Paddle boards are floating objects (similar to surfboards but wider), which are moved and maneuvered by standing on the board and using an oar. Although the person normally moves more slowly, it resembles a “cross” between surfing and kayaking. Other names for them include “stand-up paddleboards,” for example.
Injury on a paddle board can happen in many different ways. These typically entail someone losing balance and falling off the board or colliding with something in the water, like a boat, a surfer or swimmer, or another impediment of a similar nature.
Paddleboard injuries can include head or neck injuries, abrasions from hitting underwater pebbles, joint or bone injuries, and, in some cases, drowning or near-drowning episodes. These injuries are comparable to those related to surfing or boating accidents.
Dislocated Shoulder
A slight amount of rearward pressure can strain ligaments and cause the ball of your humerus to come out of its socket in the scapula when your elbow is elevated above your shoulder.
- Symptoms: Discomfort or excruciating pain is present, the dislocated shoulder droops, and the humerus ball protrudes from the pectoral region.
- Prevention: When bracing, keep your elbows low and tucked in, and when using a Duffek or draw stroke, maintain your lower arm bent at the elbow. Work on your bracing technique if you do dislocate your shoulder because your shoulder will now be more susceptible to injury.
- Treatment: Trust professionals with relocations. Sling and shroud the arm at the injury’s location, keep an eye on blood flow to the fingers and prepare for a challenging portage out. Try sitting down with your knees in front of your chest, hugging your knees with both arms, and slowly leaning back if you are on a three-week solo excursion and need to reposition your shoulder on your own.
Nose Broken
Getting your paddle shaft in front of your face while penciling in off a steep drop is the cause.
Signs and symptoms include:
– A swollen, misshapen nose.
– A dull ringing in your ears.
- Prevention: Hold your paddle away from your face while hucking, parallel to the boat.
- Treatment: For 15 minutes, pinch the bridge of your nose and blow out any clots to stop any bleeding. When you exit the river, make plans to get to a hospital. Unless you weren’t really fond of it in the first place and are ready to take some risks, there is no purpose in resetting it yourself.
Swimmer’s Ear
Swimmer’s ear, also known as external otitis, is caused by an ear infection brought on by the bacteria and fungi that thrive in warm water.
The exterior of your ear is sore, while the interior is red, swollen, and itchy.
- Prevention: After paddling in warm or filthy waters, use a drying, antibacterial solution of equal parts rubbing alcohol and white vinegar. Put earplugs in and perform wet willies with antibiotic cream for treatment.
Surfer’s Ear
Your inner ear fortifies itself against cold water by accumulating layers of calcium in the ear canal, which is the cause of exostosis (surfer’s ear).
- Signs/Symptoms: Hearing and drainage are hampered as the calcium shuts off your ear canal.
- Treatment: Wear earplugs or practice using your braces to prevent getting cold water in your ears or surgical procedure.
Muscular Contractions
Forearm muscular contractions that are repeated cause tendonitis by inflaming the tendons. When your forearm muscles are frail and unaccustomed to paddling early in the season, tendonitis frequently develops.
The symptoms include swelling, numbness, discomfort, and loss of motor control.
Rest is the best course of action, but since quitting paddling is plainly out of the question, stretching and anti-inflammatories are also a good idea. Chronic conditions could call for surgery.
Sprained Ankle
- Cause: After missing a step on a portage, your ankle rolls to the outside over the top of your foot, stretching or rupturing the ligaments on the outside of the ankle. This typically occurs toward the end of the day when you are exhausted or pressed for time or when you are portaging yet still ponder whether you should have run the set after all.
- Symptoms: An ankle that is swollen or bruised on the exterior and hurts to walk on more than it does to look at.
- Treatment: You’ll need to stabilize the ankle in order to get to a point where RICE—rest, ice, compression, and elevation—can be applied. Starting from the arch side and moving beneath the foot, wrap tape or a tensor around the afflicted area from the instep to mid-calf.
To avoid it, switch out your neoprene socks for some that are more supportive, go slowly when portaging, or just stay in the boat and let it happen.
Who Is Responsible for an Injury on a Paddle Board?
A person who uses a paddle board frequently assumes a variety of harm hazards. There are several circumstances, nevertheless, in which a third party may be responsible for a paddle board injury. For instance, the manufacturer may be responsible for the harm if it results from a flaw in the paddle board or its accessory equipment.
In other situations, if a person in the water disregards their duty of care and hurts a paddle boarder, they may be held accountable for carelessness or recklessness (for instance, if a person drove a boat negligently into a boarder).
Additionally, a paddle board instructor or coach may occasionally be held accountable for harm if they take the following actions:
- Forcing the pupil to engage in skills they are not capable of
- Putting the pupil in hazardous situations or waterways (such as rough waters or bad weather conditions)
Are Paddle Board Injuries Subject to Legal Redress?
A variety of legal remedies may result from paddle board injury claims. A damages award to compensate for losses suffered by the aggrieved party may be part of the remedies, depending on the circumstances. The severity of the injury and state legislation, among other variables, affect the damages award.
Other solutions, like a product recall, may be necessary for other situations. The total amount of damages that a plaintiff can receive in a personal injury case may be limited in some states.
Do I Require an Attorney to Handle My Paddle Board Injury Claim?
Due to the equipment needed and the usual safety concerns associated with water activities, paddleboard accidents can be severe. If you require help or advice with a paddle board injury claim, you might need to consult a personal injury attorney in your region. If you need to file a lawsuit for damages, your lawyer can represent you and conduct legal research for you.
Additionally, your lawyer can advise you on the appropriate legal action to take to improve your prospects of winning compensation for damages. Your lawyer can also conduct a legal study on the topics in your case and can explain how the pertinent laws may affect your chances of succeeding in court.
The kinds of legal remedies you could be eligible for if your case is successful might also be discussed with your lawyer. Suppose you caused the boating accident, on the other hand. In that case, your lawyer can explain your legal rights to you and determine whether you have any legal defenses that could be critical in preventing a claim from being successful.
Finally, your lawyer will be able to provide legal services that can aid you in either case if you need help bringing a boating accident lawsuit or defending yourself against one. Should it be necessary, your lawyer will also be able to represent you in civil court.
