Surfing

[Guest]

my cardio at the Cleveland Clinic said I can still surf, carefully and with proper precautions, while on blood thinners with a mechanical valve.

anyone have tips or experience with this?

thanks

 

[pellicle]

I grew up on the Gold Coast and was in "Nippers" (junior surf life savers) until about 2 years before my first OHS. After I preferred body surfing only but had some difficulties with cardio vascular fitness needed to "get out the back", so I got into motorcyles (dirt bikes) instead.

I can say that my expectation on the driving motivations behind your cardio's voiced concerns are things like uncertainty on how well you'll manage your INR and how ignorant he/she is of the reality of AntiCoagulation management.

AC drugs are designed simply to reduce the speed at which clots form ... that's it ... nothing more, nothing less. They do not pre-dispose you to having a bleed but do make bleeds a little worse. I would assume your Cardio doesn't surf and is simply worried about the possiblity (remote, but you know its possible to win at roulette too ... not likely, but possible) of a head injury leading to a IC bleed.

Getting slashed by a fin in the surf is not going to be any different either way.

Keep on top of you INR management and you'll be fine.

Some reading from my blog:
http://cjeastwd.blogspot.com/2014/09/managing-my-inr.html

 

[dick0236]

I live inland so have never had opportunity to surf.......but I've done a lot of water skying (in my younger days) on rivers and lakes at high speeds in choppy waters with no harm and little thought that I was on blood thinner. My only thought is "stay off the rocks" and use common sense......but you will have some bruising from time to time anyway. Looking back I think some kind of head protection would have been a good idea because water feels like hitting a wall at high speed.

 

[tom in MO]

my cardio at the Cleveland Clinic said I can still surf, carefully and with proper precautions, while on blood thinners with a mechanical valve.

anyone have tips or experience with this?

thanks

I have no direct experience.

The way I look at is your INR is a statement of how much longer it takes your blood to clot compared to a "normal". So if your INR is between 2-3, then your blood will take 2-3 times longer to clot. Basically this means a bigger bruise or a longer time for the bleeding to stop and to develop a scab. When you get a scab and it breaks open, it takes longer to stop bleeding.

Avoid things that could result in head injuries and if you get a good one, don't treat it lightly. But that'd be the same if your INR was normal...