Surfer’s Eye: Another “bad thing” that can happen when surfing

Oh no. Yet another “bad thing” that can happen to you when you surf. It’s called “Surfer’s Eye”, not to be confused with “Surfer’s Ear”, yet another bad thing that can happen to you in the surf.

What is it, exactly?

Surfer’s Eye — it’s this totally uncute, sometimes itchy, occasionally freaky growth that can develop on your eyeball from too much sun, wind, and saltwater exposure. Fun.

Because Surfer’s Eye looks rather disgusting, we’re using a picture of Laird Hamilton, the best big wave rider EVAR known for his piercing blue eyes as a featured image. As far as we know, Laird hasn’t suffered from it.

The medical name is pterygium (pronounced tur-IJ-ee-um, you know with silent p). It’s a benign but potentially vision-affecting growth of fleshy tissue that starts on the white part of your eye and can creep toward the cornea (the clear center). It’s not a tumor, it’s not contagious, and it doesn’t mean you’re going blind — but it’s not something that you want to develop.

Why surfers get it

It’s not a surfers-only disease, but we get it because we’re literally staring at UV-reflecting water for hours on end, without blinking. Add wind, salt, sand, and dry air into the mix, and you’ve got a perfect storm for the eye to go into protective overdrive.
Think of pterygium as your eye growing a little hood for protection. Gross? Sure. But biologically, it makes sense.

Where it’s most common

It’s most common in tropical and subtropical climates (think: California, Australia, Indo, Hawaii), and it tends to affect people who spend a ton of time outdoors without adequate eye protection.

What it looks and feels like

So what does it look like? Well, it ain’t pretty. A visible, slightly raised, fleshy growth on the white of the eye (usually closer to the nose) plus dryness, redness and irritation. Some surfers report it as a constant burning or stinging feeling — especially after long sessions or windy days.
In more advanced cases: you may experience blurry vision or distorted sight if the growth reaches the cornea.

☀️ Can you prevent it?

Listen, most of us are unlikely to be a surfer’s eye, simply because we don’t spend a sufficient amount of time in the water. But but but, if you’re going for 100 days in a row or similar, try surfing in early mornings or late afternoons when UV exposure is lower. Wear a hat. Use eye drops. And wear sunglasses out of the water.

Do we have to care?

I know I know, must we care? Not if you’re a fan of eye surgery. But if you don’t enjoy having itchy eyes, spare a thought, and take care. The pterygium is stubborn and can return even after surgery — especially if you don’t change your sun protection habits.

Author: The Wipeout Weekly team