Common Surfing Injuries in Hawaii

Surfing is enormously popular in Hawaii, and many visitors to the islands come here precisely for that reason. But of course, surfing is inherently risky, and serious, debilitating injuries do occur. The most severe injuries from surfing include:

Eye damage — Impact with the tip of a surfboard can cause trauma resulting in irreversible vision loss.
Head trauma — Contact with the surfboard or the hard surface of coral, rock or dense sand can cause concussion and brain injury.
Lacerations — Coral is often razor sharp. Even the fin of a surfboard is sharp enough to cut skin.
Shoulder strain and sprain — Shoulders are vulnerable to overuse from paddling, but can also suffer from hyperextension in a rough wave and dislocation upon impact with hard surfaces.
Brachial plexus injury — A sudden impact depressing the shoulder that at the same time pushes the neck hard to the side can cause nerve damage that compromises strength and reflex in the arm.
Neck and spine injury — Over-flexion anywhere along the spinal column can inflect trauma to the spinal cord, which can cause temporary or permanent paralysis.

Preventing injury should be the first concerns of all participants and supervisors of recreational activities. There are steps that surfers and instructors can take to prevent these injuries, such as using protective equipment, committing to a proper conditioning routine, and surfing in manageable waters.

Since surfing is an inherently dangerous sport, supervisors of novice surfers often require participants to sign a release to create a presumption that the participant is assuming the risk. However, many surfers are injured every year because of faulty equipment and negligent supervision.

If you suffered a serious injury while surfing under an instructor’s supervision, you may be entitled to compensation. To schedule a free consultation at Cronin, Fried, Sekiya, Kekina & Fairbanks, Attorneys At Law, call 808.524.1433 or contact us online.