CPSC NEISS · code 1261

Surfing (activity, Apparel Or Equipment)

Surfing (activity, Apparel Or Equipment): danger rank #256 of 838 is not ER-volume rank #174 of 838 (13,142 estimated ER visits a year; declining by about 22% over the last five years).

Sports & Recreation Equipment CPSC NEISS through 2024

Danger score versus ER volume

Danger score versus ER volume

According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Surfing (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) ranks #256 of 838 by danger score (38/100) at ER-volume #174 of 838 (13,142/yr). They are not the same ranking.

#256
danger rank of 838
#174
ER-volume rank of 838
38/100
danger score
13,142/yr
estimated ER visits (avg)

Danger score combines injury volume, hospitalization, fatality, and five-year trend. ER volume is the average annual NEISS estimate alone. Rank 1 is highest on each list.

Where this category's danger score sits nationally

Danger score (38/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories

38 Around the middle lower than 30% of 838 product categories

scored CPSC product categories, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more product categories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source CPSC NEISS, PlainSafety danger-score model · 2024

Composite verdict

Composite Safety Score: 54/100

One verdict blending 4 independently-sourced dimensions from two separate CPSC systems, each benchmarked against all 838 scored product categories by percentile rather than raw value, so no single huge-volume category can dominate the scale.

C
Dimension Value National percentile Weight applied Source
Injury severity (hospitalization + fatality blend) 6 49th 35% CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index
Annual ER injury volume 13,142 77th 30% CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries
5-year injury trend -22% 33rd 15% CPSC NEISS 5-year % change in ER-treated injuries
Consumer incident reports 8 43rd 20% CPSC SaferProducts.gov public incident report count

Methodology: each dimension is ranked against the full population's p10/p25/p50/p75/p90 breakpoints and interpolated to a 0-100 percentile; the composite is the weighted average of available percentiles. See methodology for the full benchmark table.

Where 262,835 estimated ER injuries land on the body

Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 1261. Segments sum to 262,835 - a body-map mix, not a danger score or ER-volume rank.

Two danger lenses

Same-group peer scores and this product's dial

The bars compare PlainSafety danger scores inside the Sports & Recreation Equipment group (same CPSC NEISS extract). The dial is this product's score alone on the Low/Moderate/High bands. Do not read a peer bar as an ER-visit count.

Sports & Recreation Equipment danger scores

1. Golf (activity, Apparel O…49/1002. Scuba Diving (activity, A…48/1003. Golf Carts, Motorized Veh…48/1004. Swimming Pools, Not Speci…46/1005. Horseback Riding (activit…46/1006. Snowmobiles (activity, Ap…45/1007. Trampolines43/1008. Surfing (activity, Appare…38/100
Higher score = higher composite danger in this group. Peer set is other scored products sharing the same CPSC group.
0/100100/10038/100
PlainSafety danger score · Surfing (activity, Apparel Or Equipment)

Source: CPSC NEISS danger-score model As of 2024

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 volume 13,142 ER visits/yr High volume
  • Severity (hospitalization rate) 4.4% Below median admission rate
  • Fatality rate 0.13% Above-typical fatality rate
  • 5-year trend-22%

Band labels compare this category against the corpus of 838 scored CPSC product categories, see the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.

What the CPSC Data Shows

Across the 20-year NEISS window from 2005 to 2024, injury counts for surfing (activity, apparel or equipment) 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 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)

5K10K15K20K25K 20052008201120142017202020232024 7K
Estimated annual emergency-room visits for Surfing (activity, Apparel Or Equipment), CPSC NEISS

Source: CPSC NEISS national injury estimates As of 2024

Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only

Who Gets Injured?

Age Group Male Female Total
0-4 549 529 1,078
5-14 37,175 12,737 49,912
15-24 56,417 16,829 73,274
25-34 43,946 11,500 55,446
35-44 31,073 8,062 39,135
45-54 21,720 4,962 26,682
55-64 8,789 3,030 11,819
65-74 3,511 1,022 4,533
75+ 696 257 953

Most Common Injuries

Body Part Diagnosis Est. Injuries
Face Laceration 25,434
Foot Laceration 16,188
Head Laceration 13,527
Head Internal Injury 12,633
Shoulder Dislocation 10,515
Neck Strain, Sprain 10,505
Ankle Strain, Sprain 8,135
Shoulder Strain, Sprain 5,943
Head Concussion 5,909
Mouth Laceration 5,832
Knee Strain, Sprain 5,426
Lower Leg Laceration 5,204
Upper Trunk Contusions, Abr. 5,082
Lower Arm Fracture 4,926
Face Contusions, Abr. 4,906

