Do I Need Surfing Knee Braces?

Summer is the perfect time for catching waves when the ocean swells are most consistent. Many surfers eagerly await the warm season to spend their days riding waves at the beach. However, all the time spent on the activity can take a toll on joints like the knees with repetitive stresses. The motions required are seemingly simple but place constant demands on the knees. Therefore, it’s natural for surfers to question how best to protect their joints. This leads to the question: Do I need a surfing knee brace for protection? This article explores this and covers other key aspects.

Surfing: Overview of Basic Postures and Movements

Surfing involves holding various postures and making distinct movements on the board. Surfers begin lying prone and paddling out to catch waves. Upon reaching a wave, they pop up to their feet in a squat position to balance on the board. Turning and crouching motions are also used to maneuver the board. These repetitive actions exert stress on the knees if proper form is not maintained. The key impacts include:

1. Surfer’s Knee

Surfing involves bearing your weight on the front knee when initiating the popping-up motion to stand on the board and ride incoming waves. Surfer’s knee has severe consequences. This act involves rapidly hinging at the knee joint to propel upward. It strains the patellar tendon that connects the kneecap to the shinbone. Over many repetitive rises on waves each session, microtears in the tendon can occur. This can result in inflammation and pain at the front of the knee.

2. MCL Sprain

Making quick turns left or right on an unstable surfboard to maneuver the wave’s momentum necessitates twisting of the knees. Such lateral motions risk injury to the medial collateral ligament (MCL). MCL is found along the inner side of the knee and provides stability. Stretching or tearing of this ligament is colloquially called an MCL sprain. It’s because of over-rotation of the joint beyond its normal range of motion during a fall or sudden twist.

3. Meniscal Injury

Maintaining your balanced squatting position to ride the surf entails dynamically dropping into a deep knee bend. The menisci are C-shaped discs. They act as shock absorbers between the thigh and shinbone. They can be susceptible to tears or damage, particularly those that come from the repetitive compressive forces of squatting. Especially when combined with the act of balancing on a constantly moving board in the ocean. Over time, this dysfunctional joint loading may cause tears or fraying of meniscal cartilage.

Tips to Prevent Injuries When Surfing

The following are some effective precautions you can take to help protect your knees when surfing:

• Warm up onshore with light movements to raise the temperature before surfing.
• When learning pop-ups, practice techniques slowly on land before adding movement.
• Strive for an upright posture versus leaning too far forward over the board.
• Give knees breaks between waves by listening to your body.
• Perform stretches after surfing to reduce tightness.
• Wear a surfing knee brace for stable compression. The next section explores this specific benefit in detail.

The Necessity of Wearing Surfing Knee Braces

Proper knee health is important for surfing enjoyment. A surfing knee brace provides valuable functions in stabilizing joints, distributing forces, and cushioning impacts inherent to surfing’s motions. The following points highlight the necessity of wearing a protective knee brace:

1. Provide Support

A knee brace for water sports distributes the forces from repetitive popping up and squatting motions. It does so across the broader surface area of the knee rather than concentrating them at one pressure point. In this way, it helps relieve muscle and joint strain over extended surf sessions.

2. Stabilize the Joint

The neoprene material and compressive fit of the knee brace for surfing prove highly beneficial. They restrict any potentially damaging excessive rotational, lateral, or bending motions of the knee. Such motions can lead to injuries like strains or sprains.

3. Distribute Pressure

The impact from paddling, pop-ups, and possibly falling from the board during a wipeout can be devastating. A quality surfing knee brace absorbs and cushions these impacts rather than putting all of the force directly on the joint surface. This prevents damage from high-pressure shocks.

4. Alleviate Pain

For any knee issues already sustained, a knee brace proves beneficial. It provides a soothing level of compression. This compression can help reduce inflammation and discomfort often associated with injuries. It also relieves soreness to accelerate the healing timeline for returning to the ocean.

5. Reduce Swelling

The tight-yet-flexible wraps of surfing knee brace material work to speed up the healing process. They do so by encouraging proper blood flow. It swiftly removes excess fluid buildup around the aggravated or inflamed area of the knee. Reduced swelling means minimizing time away from the sport.

How to Select Surfing Knee Braces

Choosing the right surfing knee brace requires weighing key attributes to suit your needs. Key considerations include:

1. Comfort

Comfortable padding strategically placed around sensitive bony areas like the kneecaps is crucial. It helps to cushion and better distribute pressures to enhance the wearing experience over long durations.

2. Fit

Choose a knee brace with adjustable straps. This will allow you to customize the level of compression and secure fit for your individual knee size and shape. You will ensure maximum support and a snug fit without being too loose or tight.

3. Material

Options made from breathable materials/meshes should be a top priority. These deliver just the right amount of flexible yet substantive compression. Such a level of compression is suitable for those engaging in water activities in a variety of environmental conditions.

4. Price

Affordable surfing knee brace options exist that don’t scrimp on quality or performance-enhancing attributes. It’s recommended to choose them as they provide excellent value without breaking the budget.

5. Brand

Make sure to read customer reviews on trusted brands. This will aid in identifying products with a good track record of durability, provider reliability, and compatibility with an active lifestyle.

Product Highlight: Fivali Adjustable Plus Compression Knee Sleeves 2 Pack FKR01

At Fivali, we aim to provide high-quality yet affordable sports protection gear for active lifestyles. We have years of industry experience and we understand the challenges of managing joint pain. That’s why we offer dependable products that fully support your fitness goals with reliable, accessible braces.

Trusted by adventurers, our FKR01 surfing knee brace set has you covered for all of your active pursuits. The top features of this waterproof knee brace for surfing include:

• Adjustable Double Compression Straps: These offer customizable support through discreet elastic fasteners.
• Non-Slip Design for Stability: Interior textured patterns keep the brace securely in place.
• Breathable, Sweat-Absorbent 3D Knitting Technology: Mesh-backed material of the surfing knee brace wicks moisture away from the skin.
• Optimal Support Compression Comfort: Just the right pressure alleviates strains without impeding the range of motion.
• Size Range from 45kg to 110kg: Universal sizing accommodates most body shapes.

Surfing inherently places stress on the knees through repetitive motions. Implementing warmups, proper form, and stretching helps mitigate risks. For experienced surfers logging many hours in the water, the best knee brace for surfing like Fivali’s FKR01 proves invaluable. By serving protective functions, it promotes continued enjoyment of surfing sport. Visit our website to browse all of our quality offerings that promote an injury-free active lifestyle.