Surfing has experienced a ‘boom’ in participants and media attention over the last decade at both the recreational and the competitive level. However, despite its increasing global audience, little is known about physiological and other factors related to surfing performance. Time-motion analyses have demonstrated that surfing is an intermittent sport, with arm paddling and remaining stationary representing approximately 50% and 40% of the total time, respectively. Wave riding only accounts for 4-5% of the total time when surfing. It has been suggested that these percentages are influenced mainly by environmental factors.
Competitive surfers display specific size attributes. Such surfers tend to have a husky, muscular body build and lower height and body mass compared with other matched-level aquatic athletes. Surfers possess a high level of aerobic fitness. Upper-body ergometry reveals that peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) values obtained in surfers are consistently higher than values reported for untrained subjects and comparable with those reported for other upper-body endurance-based athletes. Heart rate (HR) measurements during surfing practice have shown an average intensity between 75% and 85% of the mean HR values measured during a laboratory incremental arm paddling VO2peak test. Moreover, HR values, together with time-motion analysis, suggest that bouts of high-intensity exercise demanding both aerobic and anaerobic metabolism are intercalated with periods of moderate- and low-intensity activity soliciting aerobic metabolism.
Minor injuries such as lacerations are the most common injuries in surfing. Overuse injuries in the shoulder, lower back and neck area are becoming more common and have been suggested to be associated with the repetitive arm stroke action during board paddling. Further research is needed in all areas of surfing performance in order to gain an understanding of the sport and eventually to bring surfing to the next level of performance. Mendez-Villanueva A. Bishop D. Physiological aspects of surfboard riding performance. Sports Medicine. 35(1):55-70, 2005.
A prospective study of acute competitive surfing injuries was carried out at 32 professional and amateur surfing contests worldwide between 1999 and 2005. All acute injuries sustained during competition were recorded by on-site medical personnel. The wave size, type of seafloor, and number of surfing heats were also recorded for each day. The total number of injuries was divided by the total number of athlete exposures to determine injury rates. Risk of injury was 2.4 (95% confidence interval, 1.5-3.9) times greater when surfing in waves overhead or bigger relative to smaller waves and 2.6 (95% confidence interval, 1.3-5.2) times greater when surfing over a rock or reef bottom relative to a sandy bottom. There were 13 acute surfing injuries per 1000 hours of competitive surfing. The risk of injury was more than doubled when surfing in large waves or over a hard seafloor.( Nathanson A. Bird S. Dao L. Tam-Sing K. Competitive surfing injuries: a prospective study of surfing-related injuries among contest surfers. American Journal of Sports Medicine. 35(1):113-7, 2007).
Surfers considered the risk of head injury while surfing as moderate or high, and only 12 (1.9%, 95% CI 1.0-3.3) reported routine use of headgear. The surfers were more likely to believe that there was a higher risk of head injury in other sports and physical activities (P < .001). Although 475 surfers (73.8%, 95% CI 70.2-77.1) thought that surfers who wear headgear are less likely to become injured, 400 (62.1%, 95% CI 58.2-65.9) reported that headgear restricted surfing performance and that they would rather surf without it. The main reasons for not wearing headgear were “no need,” discomfort, claustrophobia, and effects upon the senses and balance. Although most surfers acknowledge some risk of head injury, headgear is rarely used and barriers to its use are apparent. Research is required to clarify the risk of head injury among surfers and the effectiveness of headgear in reducing injury risk. Until this evidence is available, educational initiatives, improved headgear design, and profile within the surfing culture would be required to increase rates of wearing headgear. (Taylor DM. Bennett D. Carter M. Garewal D. Finch C. Perceptions of surfboard riders regarding the need for protective headgear. Wilderness & Environmental Medicine. 16(2):75-80, 2005.