Severity Breakdown

Treated/examined And Released 94.9% (249,420)
Treated And Admitted/hospitalized 3.3% (8,705)
Left Without Being Seen 1.0% (2,734)
Treated And Transferred 0.6% (1,610)
Fatality Incl. Doa, Died In Er 0.1% (294)
Held For Observation 0.0% (56)
Unknown, Not Stated 0.0% (16)

ER Visit Narratives

Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.

Age 50 · Male · Not Stated/unk · Other · 2024

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

Age 49 · Female · Face · Fracture · 2024

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.

Age 41 · Male · Foot · Fracture · 2024

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

Age 55 · Male · Head · Internal Injury · 2024

55YOM WAS KITE SURFING WENT UP HIGH IN AIR AND CAME DOWN HARD ON WATER DX:PULMONARY CONTUSIONS, PNEUMOTHORAX, CLOSED HEAD INJURY

Age 45 · Male · Knee · Other · 2024

45YOM WAS SURFING AND TWISTED HIS RIGHT KNEE DX:RIGHT KNEE INJURY

Age 18 · Female · Face · Laceration · 2024

18YOF PRESENTS WITH LACERATION TO HER FOREHEAD AFTER HITTING HER HEAD ON THE SURFBOARD. NO LOC. DX: LACERATION FACE, CONTUSION FACE.

Age 30 · Male · Ankle · Fracture · 2024

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.

Age 9 · Male · Upper Trunk · Contusions, Abr. · 2024

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

Age 63 · Male · Head · Internal Injury · 2024

63 YOM. HEAD INJURY & LAC AFTER PT WAS SURFING & HIS FIN HIT HIS LT FOREHEAD. DX: INJURY OF HEAD; LAC OF SCALP

Age 34 · Male · Mouth · Laceration · 2024

34 YOM. LIP LAC AFTER PT WAS SURFING. DX: LIP LAC

Age 19 · Female · Head · Internal Injury · 2024

19 YOF WAS SURFING ON VACATION HIT HEAD BY SURFBOARD DX INJURY HEAD, CONCUSSION

Age 22 · Male · Shoulder · Dislocation · 2024

22 YOM. LT SHOULDER INJURY DURING A SURFING ACCIDENT. DX: ANTERIOR DISLOCATION OF SHOULDER

Consumer Incident Reports

Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.

9/4/2020 · Incident, No Injury · Spire LLC · Unspecified

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

8/24/2021 · Incident, No Injury · Tower Paddle Boards LLC · New Hampshire

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.

8/19/2022 · Injury, First Aid Received by Non-Medical Professional · GILI Sports, LLC · Rhode Island

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.

4/29/2022 · Injury, Hospital Admission · Wham-O · South Carolina

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.

3/23/2024 · Incident, No Injury · Surf 9 LLC · Indiana

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.

12/27/2019 · Incident, No Injury · Pacific Boardsports, LLC · Hawaii

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.

12/21/2012 · Injury, Level of care not known · JGR COPA, LLC · Virginia

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

12/10/2020 · Injury, First Aid Received by Non-Medical Professional · Shenzhen Waydoo Intelligence Technology Co., LTd · California

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.

Compare beyond Sports & Recreation Equipment

Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization

Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Surfing (activity, Apparel Or Equipment): cross-group products nearest on danger score (38/100), estimated annual ER visits (13,142/yr), and hospitalization share (4.4%). Same-group neighbours stay in Related Products above.

Read with this product

About this data

CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports form the basis of this page. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments.

According to PlainSafety's CPSC NEISS corpus ranking, Surfing (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) ranks #256 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #174 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does surfing (activity, apparel or equipment) rank on danger score versus ER volume?

Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, surfing (activity, apparel or equipment) ranks #256 by PlainSafety danger score (38/100) and #174 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (13,142/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.

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.

Data on Surfing (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) is compiled directly from CPSC NEISS and SaferProducts.gov records, current through 2024. See our methodology for details.

Disclaimer: This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.

PlainSafety is rendered directly from U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall and incident records, no number is typed in by an editor. Product recall timelines and hazard labels are drawn from CPSC recall records for this product. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.