Broke ribs bout three months ago. Went for a SUP surf last week and the ribs were quite painful afterwards. Went again today and it turns out they were only sore from when I was laying on the board, which they couldn't handle. So I pushed my stomach out when I was laying on the SUP getting back up.and ay presto back into it. So stoked. Spewing about the 5kgs of weight gain. The short SUP is gathering dust....

Way to go getting back out in the surf after a significant injury! Three months is a long time out. Take care.

Cheers

Bob

Yeah broken ribs take a while to heal.
Great that you're back in the surf

My sympathies. I have never broken ribs, but I did bruise a few of them quite badly when I decided to fly on my bicycle. We flew sideways together in slow motion for what felt like a long time and then when we landed the handlebar shot into my ribs. I was in my teens back then and it took me about a month before I could bear the pain of lying on a surfboard.

Ribs take time and are definitely painful!

after I bruised mine, I wore an impact vest for a while.
not to protect from impact but it was tight and sort of held me together in a nice way.

try some thick neoprene patches (or similar padding) in the chest area of your wetsuit - i had a similar experience after coming back from cracked ribs, especially if the area is where your chest touches the board with your head up and upper back extended for paddling... takes ages to come good bt the good news is once it starts to improve it goes away pretty quickly....

Ergo Paddle Air vest - is what I got for the Mrs when she cracked a rib,
The air pocket supports you without muscle strain/pain
she still wears it when Sup surfn

Broke three ribs and had blood in the lung on one side some years ago, supping in a fast closeout. Was out of the water for two months but doing uphill runs before that. No aftereffects, even though an MD was asking me about them, so they must be common. No swimming, no airline travel, no impact activity (esp. downhill running) and doing inhalation exercises to prevent atelectasis/lung collapse.

Did you get tested for possible damage to spleen, which is on the left side under the lower rib? or xray for blood in the lung? If positive, then you need therapy for the lungs. You might not know about this without imaging.

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supthecreek said..
Ribs take time and are definitely painful!

after I bruised mine, I wore an impact vest for a while.
not to protect from impact but it was tight and sort of held me together in a nice way.

I have done ribs 3 times in the last 3 years. I do exactly the same as supthecreek. I wear an impact vest. I can actually get in the water after a month with the vest on. Yes there is still lots of pain but somehow the impact vest makes it sort of bearable. I just make sure when I fall into the water I land on the opposite side of the injury and like creek said the vest sort of holds it all together in a nice way.
Having done my ribs 5 times (once surfing, once skating and 3 sup surfing) I sort of have a pain management plan.

First month the pain is unbearable.. Can't sleep, cough or laugh. Load up on the ibruprophen.
The 2nd month the pain is still bad but you can learn to live with it with lots of ibruprophen and use an impact vest to get back in the water. Paddling hurts pretty bad and lots of caution used to not fall on the injured side.
Third month it is 50% and fading. Still use a bit of ibruprophen and the impact vest stays on for another couple of months.
Usually by 4-6 months I can actually sleep on the side I've injured and have resumed 100% of my paddle stroke.
I take the vest off when I am pain free and only every bring it back out on a massive swell.
Pretty much the same everytime for me.

I sympathise.... I'm recovering from a fractured sternum caused by a bad fall on my board. I'm about 6 weeks into recovery. Seems to be going well but I haven't been back on the water. I keep wondering if I would have come out of the accident better off if I had a pointy noised board. Mine has a flat noised board (Sunova Speeed).

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8Paws said..
I sympathise.... I'm recovering from a fractured sternum caused by a bad fall on my board. I'm about 6 weeks into recovery. Seems to be going well but I haven't been back on the water. I keep wondering if I would have come out of the accident better off if I had a pointy noised board. Mine has a flat noised board (Sunova Speeed).

Why do u think the board design did it