Close call yesterday - Out of hospital now - Ski is fine which is good news!

[Badvgood]

Thrown off by a freak wave at high speed. I was on my modded RXP pulled well clear (by 500 meters or more) of an RXTX 260 RS and I have check GPS since and I was at 74mph when I tumbled off. After seeing ski, sea, ski, sea, jetski, sky, sea I surfaced and was giggling out loud. The other skiers came over and I felt ok, got a lift to my ski that was over 100 meters away, and proceed to ride fast for an hour or so and then called it a day. Back in the harbor I spoke with the other skiers and apparently I cart wheeled 4 or 5 times, like a pebble skimming on a lake. Each time hitting my head or arms/legs on the water.

A few hours later it all started, delayed concussion, dizziness, sickness, bloodshot eyes, stiffness. Off to hospital as my speech was blurred and garbled.

24 hours of observations and scans and now released, further check ups to come for internal bleeds etc.

Home now and searching for body armor and a crash hat now, that's why I have visited the safety section of this site for the first time!

Typing this is hard, spacial awareness and distance still have not fully returned and finding the keys is hard. Reading what I have typed is harder so appoligies if it does not make perfect sense!

Spell check is doing overtime helping, I can still see words with red underlined but it hurts to look at the screen so it can stay spelled wrong!!

Off to try sleeping some of it off, I tried to walk up stairs an hour ago but could not. Pain and judging distance etc. Maybe again on hands and knees. Will try to post pics of bruises etc soon.

Please everybody, learn by my mistake. Get a bash hat and body armor. My wetsuit and impact vest helped a bit but more protection is needed at high speed.

Night all.

[nicjak]

know the feeling atleast you still have your ski lol check mine,

http://www.greenhulk.net/showthread.php?t=181597

[FIRE0021]

Thrown off by a freak wave at high speed. I was on my modded RXP pulled well clear (by 500 meters or more) of an RXTX 260 RS and I have check GPS since and I was at 74mph when I tumbled off. After seeing ski, sea, ski, sea, jetski, sky, sea I surfaced and was giggling out loud. The other skiers came over and I felt ok, got a lift to my ski that was over 100 meters away, and proceed to ride fast for an hour or so and then called it a day. Back in the harbor I spoke with the other skiers and apparently I cart wheeled 4 or 5 times, like a pebble skimming on a lake. Each time hitting my head or arms/legs on the water.

A few hours later it all started, delayed concussion, dizziness, sickness, bloodshot eyes, stiffness. Off to hospital as my speech was blurred and garbled.

24 hours of observations and scans and now released, further check ups to come for internal bleeds etc.

Home now and searching for body armor and a crash hat now, that's why I have visited the safety section of this site for the first time!

Typing this is hard, spacial awareness and distance still have not fully returned and finding the keys is hard. Reading what I have typed is harder so appoligies if it does not make perfect sense!

Spell check is doing overtime helping, I can still see words with red underlined but it hurts to look at the screen so it can stay spelled wrong!!

Off to try sleeping some of it off, I tried to walk up stairs an hour ago but could not. Pain and judging distance etc. Maybe again on hands and knees. Will try to post pics of bruises etc soon.

Please everybody, learn by my mistake. Get a bash hat and body armor. My wetsuit and impact vest helped a bit but more protection is needed at high speed.

Night all.

It all goes wrong quick glad your doing ok if not feeling better by morning make sure to go back to the doc.

This is why we allways ride fully kitted out
Force 6 vest
Helmet
Gloves
Ride pants
Boots
Goggles.

Hitting the water at that speed is like skipping on cement I hope you make a quick recovery.

[lasportsmn]

This is getting to be too much os a common occurance. People need to realize how fast we are going these days. I used this example last night to a group of rec riders that were aregueing with me saying they don't need safety gear because they are not racing. I told them to all line up and one at a time at a jogging speed run difectly into the wall of the restaurant. They all looked at me like I was crazy. I asked them why not they replied because it would hurt and they could break something or get a head injury. I then stated well at that slow all of you came up with all these injuries yo ucould sustain but since you only cruise between 45 and 50 you do not need safety gear. This is an official and organized AWA charter club. I really can't believe how people argue with me over safety geat. They are all wearing old faded half dry rotted wal mart vest. They were the same club I was with last year on the ride when I had my crash and still think they wont fall off because they are just cruising. there was the leader actually arguing with me over this. Unbelievable

Very happy you are ok and were able to come on here to share your story.

[FIRE0021]

This is getting to be too much os a common occurance. People need to realize how fast we are going these days. I used this example last night to a group of rec riders that were aregueing with me saying they don't need safety gear because they are not racing. I told them to all line up and one at a time at a jogging speed run difectly into the wall of the restaurant. They all looked at me like I was crazy. I asked them why not they replied because it would hurt and they could break something or get a head injury. I then stated well at that slow all of you came up with all these injuries yo ucould sustain but since you only cruise between 45 and 50 you do not need safety gear. This is an official and organized AWA charter club. I really can't believe how people argue with me over safety geat. They are all wearing old faded half dry rotted wal mart vest. They were the same club I was with last year on the ride when I had my crash and still think they wont fall off because they are just cruising. there was the leader actually arguing with me over this. Unbelievable

Pretty sad and very sad being a AWA club.

