Apologies, if it’s a silly question. I’ve been wondering about a few things about surfboards hitting people. What are your experiences in getting hit by surfboards made of different materials in regards to the injury you’ve recieved?
The board speed and the weight are some of the most important factors I guess… also the part of the board meeting with the unlucky surfer’s face or body etc. Although the hardness of the board surface should also play some role, right? So how do you compare foam/fiberglass, compsand, solid wood, or hollow wood surfboards (of similar design and dimensions obviously) in this respect?
My common sense says foam/glass (ignoring the softboards) combination will cause the least damage, though it could very well be ignorance. I admit I don’t know much about the usual weight of those different surfboard builds.
my girlfriend broke an eps epoxy shortboard over my head a few months ago we were both on the same wave and she like shot her board at me, i guess thats what i get for dropping in on her lol i had a headache for 3 days. also i think we should conduct a series of controlled tests. take out your longboard and run into somebody, than repeat with your fish/shortboard,gun,and another boards of your choose. than we will test for damage done to the board and specimen. Sounds like a plan to me. anyone else game?
I once (years ago) got mowed over by some joker who had every option to avoid me as I was paddling over the shoulder of the wave - the fin hit me hard, and cut through my wetsuit, and cut through the skin on my back. But I healed quickly, the soreness was gone in about a week.
I think the most important factor is the skill / attitude of the board's rider. A skilled rider with a respectful attitude will be able to avoid hitting someone with their board 99.99% of the time, regardless of the board's makeup.
That said, after I read Greenough's plea for eliminating pointy noses, I have been trying round or square noses on my boards more.
OP, I’ve wondered the same thing. I’d love to get a wooden board that is built to last, but worry a bit about how I’d fare given the smacks I’ve taken from somewhat pliable traditional fiberglass boards. Those have been painful enough!
Off topic, I’ve fantisized about a lineup full of mats. Besides the attitude shift of the riders (less ego) how wonderful it would be to remove collision anxiety from the experience.
Apologies, if it's a silly question. I've been wondering about a few things about surfboards hitting people. What are your experiences in getting hit by surfboards made of different materials in regards to the injury you've recieved?
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Cerveza,
A few years ago I was hit by a surfamaboard made out of marshmellows, It was extremely forgiving. I see no downside to this material, except the expansion when it gets too hot to a fire. But it does patina to a nice golden brown if done right. The only injury i received was a stomach ache from making a giant Sa-Mor out of it....and the cost of the chocolate bars to cover. But i would assume tha chocolate in Turkey is much less expensive in Turkey. (Everybody loves chocolate covered Turkey)
On that same vein. I was also attacked by a rogue surfer on a board made out of a sofa pillow. This to is a great material for the more agressive surfer. The only injury I received was to my pride when I had to walk down the beach with a stiffy after I watched two young newbiles are having a pillow surfboard fight on the beach, Very arousing.
Lastly..and probably the most damaging surfboard material is... concrete. This is a horrible material for surfamabaords, and should be left to cars, helmets, and kids car safety seats. Thank goodness all the concrete surfboards I have seen have only lasted 1 or 2 surf sessions and then become part of the reef. That material actually left a little bump on my head once.
If you want more on concrete surfboard design or alternate material please see the swaylocks thread on alternate material. I have a fantastic foam design with sourdough bread dough left in the car to rise, and then harden naturally over a 3-9 month time frame. This was a discovery I made when my children were small little pigs that hid all sorts of things in the back of my cars nooks and crannys, ...but patent laws keep me from disclosing more. Ahhhh, but I digress here......
If you are paranoid then keep the boards with Protecto fins, and nose protectors and you've done as much as you are going to do.
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A few years ago I was hit by a surfamaboard made out of marshmellows, It was extremely forgiving. I see no downside to this material, except the expansion when it gets too hot to a fire.
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Sure, that's easy for you to say. How much damage can a marshmallow do to a resinhead? I am glad that it was forgiving, 'tho, as there are few things in life as noxious as a vindictive marshmallow surfboard.
The back edge of fins will slice you faster than you can say Sh-t. Done it to myself about three times, and always on my hands. Can’t explain why. People have had the fins going into their body more times than I want to remember. Usually when a board goes airborne and comes back down tail first.
Then there’s the nose, if it hits you squarely, you will have a bruise, or a broken bone. I did that to myself about a month ago on a reasonably good day and I had a bruise from my elbow to my wrist. Thought I broke my arm.
A rail into your body will hurt and a lot of times the impact shatters the board creating a razor sharp edge that will cut into the body. Done that to someone once or more times.
All this with standard foam and fiberglass boards. If you ride the wood boards you can expect a heck of a lot more damage.
If you want to surf, you have to accept the fact that you might get hurt. Just try really hard not to get hurt by watching others and staying out of the way. All my injuries have been from my own board from getting a bit to wild or just from riding bigger waves. Bigger waves tend to knock you around and sometimes you hit your own board when you get tossed around.
Sharkcountry's last point is probably the most poignant. Doesn't really matter what you're riding (unless it's a soft top or boogie board) as the risk is probably the same. Several years ago while going through the spin cycle on a wipe out, the wave pulled my 6'5" PU thruster towards the shore and as I came up to the surface, the 6' leash contracted and the board snapped back. I took the rounded pintail right in the mouth, ripping a hole just below my lower lip and knocking two teeth out (one in half, the other root and all). I suspect the damage (to my mouth, not my board) would've been the same if I'd been riding an EPS, chambered wood, or balsa board. It's the glass in my conclusion that does the damage, not the material underneath. Granted, I could've broken my jaw if I'd been riding a longboard or maybe have been decapitated if I'd been riding a SUP. So mass plays a factor too but in general, given that your board is covered in a nice thick fiberglass shell, you can be assured that, if there's contact, it'll hurt and the risk of injury will be quite high. That said, I figure you run a greater risk of getting into a car accident driving to the beach than getting hurt while in the water so don't lose a lot of sleep over this. By the way, CoCo Ho is SoSo Hot. She could spear me anytime!
