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If a fellow surfer needs help in the water, would you be able to rescue them? Most surfers who’ve been around the ocean long enough have seen someone in distress. There’s plenty of dangerous scenarios: shark attack, drowning, sucked out in a rip, caught inside, damage from a surfboard, or hitting the bottom. And there’s not always a lifeguard around to save the day.
Some researchers found that surfers are likely to conduct some form of rescue throughout their lives. One study in New Zealand found that surfers from the sample population averaged three rescues in their lives. Most of the rescues occurred at local breaks, which were either un-patrolled, or the rescues occurred during un-patrolled hours. This study and another showed that many of the rescuers did not have formal training on in-water rescue.
You might not be CPR certified, or have extensive training on what to do when things go wrong in the water. But you could encounter a situation that demands it.
The following list is not a substitute for training and certification on basic life saving measures, or water rescue training. It’s to raise awareness on the essential skills that surfers need.
Rip Currents
In any dangerous situation, it’s best to not become part of the problem. There are moments where someone’s best chance is to save themselves, but they just don’t know how. In these scenarios, your role can be better as a coach than a player.
A few years ago I was surfing a break in Northern California that’s known for its rip current. You hop in along the rocks, ride the rip out, and then paddle away from the rocks and into the lineup. It’s a nice conveyor belt, if you know what you’re doing. For an unfortunate beginner, they never left the rip, and slowly drifted out to sea. They probably panicked, and tried to paddle back in against the rip, making no progress. Fortunately, a kind paddleboard surfer — who rips — went out and coached the man through it. I imagine he said something like, “Just relax brother, you’re ok. Paddle away from the rip, follow me.” The man soon was back in the lineup, and took a belly ride in.
It might seem like common knowledge to paddle parallel to a rip, and then angle away from it into shore. But sometimes panic can lead to bad decisions, or maybe some people really just don’t know. You might not always be able to perform a direct rescue, but you can help someone remain calm, and direct them towards the proper procedure.
Drowning
It could be from a wipeout, a hold down, a bump on the head, or even exhaustion. Drowning is a very real possibility in the ocean. In-water rescue skills can be the difference between a death from drowning and a survivor. Out in the ocean, you might not be able to immediately call for help.
For a potential drowning victim that’s still in the water, one of the main issues is ventilation. The traditional ABC method (Airway-Breathing-Circulation) is recommended for a potential drowning victim, and it is the method I was taught. Establishing an airway in the water involves keeping the victim face up and extending the neck. For the trained rescuer, upon discovery of an unconscious near drowning victim, the first step is to assess the situation, maintain an airway, and check breathing. If the victim is not breathing, five rescue breaths are administered in the water — and during transit, if possible, at a rate of one breath every six seconds — but not chest compressions.
Once back on land or a stable platform, the victim is placed in the supine position, and the airway is established with the head tilt, chin lift. From there, if the victim is still not breathing, two rescue breaths are administered. Then circulation is checked for a pulse, if absent, chest compressions are initiated. Once an AED becomes available, it can be used. Supplementary oxygen administration is also an accepted practice.
Note that the use of the term “drowning” here is a catch-all for rescuing someone who’s unconscious in the water. Every situation is different. Rescuing a surfer in breaking waves is extremely difficult. The only way to learn these skills is practice. Find a class near you that can help you work on real-life rescue scenarios.
Massive Bleeding
Last year, a Florida man created a makeshift tourniquet from his surf leash after being bitten by a shark, and then drove himself to the hospital. I don’t know any surfers who travel around with a tourniquet, but perhaps we’ve always had one strapped to our legs and just didn’t know it. There are plenty of ways to improvise a tourniquet, but here we’ll focus on the leash.
The purpose of a tourniquet is to stop massive bleeding of the limbs when no other method — like applying direct pressure — works. In a hasty scenario, it’s applied above the wound, high and tight, never directly on a joint or the wound. If only one leash is available, or you’re alone, there’s a simple way to make a tourniquet. Tie the leash around the target area above the wound in a simple overhand knot, then place the stiff end part of the leash that attaches to the cuff over the knot. Secure it with a square knot. The stiff, plastic leash acts as a windlass — wind it around until it is tight enough to stop the bleeding, then secure the windlass in place.
If there’s two leashes available, SurvivalTV created a genius method for an improvised tourniquet.
As a working diver, I’ve been trained on some basic life-saving measures and water-rescue methods. As a surfer, I hope that I’ll never have to actually use CPR, or a makeshift tourniquet. But when it comes to having the skills to help someone in need, sometimes it’s better to have it and not need it — than need it and not have it.
