The first couple of months were really tough. I totally feel for everyone who is still in weeks 1-8. I found myself being really bitter and extremely depressed. (Probably had alot to do with my time out of the water.) I was mad with my body, and jealous of fat, lazy people who have no need for a functioning, non-ruptured Achilles. I also tortured myself by getting a bunch of surf videos.

I had a friend who really helped me out, and kept checking in on me. He did his Achilles about 1 1/2 years ago in a pickup basketball game (a la Kevin). His best advice was, “think about what you were doing a year ago, and how it doesn’t seem that long ago.” At the time, I really dreaded the thought of a full year of rehab. Now, a few months into it, I realize that I would gladly give a year of dedicated rehab to prevent this from happening in either of my Achilles again.

I live in Santa Monica, and Dr. Giza at Santa Monica Orthopedic performed my repair. Absolutely wonderful guy, not to mention world-class ortho. From visit number one, he put my mind at ease about the whole process and recovery. My PT is great too. (Although the scar tissue massage is more painful than the injury ever was.)

I’ll let you know when I get back in the water. Probably won’t go out until late July at the earliest. Four months post-op sounds a bit early to be risking it. I’m 31 and have surfed for a fifteen (primarily shortboards). For the way I surf, I probably would err on the side of caution. In the meantime, core strentghening and other flexibilty exercises are my course of action.

Kevin - I hear what you are saying loud and clear. I would get brutal calf cramps after a couple of hours into a good session. (Not to mention hamstring/quad cramps.) For me it was always a consequence of dehydration. I am also concerned about rerupture when I start surfing again. I found myself watching surf videos to inspect the rear foot of pros and how it articulated during various manouvers. (I am a goofy foot with left ATR.) For the most part, it seemed like there was never a servere amount of dorsiflexion because the rear foot would roll inward toward the arch of the foot during most normal surfing. (Creating kind of a knocked-knee position, limiting dorsiflexion.) The leash issue raises concerns for me too. I’m likely to go leashless for a while. (A ding repair is a non-issue after my ATR.) I am thinking a wider leash is the way to go. No more thin ankle strap comp leashes.

Best wishes for a fast and full recovery to all!

I’ve yet to find anyone mention ATR from surfing (other than a shark biting a surfer on the ankle and severing the AT). All my surfing injuries have been to the hands, knees, nose and chest, from my board/skags hitting me or hitting underwater rocks.

I’ll probably play it safe: wait until the six month or so when I’m walking/biking/swimming, and then rent one of the those soft longboards. As I build up my calves, cores, arms, endurance, etc at the gym, I’ll move back to my shortboard.

I am 54, and have been surfing for 40 years! My first question to the Ortho was how long before I could surf. I had my surgery on March 26th.

He said I should be surfing by late July.

I coach basketball and have coached on the crutches the past four games. (4 -5 year olds, so we have to be on the court).

The other coach saw my cast, and asked if it was an ATR? I said, why, how did you know, and he showed my his scar. He had his surgery on August 1st, and was surfing first week in December. He said he was a little more cautious at first, but now no problems at all. He also said he worked VERY hard on his PT and every day in between, which I am also.

I am regular foot, and my ATR is on my left, so I think it won’t be so bad. I only short board when it gets big and relaly good, so I will stick to the long board for at least the summer.

Jumping up on your board is really not that all violent like basketball can be. My only worry is getting hit by my board or fin on teh injury. I thnk I am going to wear a light brace over it for a while when in the water. Dr. Ross has a picture of a good one on his blog.

We sure had a nice swell here in SoCal this week-end. I watched my sons rip it up.

Mike

Now, surfing…that’s a different story. I’ve been a surfer for about 24 years. Surfing represents freedom to me; when I enter the water, I leave my problems on the beach, and the horizon offers endless possibilities. I feel a Buddhist bliss of interconnectedness with nature. Should I give up surfing to reduce my risk of re-rupture?

I know with surgery my re-rupture risk is 5% or less. But, even with adequate warmup and stretching, I worry about the tendon trauma I might incur from surfing: walking over sandy beaches and uneven ocean bottoms, hopping to my feet on the takeoff, applying/releasing tail pressure (I’m regular foot) on turns, and severe calf cramping I often get after about 1-2 hours of surfing due to tightening my leg muscles as I scratch hard to paddle out past an incoming set.

How are you guys going to surf and minimize your chances for re-rupture? Would switching to a longboard reduce the tendon strain of surfing?

Glad that you found us here. I think you are through the worst of it and the crutches are annoying indeed. It’ll get easier as you get used to them and as you build your upper body strength. Just be patient with it, and you are well on your way to recovery.

Just got back from your area I live in MI. Went to I think Zuma beach? in Malibu…Rock climbers made me jealous…But I wonder if they could carry three beach chairs on crutches uphill in the sand like me!

I will be wk 4 post op on friday. Just want you to know I made big progress from wk2 to wk4. Get around real well and getting in a workout routine. Figuring out how to do stuff. No more law and order reruns for me.

Stay after it.

I live in venice (AKA land of crappy beachbreaks) and i haven’t been surfing long, but i do (or rather did) surf pretty much every day since i learned a year or so ago on a trip to Peru. I’m not a terrific surfer (yet) but since i started it quickly became everything to me. And i miss the water desperately. You’re my hero…surfing for 40 years. That’s awesome. You must be amazing.

So, yeah, i GUESS four months isn’t bad…my surgeon said six months to double overhead. I’d rather he said six weeks to ankle high, yanno? Maybe this is the universe’s way of keeping us dry while the sharks roam the so. cal coast. Did you hear about that poor guy in Solano? Awful!

Anyway, I’m stoked that you’ll at least see some sunny day surf this summer, and thanks again for your words of encouragement!