Introduction: Surfing is a water sport that originated in the Polynesian islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and has experienced a huge boom in recent years. Injuries are a part of every sport, and surfing is no exception. The incidence of surfing injuries is poorly researched due to a lack of research compared to other sports. Purpose: To determine the incidence, severity, location, type, and mechanism of acute injuries in Slovenian recreational surfers on waves during the last 18 months after receiving the questionnaire. Methods: An online survey using an open-source survey application was used. The survey consisted of three parts: the first part included demographic data (gender, age, body mass, height, body mass index) and experience of the surfer (hours/year of surfing, level of surfing mastery/knowledge), the second part included the type of injury, mechanism, severity, and treatment and the third part information on chronic pain and treatment caused by surfing. The data was analysed using the SPSS program. Results: Out of 158 subjects who started filling out the survey, we analysed the results of 52 subjects (38 men, 14 women) who filled out the survey completely. The respondents had been surfing for an average of 8 years, the proportion injured in the last 18 months was 0,58, and they suffered 5,18 injuries per 1000 hours of exposure. The most common cause was hitting a board (32,7 %), the most frequently injured part of the body was the head and face (24,5 %), followed by the shoulder (14,3 %). Abrasion or cut and muscle strain were the most common types of injuries. Among 49 acute injuries, individuals sought physiotherapy help in nine cases. The most common sites of chronic pain were the spine and shoulder joint. Discussion and conclusion: From the results of our study, we can recommend the cooperation of the physiotherapist in educating the patient about the importance of using protective equipment, in examining the musculoskeletal system of key injury-prone regions, and in preventive physiotherapeutic measures such as sport-specific strength training and conditioning, as well as in rehabilitation in case of injury.
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