Surfing (activity, Apparel Or Equipment)
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Sports & Recreation Equipment · CPSC Code 1261
Down 22% over 5 years
The verdict
Surfing (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) carry a danger score of 38/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 13,142 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 22% over the last five years.
- 38/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 13,142
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 4.4%
- end in hospital admission
- 15-24
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1261 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 38/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for surfing (activity, apparel or equipment) - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume13,142 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)4.4%
- Fatality rate0.13%
- 5-year trend-22%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Surfing (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) (CPSC product code 1261, in the Sports & Recreation Equipment category) generate an estimated 13,142 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 262,835 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 38/100 for this category (low risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are declining by about 22% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2005 (20,605 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2024 (6,867 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for surfing (activity, apparel or equipment) is laceration to the face, accounting for approximately 25,434 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the foot (16,188 cases). The 15-24 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 73,274 cases over the NEISS window, and males appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 4.4% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.13%) result in fatality.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 8 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how surfing (activity, apparel or equipment) fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 549 | 529 | |
| 5-14 | 37,175 | 12,737 | |
| 15-24 | 56,417 | 16,829 | |
| 25-34 | 43,946 | 11,500 | |
| 35-44 | 31,073 | 8,062 | |
| 45-54 | 21,720 | 4,962 | |
| 55-64 | 8,789 | 3,030 | |
| 65-74 | 3,511 | 1,022 | |
| 75+ | 696 | 257 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Face | Laceration | |
| Foot | Laceration | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Shoulder | Dislocation | |
| Neck | Strain, Sprain | |
| Ankle | Strain, Sprain | |
| Shoulder | Strain, Sprain | |
| Head | Concussion | |
| Mouth | Laceration | |
| Knee | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Leg | Laceration | |
| Upper Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Arm | Fracture | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
50YOM WAS SURFING ON TUESDAY AND INGESTED A LOT OF OCEAN WATER DURING A WIPE OUT.. SINCE HAS HAD FREQUENT VOMITING AND UNABLE TO KEEP ANYTHING DOWN. DX: NAUSEA AND VOMITING
49 YOF WAS STRUCK IN THE FACE BY A SURFBOARD IN *** ON 3/11. DX: FRACTURE OF MAXILLARY SINUS, FRACTURE OF LEFT ORBITAL WALL, TRAUMATIC ECCHYMOSIS OF LEFT ORBITAL RIM.
41 YOM SUFFERED A KITE BOARDING ACCIDENT WITH OPEN CALCANEAL FRACTURE 3 WEEKS PRIOR TO ADMISSION. FRACTURE WAS REPAIRED IN *** WITH PROLONGED COURSE COMPLICATED BY RECURRENT INFECTION. DX: OPEN FRACT
55YOM WAS KITE SURFING WENT UP HIGH IN AIR AND CAME DOWN HARD ON WATER DX:PULMONARY CONTUSIONS, PNEUMOTHORAX, CLOSED HEAD INJURY
45YOM WAS SURFING AND TWISTED HIS RIGHT KNEE DX:RIGHT KNEE INJURY
18YOF PRESENTS WITH LACERATION TO HER FOREHEAD AFTER HITTING HER HEAD ON THE SURFBOARD. NO LOC. DX: LACERATION FACE, CONTUSION FACE.
30YOM ROLLED HIS LEFT ANKLE WHILE SURFING. ANKLE IS SWOLLEN. UNABLE TO WEIGHT BEAR DUE TO PAIN.DX: FRACTURE FIBULA LATERAL MALLEOLUS DISPLACED CLOSED INITIAL LEF.
9YOM PRESENTS WITH RIGHT LOWER THORAX, RIGHT UPPER QUADRANT AND RIGHT PELVIS PAIN AFTER PLAYING ON SURFBOARDS IN THE SNOW ON THE MOUNTAIN WHEN HIS COUSINS SURFBOARD (NOT SNOWBOARD) FLEW UP AND HIT PATIENT ON RIGHT SIDE OF CHEST CAUSING HIM TO FALL TO GROUND DX: CONTUSION RIGHT LOWER RIBCAGE
63 YOM. HEAD INJURY & LAC AFTER PT WAS SURFING & HIS FIN HIT HIS LT FOREHEAD. DX: INJURY OF HEAD; LAC OF SCALP
34 YOM. LIP LAC AFTER PT WAS SURFING. DX: LIP LAC
19 YOF WAS SURFING ON VACATION HIT HEAD BY SURFBOARD DX INJURY HEAD, CONCUSSION
22 YOM. LT SHOULDER INJURY DURING A SURFING ACCIDENT. DX: ANTERIOR DISLOCATION OF SHOULDER
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
I purchased a storeyourboard.com high storage rack for a SUP via amazon.com. last week the two green straps broke allowing my stand-up paddle board to fall and puncture a large hole in the bottom of it. Luckily I was not underneath it when it happened. Today I received an email from Amazon stating that the green straps had been recalled. StoreYourBoard SUP and Surfboard Ceiling Storage Hoist, Hi Lift Home & Garage Hanging Pulley UPC/SKU: B07934TBTR
Tower brand SUP paddle sank when paddler fell from board. The paddler fell from board into water and the paddle floated for a couple of seconds, started emitting bubbles and then sank, leaving the paddler to with limited means of propulsion.
