Short of death, what's the worst injury you have seen in real life or experienced personally?

I have a couple of stories but I will open with a small one and save a few up.

Small almost close out 2-3 foot right hand barrels had a friend of mine pulling in and holding on for as long as possible. Unfortunately on one wave on my backhand I wiped out and had the rail of my board hit my earhole. My eardrum instantly burst. Pain, disorientation and six weeks out of the water.

Oh yeah, and back when I late twenties and thought I was killing it on a huge wave (maybe 12 foot) I went into a high speed cuttie and thought I was the style lord trailing my leading arm in the water and feathering the face. "Check it out, boys!" Then I dug my hand in a bit far for whatever reason, wrenched my shoulder back tearing some stuff across the front of my shoulder and into my chest, wiped out and got sucked over the falls as the Bombie slapped me around like a red headed step child. My hubris was my undoing.

Stories guys?

No injuries as such, but 1 near drowning at Gnaraloo. 6-8' and I caught the first wave of the set, wiped out. Got up, had a breath, then copped 4 in a row on the head. Lungs were burning, underwater was black. The only thing that saved me was my leggie. The board was Tombstoning (how appropriate for the spot) and I was able to climb up the leggie.

My own fin to the head while getting rinsed and turned inside out.

Nasty. Always good to get a pic and that is a keeper - graphic without being too much. Cmon though. There is a story there. You didn't just pick up a board and ram the fin into your head. Was it a moment of glory charging close out Margies? Or a completely embarrassing moment trying an air in one foot Perth January onshore?

A graphic reminder of the danger of ocean liners.

ripped my leg open on the barnacles at North Point, from the knee to ankle.... Nerve, artery, bone and tendons visible. Didn't know any one in the line up, had to make the long paddle in to the swimming bay. Hallucinating on the beach from loss of blood, driven by father in law to Margs hospital, (making sure that he didn't break the speed limit!)... Lost count of stitches after 48 went in. out of the water for 8 weeks as lost muscle power to the foot...... Local doctors referred to me as reef boy when I went back for check ups.

Seen a euro try and booogi board indicators at nias first wave he didnt have the speed required, he was shredded from head to toe front and back, stayed there for 8 weeks and never saw this guy before or after the incident his season over in 1 wave. Had a malibu kick out real vertical straight onto my head knocked me out cold ****in kook malibu should stay in 1 foot grovel.

A mate hit the bottom with his tail bone broke his back ( no nerve damage) wouldnt let anyone touch him was in a bad way for a long time but now hes back building houses and surfing.

Two frothers (me included) contracting malaria on a surf trip in PNG a couple of long stints in hospital but we were lucky.

A mate taking off in a four footer stuffs up and pops his knee out sideways. Blows out everything not important, but crucially the cartilage, pcl and acl remain in tact. Getting him over the ledge was tricky though as there wasn't a lot of stability in the knee at the time.

I think JB's arse must win some sort of prize, a true Ganaraloo tattoo

Use a bit of imagination and his arse looked like a couple of Mackie fillets.

Aaah gnaraloo - always good for blood and glory.

I have an injury at the moment I have been nursing over the last six months.

As a natural surfer for 25 years I have always drawn power on my right leg and knee. I had never considered how important my knees were until the right one stopped responding like it used to. I was ****ting myself, thinking my surfing "hay day" could be over. Could this be the onset of old age?

Up until a month ago I couldn't do a full squat on it, and it hurt like hell at the back right of my leg when I did. I couldn't pull in on lefts, and my cutback on rights was an embarrassment and very uncomfortable .

I have been hitting the gym , running and lots of stretching over the last month while I was working away. In the swell over last weekend I finally ripped a couple of nice turns for the first time in ages. I still wasn't 100% yet so I forced myself to go to the physio on Monday (once the swell had died ).
My worst fears were put to rest when I was asured it was nothing serious. I have been given some exercises to start working the knee that should make a difference.
Fingers crossed , hope to be ripping like a 20yr old again soon.

Anyone else had knee problems?

^^ Yep ,, embarrassment when I first started.. Backhand on a 1-2ft shallow scabs bank... lower leg went in a direction it shouldn't have.
Did the MCL, and torn meniscus.. 4 years later still clicking knee, and sore to squat..

exotosis
both ears drilled in my 20's
backed up again for both again about 6 years ago
95% closed over
had one done one week and backed up the following fortnight for the other
10 weeks out of the water multiple itchy stitches on either ear and painful visits every week to have the dressings changed
expensive with no health cover
no change from 12K
that's what hurt!!

Fractured vertebrae at 15, fractured jaw smashed teeth mid 20's, torn muscle/ligament in shoulder at 34 and a split melon at 42. So I should be right for another ten years or so.

edit; exotoses surgery in either side once with one due again.

extreme damage .........
to my ego
going over the falls last week when i was too old and slow to get to my feet in time

Select to expand quote

Prawnhead said..
extreme damage .........
to my ego
going over the falls last week when i was too old and slow to get to my feet in time

Select to expand quote

Prawnhead said...
extreme damage .........
to my ego
going over the falls last week when i was too old and slow to get to my feet in time

I see....


....in my crystal ball....




....it's vague, yes, but coming into focus....




....it's a.....





.....a......






....bigger board as befits your age and paddling ability.




The same effort appears not to have the same result as I age.

Select to expand quote

thedrip said..

Prawnhead said...
extreme damage .........
to my ego
going over the falls last week when i was too old and slow to get to my feet in time

I see....


....in my crystal ball....




....it's vague, yes, but coming into focus....




....it's a.....





.....a......






....bigger board as befits your age and paddling ability.




The same effort appears not to have the same result as I age.

Select to expand quote

chrispy said..

Prawnhead said..
extreme damage .........
to my ego
going over the falls last week when i was too old and slow to get to my feet in time

in shane dorian. and longer boards .......there is hope !

On a board probably being run into and subsequently punched by a not so friendly local on the south east coast of NSW He was a lot bigger than me and I went in kind of stunned and my back hurt for quite some time where he ran into me.

On a bodyboard probably at North Point. I mis-timed a backflip and ejected mid arc, landing awkwardly and knocking the wind out of myself and bursting my eardrum. Floundering about trying to breathe and being hit by the next few waves whilst having to duck dive which made my ear hurt a great deal.

I've seen people eat **** pretty bad at Shark Island before on both boards and bodyboards. Cringeworthy stuff where I was thinking people were going to need to be assisted from the water and an Ambulance called.