[nicjak]

the easist way to explain is step out of your car at 60mph, or 100kph thats the route highway speeds in our cars our skis are faster kind of puts it in perspective the resulting tumbles and flips you would endure btw i dont think water is any softer than bitumen only difference, no gravel rash burns.

[lasportsmn]

the easist way to explain is step out of your car at 60mph, or 100kph thats the route highway speeds in our cars our skis are faster kind of puts it in perspective the resulting tumbles and flips you would endure btw i dont think water is any softer than bitumen only difference, no gravel rash burns.

I can completely agree. I was nowhere near full speed and was knocked unconsious. Thankfully I had a good vest on and it kept me face up with my head out the water.

This section NEEDS to be much more view than it is. Everyone should spend time reading up on the safety. Just about every ski on the market now is what I would consider a High Performance watercraft and should be treated and respected as such.

[pgh300x]

the easist way to explain is step out of your car at 60mph, or 100kph thats the route highway speeds in our cars our skis are faster kind of puts it in perspective the resulting tumbles and flips you would endure btw i dont think water is any softer than bitumen only difference, no gravel rash burns.

I have to add to this thread as a big lessosn learned for new riders (as well as myself).


New Rider, Me (never on PWC) + New 300x + shitty life jacket + Fast Key (orange one) .... not good.

Went off at 60 outside downtown pittsburgh, woke up in the water with life jacket half unzipped, was out cold.

respect the ski and get the proper gear.

[Badvgood]

Am up and about today, sore and still dizzy but ok I think. Am only going to post one photo of the damage to myself as we have all seen bruises before.

The one I post is an ironic one over one of my tattoos showing the word "Whaam" which fits nicely!!

[iflyems]

Ouch!!! Make sure the vest you are wearing is USCG approved(some aren't-don't wear them-you could drown!!), and the helmet you wear is either DOT or Snell approved(some aren't-and if not approved, don't wear it!!!)

GL makes a very good point, as do the other posters; when you get off at speed, if you land wrong, and are knocked out-if you have the wrong equipment, you're dead-it's that simple. And, that was only 74mph!!! Some of you guys are riding 80+, with nothing on your head other than a big grin!!! Please stop!! Get a good vest that will keep your head out of the water if your unconsious(USGC Approved Type 1), and a good helmet!!

Glad to see the OP is relatively OK. Lucky you didn't bruise your Whaam Tat
Others have gotten tossed at speed, and had their necks broken!!!

[UNSANE]

I would have paid good money to skip across the water. I went straight in at 73 and came to a stop in less than 30 feet. This was one of the few times I wasn't wearing a helmet. (I now wear it unless I have a girl on back acting as my speed limiter) My back still hurts from this 6 months ago and will probably never stop hurting. I don't remember most of my accident, but I do remember my life vest pulling my temporarily paralyzed body to the surface. I thought I was dead.

Most concussion symptoms will appear some time later. I was glad the water was cold that day. This was my 5th concussion and they all have played out the same. On top of my concussion, I've probably herniated half of the discs in my back (getting MRI soon), massive whiplash all the way around, nearly broke my right wrist, nearly tore ligaments in my right knee and right toe, even though I was wearing riding boots. I always ride with boots, gloves and neoprene pants. Helmet is now on for most of my riding and a back protector vest with neck collar is next. And I hope you soon do the same.

And yes, it is pretty sad about some people's attitude toward safety. I got some flak for calling out some people on a YT video a while back. They were 2-up stunt riding, both rider/passenger without vests, all out in the open ocean and around the Bahamas. WOT, jumping a yacht's bow wake, (which put them dangerously close to the stern), hot-dogging etc...without vests; but I was the A-Hole instead. Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut, but I felt like voicing an opinion. I guess if people don't want to wear vests and such, that's their business. Darwin's law will catch up with them eventually and I won't have one ounce of sympathy.

I hope you heal up well and glad it wasn't more serious. And BTW: Lifeline vests are not USCG rated, but are pretty serious protection. They have been a staple of boat racers for 40 years. They can take impacts of 100+, just not very flexible because of the collar. I sometimes still wear mine. Good luck with your body armor search.

[kawicepticon]

lol I have eaten gravel 3 times in my day at speeds between 40-100+mph and I can tell everyone from first hand experience water is far easier on you than asphalt. Water hurts at speed no question about it but asphalt hurts more and tends to break bones as if there were feathers

This was my leg after it was introduced to the asphalt at 100+mph ....and no it wasn't my fault. Needless to say I on the water more now than on a race track lol