CPSC data · Surf safety
Surfing Injury Statistics (2026)
An estimated 58,000 people went to US emergency rooms with surfing and board-sport injuries from 2019 to 2025. We used the federal injury surveillance system that samples about 100 hospital emergency departments to show which injuries send surfers to the ER, who gets hurt, and how often the board is to blame.
By Laurence Tuchin, Founder, SurfSpotGuide
Estimated US emergency room visits for surfing and board-sport injuries, on average each year from 2019 to 2025 (CPSC NEISS).
- estimated US ER visits for surfing and board-sport injuries, 2019–2025
- 58,000
- were head or face injuries
- 30%
- were cuts, the most common injury
- 27%
Key takeaways
- 01An estimated 58,000 people went to US emergency rooms with injuries from surfing and other board sports from 2019 to 2025, about 8,300 a year, according to SurfSpotGuide analysis of CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System data.
- 02The head or face was the injured body part in 30% of US surfing and board-sport ER visits from 2019 to 2025 (an estimated 17,600), according to SurfSpotGuide analysis of CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System data.
- 03Cuts were the most common surfing and board-sport injury treated in US ERs from 2019 to 2025: 27% of visits, an estimated 15,600, according to SurfSpotGuide analysis of CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System data.
- 04In about 18% of US surfing and board-sport ER visits from 2019 to 2025, the ER notes describe the patient being hit by or cut on a board (an estimated 10,200), according to SurfSpotGuide analysis of CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System data.
- 05Children and teenagers under 18 made up 20% of US surfing and board-sport ER visits from 2019 to 2025 (an estimated 11,800), according to SurfSpotGuide analysis of CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System data.
- 06About 5% of people treated in US ERs for surfing and board-sport injuries from 2019 to 2025 were admitted to hospital (an estimated 3,000), according to SurfSpotGuide analysis of CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System data.
How many surfing injuries are there each year?
An estimated 58,000 people went to US emergency rooms with injuries from surfing and other board sports from 2019 to 2025, about 8,300 a year. Surfing itself accounts for about 60% of them; paddleboarding, skimboarding and kiteboarding most of the rest.
Estimated ER visits
Lines show the 95% range of each estimate. Faded years fail CPSC's reliability test on their own.
Show the numbers
| Year | Estimated ER visits | 95% range | CPSC reliable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 8,200 | 1,100–15,300 | No: too few cases to rely on alone |
| 2020 | 9,200 | 200–18,200 | No: too few cases to rely on alone |
| 2021 | 8,500 | 2,100–15,000 | No: too few cases to rely on alone |
| 2022 | 10,000 | 500–19,500 | No: too few cases to rely on alone |
| 2023 | 7,900 | 1,000–14,700 | No: too few cases to rely on alone |
| 2024 | 6,900 | 2,800–10,900 | Yes |
| 2025 | 7,400 | 3,200–11,600 | Yes |
Surfing injuries cluster in a few coastal hospitals, so most single years are too uncertain to compare: only 2024 and 2025 pass CPSC's reliability test on their own. The 2019–2025 total does, which is why this study leads with it rather than a trend.
Source: SurfSpotGuide analysis of CPSC NEISS data, product code 1261, 2019–2025.
Which board sports cause the most ER visits?
Surfing, by far: the ER notes name surfing in about 60% of the estimated 58,000 visits from 2019 to 2025. Stand-up paddleboarding is next, at about 17%.
- Surfing34,700 (60%)
- Paddleboarding (SUP)10,000 (17%)
- Skimboarding4,400 (8%)
- Kiteboarding / kitesurfing1,700 (3%)
Not shown: about 4,600 visits where it wasn't recorded; and 3 smaller categories (about 2,600 combined), each too few cases to estimate alone.
Show the numbers
| Activity | Estimated ER visits | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Surfing | 34,700 | 60% |
| Paddleboarding (SUP) | 10,000 | 17% |
| Skimboarding | 4,400 | 8% |
| Kiteboarding / kitesurfing | 1,700 | 3% |
| All other, combined (not recorded, plus 3 categories too small to estimate alone) | 7,200 | 12% |
Activity is read from each case's short ER note, as CPSC codes all of these sports the same way.
What are the most common surfing injuries?
Cuts (lacerations) are the most common, about 27% of ER visits from 2019 to 2025, followed by fractures and sprains. The head is the most often injured part of the body (15%), and the head and face together account for 30%.
- Laceration15,600 (27%)
- Fracture8,400 (15%)
- Strain, Sprain6,100 (11%)
- Contusions, Abrasions5,900 (10%)
- Internal Organ Injury4,800 (8%)
- Dislocation3,800 (6%)
Not shown: about 9,600 visits where it wasn't recorded; and 15 smaller categories (about 3,800 combined), each too few cases to estimate alone.
Show the numbers
| Diagnosis | Estimated ER visits | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Laceration | 15,600 | 27% |
| Fracture | 8,400 | 15% |
| Strain, Sprain | 6,100 | 11% |
| Contusions, Abrasions | 5,900 | 10% |
| Internal Organ Injury | 4,800 | 8% |
| Dislocation | 3,800 | 6% |
| All other, combined (not recorded, plus 15 categories too small to estimate alone) | 13,400 | 23% |
- Head8,600 (15%)
- Face6,200 (11%)
- Shoulder5,900 (10%)
- Foot5,400 (9%)
- Knee4,800 (8%)
- Upper Trunk4,200 (7%)
- Lower Trunk2,800 (5%)
- Ankle2,800 (5%)
- Lower Leg2,600 (4%)
- Neck2,300 (4%)
- Lower Arm1,600 (3%)
- Hand1,500 (3%)
- Mouth1,400 (2%)
- Finger1,400 (2%)
- Toe1,200 (2%)
Not shown: about 100 visits where it wasn't recorded; and 9 smaller categories (about 5,200 combined), each too few cases to estimate alone.
