Serious injury at the Pass

[swvic]

Echo the RIP sentiments

I've been hit in the head by my board more than once. Never hard enough and/or in the right place to render me unconcious. I have quite a scar on my left forearm from a fin and you could see my teeth without my mouth open after smashing my face on a rail. 1st incident I was 16 and the second I was 20. Nothing major since, but I got a pretty decent smack on the shin yesterday. There's safer ways to pass your time

[Hollowed out]

plenty of contact with my own board over many years most being a few stitches and bruises but one or two were to the head but luckily not knocked out, just really dazed and just floated to the shallows and got out.
Getting hit in the head or hitting the bottom with ya head seems to be when the serious stuff then comes into play, like drowning and that is why I would never surf alone.
When I posted this thread I was thinking because it was at the Pass it would likely to be a collision with another surfer or their board that was the cause because I have seen guys actually spear their boards at guys trying to take them out, which is just totally mental and should see them charged with serious assault. Surf rage is just never justified.
Glad this episode was not one of those but so hard to believe you could not return from a session at the pass with your family. RIP.

[aaronn]

http://www.ballsports.com.au/images/P/R ... dPinkB.jpg

[Nick Carroll]

Poor guy, what a fcuked accident.

I've been hit once in the head by a board, it was mine, returning via one of those shit old leashes with the rubber sleeve and coiled cord inside. The tail of the board hit me flush under the right eye and I got four stitches. Fcuk! that was a long time ago, maybe 1979?

Heaps of injuries since but nothing to the head.

ctd I guess most surfers don't wear helmets because they're clumsy, unnecessary, and get in the way of enjoying the sport. Unlike a lot of sports, surfing is not designed around the needs of the beginner so it's bound to seem a bit odd on this score (and quite a few others). I do feel you should wear one if you're concerned enough about the chances of being struck by your board in the back or sides of the head. It's not a question of being cool. But I think surfing is more fun without one, even if it's an incy wincy bit more dangerous too.

I'd wear one if a medical condition required me to do so in order to go surfing.

[Karlos]

I copped a whack behind the ear from my board in the Curly shorey just last week. Not hard to do by any means.

Sad to hear about the guy at the Pass.

[collnarra]

I suspect the vast majority of surf accidents or injuries occur when you're learning. I've got a few scars from when I was a grom, including one right near the corner of my eye where I copped a fin, and another on the back of the calf where I was run over. Both happened in my grommethood.

Of course there's always the random possibility of something happening, I guess.

[aaronn]

your suspects are W R O N G
go home

[Beanpole]

I reckon for your average surfer you have more chance of getting hit by your board when its smaller since larger surf separates you from your stick rather quickly a lot of the time.

I get as far away from anyone with a helmet on in the surf as I can. Unless they are surfing some deadly reef break and I probably wouldn't be out there anyway. It usually marks a pleasingly realistic self awareness that they are out of control and anything could happen in their immediate vicinity.

Really sorry to hear about this accident. The Pass can be pretty chaotic.

[brett68]

very helmetist Beany

my board speared me in the side of the head 20 yrs ago - perforated ear drum and a goat boater helped me out (no idea which way was up, sideways, whatever) - have wondered what may have happened if he didn't come along

perforated twice again in small surf just falling off and hitting the water so have to wear a helmet every surf or don't surf at all - never cared about cool or looking good and I reckon it'd feel odd now if I surfed without one
- the way the crowds and their ability are at Manly now, I reckon it'll come in handy at some stage anyway

[Beanpole]

Look Bretto I'm sure your surfing can do the talking for you. Its just that when I see some old campaigner paddle out with a helmet on riding a mal they seem to be the most dangerous people in the water....apart from SUPs which are frightening in crowds.

[Cuttlefish]

Just read on another forum that it was Matt from the Boardroom at Miami on the Gold coast.
Drove past the shop yesterday with JAM71 while checking out a few boardshops and was suprised it wasn't open during a public holdiday with plenty of people around.
RIP.

