surfing related ocular injuries. Retina 1988, 18:424–429.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Lawless M, Porter W, Pountney R, Simpson M: Surfboardrelated ocular injuries. Aust N Z J Ophthalmol 1986, 14:55–57.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Thompson TP, Pearce J, Chang G, Madamba J: Surfer’s myelopathy. Spine 2004, 29:E353-E356. ecent case series describing a new disorder in surfers.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Auerbach PS: Marine envenomations. N Engl J Med 1991, 325:486–493.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Robles LA: Cervical spine injuries in ocean bathers: waverelated accidents. Neurosurgery 2006, 58:920–923. Recent addition to the medical literature.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. McGoldrick J, Marx JA: Marine envenomations, part 1: vertebrates. J Emergency Med 1991, 9:497–502.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Otten EJ, Blomkalns AL: Venomous animal injuries. In Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice, edn 5. Edited by Marx JA. St. Louis: Mosby; 2002:799.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Freudenthal AR, Joseph PR: Seabather’s eruption. N Engl J Med 1993, 329:542–544.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Wong DE, Meinking TL, Rosen LB, et al.: Seabather’s eruption. J Am Acad Dermatol 1994, 30:399–406.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Kumar, S, Hlady GW, Malecki JM: Risk factors for seabather’s eruption: a prospective cohort study. Public Health Rep 1997, 112:59–62.

    CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Burnett JW: Seabather’s eruption. Cutis 1992, 50:98.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Nichols AW: Nonorthopedic injuries in the aquatic athlete. Clin Sports Med 1999, 18:395–411.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Kroon DF, Lawson ML, Derkay CS, et al.: Surfer’s ear: external auditory exostoses are more prevalent in cold water surfers. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2002, 126:499–504.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Deleyiannis FW, Cockcroft BD, Pinczower EF: Exostoses of the external auditory canal in Oregon surfers. Am J Otolaryngol 1996, 17:303–307.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Wong BJF, Cervantes W, Doyle KJ, et al.: Prevalence of external auditory canal exostoses in surfers. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1999, 125:969–972.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Sander R: Otitis externa: a practical guide to treatment and prevention. Am Fam Physician 2001, 63:927–936; 941–942.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Richmond DR, Yelverton JT, Fletcher ER, et al.: Physical correlates of eardrum rupture. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 1989, 98(Suppl 140):35–41.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Kerr AG: The effects of blast on the ear. J Laryngol Otol 1980, 94:107–110.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Hartwick R, Callanan V, Williamson J: Disarming the box jellyfish: nematocyst inhibition in Chironex fleckeri. Med J Aust 1980, 1:15–20.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Burnett JW, Rubinstein H, Calton GJ: First aid for jellyfish envenomation. South Med J 1983, 76:870–872.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Exton DR, Fenner PJ, Williamson JA: Cold packs: effective topical analgesia in the treatment of painful stings by Physalia and other jellyfish. Med J Aust 1989, 151:625–626.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Thomas CS, Scott SA, Galanis DJ, et al.: Box jellyfish (Carybdea alata) in Waikiki: their influx cycle plus the analgesic effect of hot and cold packs on their stings to swimmers at the beach: a randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial. Hawaii Med J 2001, 60:100–107.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Nomura JT, Sato RL, Ahern RM, et al.: A randomized paired comparison trial of cutaneous treatments for acute jellyfish (Carybdea alata) sting. Am J Emerg Med 2002, 20:624–626.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, 92093-0807, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Kenneth S. Taylor MD, Todd B. Zoltan MD, JD & Suraj A. Achar MD

Authors
  1. Kenneth S. Taylor MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Todd B. Zoltan MD, JD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Suraj A. Achar MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kenneth S. Taylor MD.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Taylor, K.S., Zoltan, T.B. & Achar, S.A. Medical illnesses and injuries encountered during surfing. Curr Sports Med Rep 5, 262–267 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11932-006-0009-0

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11932-006-0009-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation