Summer - who surfs and what level?

Rick, very soon we will be releasing our 10 part “How to Surf” series. It’s all filmed and done and just waiting for release. We filmed it with Rip Curl pro surfer, Jayce Robinson. We hope to get the series out soon.

Nice!!!!! 

Just voted.. have surfed all my life, always lived within walking distance of good beaches.
First 6 years of life in Cronulla, then to Kiama until 22 when I moved out.
then its been roughly a year or 2 at each of these:
-Stanwell Park
-Cronulla (again)
-Manly
-Curl Curl (closest ever - units at south end - lift head off pillow to check waves)
-Collaroy (first house purchase)
-Scarborough (Perth)

Now back to Sth Coasts (nthn beaches) Bulli which is the first time i’ve had to drive to beach..!
I work in Austinmer so its a 1 minute walk to beach for a wave at lunch..

Have surfed:
-Indo (9 times)
-Spain
-Portugal
-France
-Scotland
-England
-Morocco

BUT alas….!
when in Perth playing basketball someone tripped me and i dislocated my shoulder (common family problem too)
after 6 months of hard rehab i was good again.. Until i feel over on bux party boat and popped it again (in front of the nude waitresses - who thought i was well tough popping it back in myself ..)

its been nearly 3 years now….  and the ONLY thing i cant do to full capacity is SURF…!!!!
(so its probably operation time)
its basically the requirement for the explosive paddle to get into a wave that essentially half pops it each time…
i can swim laps easily..  so the combination of explosive paddle and the angle my upper body must have when paddling causes issues.

I’ve taken to snowboarding since and loving it….  2 -3 years in and i must say its much much easier than surfing to get started and elevate your skills…
Japan in Feb..!!

Ridiculous rant over….

Thanks for sharing your story, Kong!

There are few from around the gong area on here. I lived in Austi for quite a while myself, bodyboarding out headies and playing around on standup boards on the beachies. I miss it there a lot and it will always feel like home to me! Where do you work? Up in one of the little offices on Moore street maybe?

Sorry about your shoulder. That sucks big time! I think I’d be tempted to see if I could get some kind of operation so I could surf again?

Cords,
Leaving Austi would have been hard.!
Yeh we are up the top of Moore street in the old squash courts. they have been gutted and we have about 12 office spaces up here now.

took the fish out for a little wave over the break… shoulder felt kind of OK, but it was only small.

Hey KoNG,

Getting the operation is probably a good call. If it’s still popping out after rehab and stopping you from doing what you love, it’s probably the wise decision. 12 months and you’ll be back to normal and doing the things you love, without worrying about it popping out or causing you grief.

Thanks for sharing and welcome to Boardworld.

Yeh, agreed Rider.
i think i’ll just enjoy this summer down the beach and look at getting it done afterwards.
will need to look into recovery times, have a season pass for perisher, so don’t want that to go to waste.

Kong my old man is coming out the back end of his second shoulder reco, do it now and you will be ok come July ish and therefore won’t miss much time in the snow.  It looks like a real prick of a thing, my old man has had two in two years and as a result is a bit over it.  He never had any dislocations though so can’t comment on if that’s whats actually needed or not!

I had a decent period of time where I just wasn’t that into surfing anymore, luckily for me that’s changed and I have hardly thought about snowboarding for the last couple of months.  I would be getting that shoulder thing fixed ASAP.

Definitely can’t do it now NBG, i’m off to Japow in 5 weeks..!
My little brother is going in for surgery on his shoulder very soon (family problem), so I think i’ll wait out his op and make some decisions following his surgery/rehab findings.

There is also then work… i would likely need 4-6 weeks away from the computer (which can only be good), but if i can’t do my job, i’d likely have to take those 6 weeks as unpaid leave. So many things to consider.

Anyways, i’m in the pool every other day and getting the odd slow surf in here and there now on small days.
Haven’t had a full pop out for over 2 years (only a partial pop when surfing last summer), so maybe, just maybe I can rehab my way to being able to surf with my little grommets over the next few years.

Another full pop out and it’s definitely surgery..!

Japow, right I see ha ha.  Hmm not sure if like me you’re in an office if it would be that bad, as long as your car is an auto I imagine you could drive.  Dad’s is a manual and so couldn’t drive for 6 weeks after.  Maybe you could fall off your chair in the office and go workers comp ha ha ha!  Would be interested to see what a physio would say in relation to SUPing for strengthening your shoulder. 

For me and my dramas it’s been a massive help, I compression fractured a vertebrae in June last year and was having some dramas with my back in relation to paddling and standing up surfing, SUPing has almost totally alleviated the issue so I’m a big proponent of it.  I only do it flatwater generally as a fitness exercise, a mate of mine actually dislocated his shoulder in a SUP surf contest so perhaps that’s not the way to go ha ha!

Hi Kong,
I work in Thirroul, lived in the area on-and-off for almost 20years (Coledale/Wombarra). Usually the only time I’m not there is when I’m in the snow.
Work is at Gringo’s Restaurant and sometimes all night in the bar Fri/Sat attached to it.

I’ve dislocated my shoulder 7times. 1st time at 14yo playing rugby league, being young recovered with Physio over 18months (was beyond a bad dislocation).
Did it again at 18 - footy.
All the other times were snowboarding, its pretty common to do your shoulder snowboarding - if its your trailing arm BAD NEWS! I know many people that put up with it popping. The more times it happens the easier it is to deal with (as you finding out). Haven’t popped mine in over 5years.

The best thing I ever did for my shoulder was surf, strengthening all the muscle in that area helps hold it in place, but you need to train your mind to control those muscles instead of relying on ligaments. Surgery will depend how beneficial its been for your other family members. EVERYONE I know who’s had a shoulder reco are stoked (riders girlfriend had hers 2years ago).
You’ll need to go on a waiting list (maybe +12mths), since its elective surgery.
If your seriously going to get the reco get on the waiting list. You don’t get to choose the timing - the system does. When your time comes you can say no.

Using muscular strength has allowed me to avoid surgery not just for my shoulder but also a dislocated knee. Like you, I’m avoiding knee surgery because don’t want to miss a snow trip or surf or work and just can’t find 6months for recovery.
The down side is it will cause arthritis later. Future me can deal with that.

Then there is the cost! Even with private health insurance it a huge cost.

Spaz,
thanks for that. I know Gringo’s, although having two younglings, getting out for dinner is a thing of the past.
what do you mean bad news for trailing arm.? I’m goofy and its my left shoulder (so trailing).
More details please.

Swimming is definitely helping as you say..

Your trailing arm tends to catch the snow in a fall and is the perfect motion to cause a shoulder dislocation.

I would say, trailing arm shoulder dislocation is the second most common injury I’ve seen for snowboarders (broken wrists are #1). I have learned so many techniques to avoid injury while snowboarding but still manage to strain the muscle around my trailing arm at least once a season or worse, I’ve dislocated it 5 times snowboarding.

I do snowboard a lot though and the dislocations don’t stop me spending anytime on the hill.

nthnbeachesguy - 10 January 2013 10:03 PM

SUPing has almost totally alleviated the issue so I’m a big proponent of it.  I only do it flatwater generally as a fitness exercise, a mate of mine actually dislocated his shoulder in a SUP surf contest so perhaps that’s not the way to go ha ha!

NBG, yeh i was on the SUP both days this weekend, out minnamurra river, through the entrance and some waves off Rangoon Island… lap around the island.. etc. good fun.

My shoulder def feels safer on the SUP than on my surfboard…  which is good (and bad).

Spaz…  that makes sense re trailing arm, will have to keep aware in future.