[Grooter]

Reading this thread makes me think i shouldn't surf that bombie by myself anymore. Done it heaps of times and the solitude is nice but yeah, id be fcuked if something happened.

[MrMik]

Just read on another forum that it was Matt from the Boardroom at Miami on the Gold coast.
Drove past the shop yesterday with JAM71 while checking out a few boardshops and was suprised it wasn't open during a public holdiday with plenty of people around.
RIP.

RIP Matt.

I was pondering if or if not to drive to Byron for a surf with my son yesterday, then decided against it and we went to surf Rainbow Bay instead, because of the crowds looking worse at Byron. After the surf we drove to Miami and found the Boardroom closed. Small world, scary to find out why they were closed.
We did not wear our helmets yesterday, but we often do. My son already has a scratchmark on the helmet where it was hit by a longboard fin at Greenmount when he was diving to get out of the way of a longboarder about to literally run over the top of him. Without helmet, he could have easily been knocked unconscious by that.

We wear helmets not primarily for impact protection, but because it has several other advantages, too. With helmets, it's much easier to find each other in the crowd, because very few people wear helmets. It makes looking after a grom so much easier in the lineup.
The helmet is also the best sun protection for the scalp (and some degree for the eyes) that I have found so far. The Gath fixed visor helmet (which has been discontinued for some silly reason) shades scalp, forehead and eyes better than any surf hat, but unlike a hat, it actually stays on. So I wear it for long sessions around noon when it's very sunny. That is so much better than sunscreen running into my eyes. I keep the chin strap fairly loose, so the helmet can be tipped down to block sun and glare when staring into the rising or setting sun. It keeps rain, hail and in some case excessive wind and spray during take-off out of my eyes.
The helmet also helps a lot when it's cold and windy, it keeps you warm.

I'm aware of the "kook alert factor" of the helmet and try my best to not think of it, with varying degree of success; but when it's not too sunny, too cold, too rainy, too windy, too gnarly or too crowded, then I leave the helmet in the car and enjoy the "anonymity".

[Kunji]

RIP Matt

[ctd]

my board speared me in the side of the head 20 yrs ago - perforated ear drum and a goat boater helped me out (no idea which way was up, sideways, whatever) - have wondered what may have happened if he didn't come along:

I reckon if I wore a helmet - I have thought about it but the helmets all just seemed too over the top for what I would want them for (hence my query why there isnt something a bit less 'serious' but enough to diminish the seriousness of an impact) - anyway, if I wore a helmet then I would just tell people 'had a car accident and have a weak skull/eggshell skull/plate in my head' and I think most people would have no issue with that.

Maybe we need a helmet sticker 'required due to injury'. Ok, for me that would be a blatant lie, but it would stop looks of disdain. They can save that for my surfing.

(although I remember the same 'looks of disdain' when people started wearing bike helmets in the 80s and cricket helmets soon after. It wasnt until the helments were fairly stylish and widespread that it became normal and, now, if you dont have one you are seen as a bit of an idiot. I can't ever imagine this happening in surfing, but the take up might increase with some more stylish options)

[swvic]

Man in gathy helmet smacking someone else in the head - more than possible

Coops, not quite the topic, but given you're (2nd last)the last poster, did you happen to see any pros in Fiji letting their boards go when caught inside? Just sayin', because when I admitted to doing it (with proper consideration to others) you stated it was an absolute no. Chuck the fins and get some fibreglass one day to see where I'm coming from?

[Hollowed out]

I don't know matt but surfed my brains out at the Pass when my wife and kids frolicked on the beach and rode their first waves. Maybe if someone who does know Matt and family can post if they are going to need some help, then maybe here on RS we could all chip in a bit to a bank account to be of help.
I know it is really early days but maybe someone close could keep us updated when the timing is appropriate.
This could have been any one of us and recognition of that could be help in a small way to reduce the pain his wife and kids will feel.

[oldman]

With resect to the family and friends, and condolences.................

How's the farking irony, you go out and surf at the pass and get killed by your own board!

Fate plays its cruel hand.