How many surfing deaths per year

Rip Current. High Surf. Sneaker Wave. Not Known. Accurately tracking these types of fatalities is difficult because so many go unreported and undocumented. Due to the difficult nature of tracking surf zone fatalities; these data may not match other sources. Occasionally, there are surf zone fatalities caused by other hazards such as unusual waves and currents. Rip Currents cause a large of percentage of the surf zone fatalities in the United States. Typically, a victim of a surf zone hazard is a male between the ages of This is partly because the available data stretches across dozens of countries and multiple continents.

That being said, there are some estimations that we can make to get a rough idea of how many surfers drown each year. According to research , drownings on surf beaches are 2. These numbers are made up primarily of international visitors and are likely to include surfers, swimmers, and all other related water sports that are done in the area.

Further data based around Australia, one of the most dangerous surfing coastlines in the world, reports 21 deaths per year due to rip currents. Although these deaths are not necessarily surfing-related, they also do not include surfers being stung by jellyfish, shark attacks, concussions, and other accidental drownings. Other data reported by the National Weather Service in the USA states a total of 76 drownings have occurred in surf zones throughout As it is not possible to estimate the number of surfers that have drowned per year, it is even harder to estimate how many surfers have drowned over longer periods.

Although this does not give us specific data on surf drownings, it does indicate how high the chances are, even for the best among us. Although these occurred between and , it still comes as a surprise to hear such big names being taken down in such a way. This leaves the assumption that if the best can drown, many less skilled surfers likely face the same or a higher risk. As not many people die surfing each year, data does not well indicate what the leading cause of death is for surfers, but it is a tough fight between shark attacks and drowning.

Head injuries are the most common among surfers and are responsible for thousands of trips to the hospital each year, some ending in life-changing concussions. However, surfers generally do not surf alone , and when these situations arise, are quickly scooped up by their fellow surfers and brought to safety. Although this is a scary thought, each surfer has only a 0. This break provides some of the best forming and most raw waves on earth and has claimed more lives than any other location.

Although the numbers are not staggering, Pipeline has claimed approximately 13 lives over the years which is far more than its closest rivals. The raw waves, high peaks, hollow barrels, and shallow reef make this one of the most dangerous waves a surfer could face. Although surfing is conducted in uncontrolled and dangerous environments, the risk of drowning is surprisingly low.

This is likely due to the fact that surfers are good swimmers , are confident in the water, and understand how the ocean works. It is rare to find a surfer paddling out into a 30ft swell when the biggest waves they have surfed in the past are a little more than 6ft. Because of this, there is a higher risk of deaths from other water sports than there is from surfing.

Both swimming in a pool and recreational boating which could include towed water sports cause more drownings in the USA each year than surfing. Approximately people drown each year from various activities in swimming pools and around people die each year through boating related incidents.

If we took the surf zone drowning statistics from the beginning of the article 2. This number, however, does not represent only surfers, and even if we assume half of these deaths were surfing-related the actual number is assumed to be far less then surfing still comes out safer than other water sports. Just because surfing-related drownings are not common does not mean that they are not possible. Surfing is dangerous and it is only because surfers take precautions from the following that there are not more drownings in the surfing world.

Head-related injuries pose the highest risk in the surfing world. Between colliding with other surfers, hitting your board or your own body parts such as a knee, or smashing into a shallow reef , the risk of hitting your head is high. Concussions and loss of consciousness are extremely likely when a hard knock to the head occurs, which could lead to drowning if actions are not immediately taken.

More drownings take place because of rip currents than any other ocean-related incident. Although this is less common for surfers because they tend to understand rip currents and use them to their advantage , less experienced surfers may panic when caught in a rip and drown due to a lack of understanding. It is important to take note of all the rip currents in an area before paddling out, as well as to know how to use them and escape them if needed.

Not Known. Accurately tracking these types of fatalities is difficult because so many go unreported and undocumented. Due to the difficult nature of tracking surf zone fatalities; these data may not match other sources.

Occasionally, there are surf zone fatalities caused by other hazards such as unusual waves and currents. Rip Currents cause a large of percentage of the surf zone fatalities in the United States. Typically, a victim of a surf zone hazard is a male between the ages of NWS started tracking these statistics in We do not have breakdowns before Please Contact Us.

Safety National Program. Surf Zone: area of water between the high tide level on the beach and the seaward side of the breaking waves. Rip Current : A relatively small-scale surf-zone current moving away from the beach.

Rip currents form as waves disperse along the beach causing water to become trapped between the beach and a sandbar or other underwater feature. The water converges into a narrow, river-like channel moving away from the shore at high speed.

High Surf: Large waves breaking on or near the shore resulting from swells spawned by a distant storm. Fatalities breakdowns for , , , , , , , See rip current statistics for the nation at the Natural Hazards Statistics site under List of Severe Weather Fatalities Michigan Sea Grant: Fatalities on each of the Great Lakes, by county and other parameters.

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