This is a seat that allows you to convert your paddle board into a kayak. I used the 4 clips to attach my seat the board and noticed I had done it backward. I unclipped at this time my thumb and two other fingers were bleeding because the metal clips sliced my hands. We were at an island in the middle of the lake so I couldn't do much about the situation. I used the 4 clips again to connect the seat correctly. At this point my thumb was actually dripping blood on to the paddleboard. I paddled back across the lake with sliced fingers. I contacted the company about this and they were not at all concerned. They stopped responding to messages. I included pictures of the cuts on my fingers. Another day I attempted to use the seat, knowing that I had to be very careful. Even planning for the problem metal edges, I still managed to slice my finger. Not as bad as the first time though. I contacted the manufacturer 2 more times after this and they did not respond.
My eight year old child was playing with a "Morey" boogieboard at the beach when the elastic bungee leash/strap came unattached from the boogieboard and sprung back at an extremely high rate of speed, striking my child in the eye. The injury has resulted in partial blindness. The leash was a coiled bungee leash that had a metal swivel at the end. A simple string connects the metal swivel (and leash) to the boogieboard. The string connecting the leash (via metal swivel) was insufficient to withstand the force resulting from my child pulling the boogieboard by the leash and apparently failed. When it failed, the strap sprung back towards his face, and the metal swivel at the end of the leash struck him in the eye at a high velocity. The product was being used as it was intended to be used at the beach. The boogieboard and leash were branded "Morey" which we have learned is manufactured by Wham-O Toy Co. We purchased the boogieboard and leash (packaged together) from Costco in South Carolina. We have since noticed several other boogieboard leash that are not coiled/elastic which would reduce the speed the leash could spring back if it fails. We have also since noticed leash that do not contain a metal swivel at the end. The metal swivel essentially acted as a projectile that blinded my child in one eye.
Even though the ULI Zettian inflatable standup paddleboard was recalled, it still made its way onto the market via Bulldog Liquidators. The paddleboard I bought from Bulldog Liquidators failed just as described in the recall notice. Fortunately, I was close to shore when the seam failed and the board suddenly and completely deflated and I did have a life jacket. I'm not sure the next victim will be so lucky.
Safety release DOES NOT RELEASE. "Patented Naish Push-away Quick Release Mechanism" aka "safety release". Naish Kiteboarding 2017 Torque Bar ATB. In the "Torque Loop" assembly a bolt has loosened. The loosened bolt interferes with the "swing cleat", making it impossible for the mechanism to open, rendering the safety release inoperative. This is the second failure I have experienced with both the original 2017 and replacement 2019 units. The quick release, or "Torque Loop" (also referred to as the "chicken loop" or "safety release") is the last line of defense for the kiteboarder to "eject" and release themselves from the kite, whereby avoiding injury or death.
We bought a Slick Lizard Performance 41 boogie board on 9/5/12 at Super Wings in Avon, NC. We had forgotten our boogie board at home. The one we forgot was thick foam and had served us successfully for several years with no problem. My husband took the boogie board in the ocean at Cape Hatteras National Seashore that afternoon. We had witnessed the lifeguards removing the lifeguard sign while we were there because it was after Labor Day. I had kept my eyes on my husband while he was swimming. I became aware that he no longer had the boogie board & was in trouble. I could see he was trying hard to make progress towards the shore but not getting anywhere. I ran up to a man standing nearby who was also watching him with concern. I called 9-1-1 but forgot to press Send b/c I was so upset. I also saw the yellow boogie board with the broken cord wash up on shore. I retrieved it. At some point, the "right" wave propelled my husband [REDACTED] towards the shore and he survived. He is in good physical shape and has a grit and determination most ordinary people do not have. We believe he survived because of that. His breathing was labored for at least 40 minutes. His body was sore for 2 days. The thin boogie board cord was ripped apart. We have the board and cord and I can send photos. The [REDACTED] strap remained intact but the thin cord tore. We feel an obligation to our fellow citizens who might purchase this board and unknowingly trust it to provide some protection in case of dangerous unseen hazards in the water. I have read a similar incident from a user on Amazon.com
Waydoo Flyer One Electric Hydrofoil Board had a catastrophic failure of the front wing attachment point on my board.. Others with the same product have reported similar failures. There have also been electrical fires in the wiring of this product that contains potentially hazardous lithium batteries. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/waydootech/waydoo-flyer-one-innovative-efoil-redefining-watersports
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to surfing (activity, apparel or equipment) on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are surfing (activity, apparel or equipment)?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, surfing (activity, apparel or equipment) have a danger score of 38/100 (low risk). An estimated 13,142 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from surfing (activity, apparel or equipment)?
The most common injury is laceration to the face, accounting for approximately 25,434 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from surfing (activity, apparel or equipment) increasing or decreasing?
Down 22% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for surfing (activity, apparel or equipment) injuries?
The 15-24 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 73,274 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by surfing (activity, apparel or equipment)?
Of all ER visits involving surfing (activity, apparel or equipment), approximately 4.4% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (95.6%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with surfing (activity, apparel or equipment)?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Sports & Recreation Equipment
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 38/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 15-24 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.
