Hi Beth,
I live in Biarritz and really love surfing. Since a year ago, however, I have had lower back pains. X-rays showed that I have a spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis. Not very severe (first stage only), but things are improving very slowly, and only with a lot of exercises & physical Therapy once a week. I’m still surfing, but less then before. My therapist explained me that one of the bad things of surfing is the paddling, because you make the back very hollow. My chiropractor told me to go bicycling because it is one of rare sports, which forces you to round your back. I have this longboard movie at home entitled Superslide. I noticed that a lot of them paddle out while sitting on their knees. Do you think that this way of paddling (when possible) decreases the risk of lower back problems- in general and in my specific case? Thanks,
Daan V.
ANSWER:Hey Daan,
Bummer about the back, I am glad to hear that you are in physical therapy and taking the right steps to help alleviate pain. As for longboarding and paddling on your knees, it is definitely worth a try. I have not spent much time on a longboard, but I have tried paddling on my knees. It is a bit tricky at first and feels slightly unstable, but once you get it down it feels pretty good and powerful. It may bother your back a bit until you get it down and feel solid. You will avoid the arching of your back because you will be totally hunched over- similar to the rounding of your back on a bike. So, say you get the knee paddle thing down, but then you need to think about what happens when you go to paddle for a wave. The really skilled longboarders can actually catch waves starting from a knee paddling position. I have no idea how hard that would be, nor what it would be like on steeper waves. These are all things to consider when testing this paddling technique. Another thing to consider is how does your back fair with falling and getting worked by waves. I don’t know where you surf, but here at O.B. in S.F. we have gnarly paddle out conditions, which are made easier by being able to duck dive your shortboard. With a longboard you could get a bit more tossed and churned on the inside. It’s just something to think about. Good luck and give me some feedback on this. Hasta,
Beth(Posted 9-18-03)
Related posts:
I went to the doctor because my ear was clogged up, he told me he had never seen such a massive case of surfers ear. I wear a hood or earplugs, sometimes both. I also flush my ears with rubbing alcohol after each session.
Any advice on the ear surgery? further prevention?