Reef Carnage and Reef Cuts

What Can Happen with reef cuts

One of the boys copped some love from the reef. Yep several nice big reef cuts. The day was only 3-4 ft, but as you can see from the scatches, the reef is always a constant, despite swell size. The lower the tide, the hollower the wave and the harder the fall. You tend to get sucked back up and over, then drilled and dragged across the reef.



I still have scars all over my feet, legs, back, arms and head from tropical reef injuries. The sores tend not to heal too well when you're surfing everyday. Saltwater is generally good for wounds, but keeping wounds constantly saturated from surfing all day inhibits the healing and utlimately you end up with sea ulcers then ugly purple/brown keliod scars if you don't treat them properly.

I had some nasty ulcerated gashes, especially the ones around my ankle from the leggy constantly ripping them apart when bailing off the back of a wave minus board or wiping out. The one thing that saved me ultimately from becoming a prime candidate for amputation, and allowed me to stay in the remote location I was in for so long was one simple secret, and it worked for almost everything. You could buy antibiotics over the counter so-to-speak, although there wasn't a counter in the bamboo hut. The trick is to break open the antibiotic capsule, and sprinkle some of the contents into the wound after you have thoroughly cleaned it and patted it down dry. Simply pat it down dry then apply the antibiotic powder from the capsule by lighly tapping it into the wound. Whack a band-aid over the top and let it set. I can almost guarantee recovery. I've gone from having a swollen red leg in a matter of hours, at risk with an advanced infection a long way from help, to complete recovery. I literally felt the infection spreading through my body, so I dumped two to start then one antibiotic orally twice a day for a few days and dusted the wounds with antibiotic powder. In general, I simply dusted the wounds with the powder and it worked a treat. No need to take them orally, which I prefer as your body builds up a resistance to the antibiotics over time. Saved my butt. I had a ritual I had to perform every time I hit the shower or got out of the surf just to clean and protect wounds that I normally wouldn't worry about. But there I was, surfing in paradise. Worth it I say.

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