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How to Deal With Injury On Your Surf Trip
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How to Deal With Injury On Your Surf Trip

By September 20, 2018October 24th, 2018No Comments
Catch up with our intern, Sarah, who recently had a surf injury on a surf trip (major bummer!) and how she dealt with it.

 

You made it! 

Months of saving up, stocking up on gear, and staring at your tides calendar in the corner of your desk at the big X that marked when you finally got to head out on your next killer surf trip. You’re at some uncharted beach that you’ve been dreaming of since you carved your first turn on a Wavestorm. It’s the dream, man: you’re shredding side by side with friendly locals at a break that’s been firing all week. You’re finally up and take off on a semi-sketchy wave over a murky patch of water (is that a shark or a rock..?) 

 

No problem, right? Wrong. You go over the falls, through the washing machine, probably hit the bottom, pop up, and get pummeled again. You drag yourself to shore and find that one or more of your body parts are pretty beat up. Paddling out again doesn’t sound like a good idea. Your stoke ferments into despair as you realize you probably won’t be able to get out again for a little while – maybe the remainder of the trip. It’s not bad enough to go home, and you don’t want to bail on your buddies and be a total bummer. What now?

 

Never fear! There are still any number of things you can do wherever you’re at. Check it out:

1. Set little goals for yourself every day. Coffee aficionado? Make it your goal to try out a new café every day and chat up the baristas. Learn about the history of wherever you’re at. Have a tío teach you how to play chess. 

2. Pick up a camera if you’re still fiending to get to the beach. Check out my last post on my WAVES trip featuring the photos I took in my free time. 

3. Art! Art! Art! The beauty of having nothing to do is having time to create! Find a friend to chill on the beach and paint or draw with, or maybe pick up a guitar and jam all day. You might actually have time to get good. 

4. Talk to people and figure out what people do besides surf in whatever town you’re in. Chances are that there’s something cool for you to do. Who knows – you might discover a new passion. 

Above all, rest, recover, RICE, and talk. There’s nothing wrong with hangin’ out for a bit in a groovy spot. 
Take it from me – I’m stuck in Southern California with a torn ACL and botching my opportunity to surf for the first time in three months, but here I am enlightening you all about how to make due with an injury. Trust me, the wave dreams won’t go away and you’ll be back in no time. 

Save your soul – go surfing! 

-Sarita 

 

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