Show the numbers
| Body part | Estimated ER visits | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Head | 8,600 | 15% |
| Face | 6,200 | 11% |
| Shoulder | 5,900 | 10% |
| Foot | 5,400 | 9% |
| Knee | 4,800 | 8% |
| Upper Trunk | 4,200 | 7% |
| Lower Trunk | 2,800 | 5% |
| Ankle | 2,800 | 5% |
| Lower Leg | 2,600 | 4% |
| Neck | 2,300 | 4% |
| Lower Arm | 1,600 | 3% |
| Hand | 1,500 | 3% |
| Mouth | 1,400 | 2% |
| Finger | 1,400 | 2% |
| Toe | 1,200 | 2% |
| All other, combined (not recorded, plus 9 categories too small to estimate alone) | 5,300 | 9% |
Concussions and other closed head injuries account for an estimated 5,700 visits (10%). NEISS codes most of them as "internal organ injury" to the head, so the diagnosis chart shows them under that label.
Source: SurfSpotGuide analysis of CPSC NEISS data, 2019–2025.
How often does the surfboard cause the injury?
Often. In about 18% of ER visits from 2019 to 2025 (an estimated 10,200), the ER notes describe the patient being hit by, or cut on, a board: their own or someone else's. Fins are named in about 4%.
These come from searching each case's short ER note, so they are approximate and likely an undercount: a note that says "hit head while surfing" doesn't say what it hit.
Who gets hurt surfing?
Mostly men (69% of ER visits from 2019 to 2025), and all ages: people aged 25 to 34 make the most visits, and under-18s about 20%. Most are treated and sent home; about 5% are admitted.
- 25–3411,600 (20%)
- 10–179,800 (17%)
- 35–449,400 (16%)
- 18–248,200 (14%)
- 45–548,000 (14%)
- 55–646,000 (10%)
- 65 and over3,000 (5%)
- Under 102,000 (3%)
Show the numbers
| Age | Estimated ER visits | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 25–34 | 11,600 | 20% |
| 10–17 | 9,800 | 17% |
| 35–44 | 9,400 | 16% |
| 18–24 | 8,200 | 14% |
| 45–54 | 8,000 | 14% |
| 55–64 | 6,000 | 10% |
| 65 and over | 3,000 | 5% |
| Under 10 | 2,000 | 3% |
Source: SurfSpotGuide analysis of CPSC NEISS data, 2019–2025.
Definitions
- ER visit
- A visit to a US hospital emergency department, estimated nationally from the NEISS sample of about 100 hospitals, using each case's statistical weight.
- Surfing and board sports
- CPSC product code 1261, "Surfing (activity, apparel or equipment)". It also covers body boarding, paddleboarding, skim boarding, windsurfing, kite boarding. Body surfing is not included (coded as swimming).
- Head or face
- The head, face, eyes, mouth and ears (NEISS body-part codes 75, 76, 77, 88 and 94).
- Reliable estimate
- CPSC treats an estimate as unstable below 1,200, below 20 cases, or with a coefficient of variation over 33%. This page quotes only estimates that pass.
Methodology
We took every NEISS case from 2019–2025 with product code 1261 in any of its three product fields, and summed the statistical weights to estimate national ER visits. Uncertainty (the 95% ranges and the reliability test) uses CPSC's published variance method for the NEISS sample, with each year treated as its own sample; CPSC's own query tool may give slightly different ranges.
The activity, board-strike and fin figures come from searching each case's short ER note. Notes are a line or two long, so these are approximate. We publish counts only, never the notes themselves.
NEISS counts emergency department visits, not all injuries: people treated by lifeguards, urgent care or a family doctor, or not treated at all, aren't in it.
Sources
- CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS): yearly case files 2019–2025
- CPSC: Explanation of NEISS estimates: the reliability rule applied here
Frequently asked questions
Is surfing dangerous?
About 8,300 people a year go to US ERs for surfing and board-sport injuries, and 91% are treated and sent home. Cuts, sprains and bruises are the usual injuries.
How do surfers avoid getting hit by their board?
Cover your head with your arms when you fall or surface, fall away from the board and flat rather than head-first into shallow water, and keep a hand on the board in white water. A lesson teaches these first.
Does this include surf-related drownings?
No. NEISS counts ER visits; drownings at the beach are counted by the National Weather Service, which is in our most dangerous beaches study.
Related: America's most dangerous beaches. Learning with an instructor is the safest start: find a surf school.
Use this data
Free to use with a credit
Need your state's numbers, a beach-by-beach list or a quote? Email Laurence Tuchin, Founder: laurence@surfspotguide.com.
Suggested citation
SurfSpotGuide (2026). Surfing Injury Statistics (2026). https://www.surfspotguide.com/surf-statistics/surfing-injuries
Download the full data (CSV)