Surfing injuries At waikiki.
A 56-month survey of 36 hospitalized patients injured while surfing off Oahu, Hawaii, indicated that 34% of the injuries involved the head and spine. Bodysurfing involves a considerable risk of craniospinal injury if the head is driven into the sand. The most frequent injury in surfboarding is being hit by a loose board. Risk of injury in surfboarding is approximately one per 17,500 surfing days--an incidence far below most sports.
D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000453:epidemiology; D006254:Hawaii; D006801:Humans; D013550:Swimming