47 days surfing

Hi everybody!

I could go surfing 47 times since I started peritoneal dialysis, before that luckily I received the kidney transplant.

All the times I went, I always used HOLLISTER 22400 colostomy bags.

Lying on the bed one hour and pressing during that time with the hands for fixing them, they lasted in the water:

• 1h 15 min, without having any leak.

• 1h 30 min, having had once a small leak of around 5 cubic centimeters. 

• 1h 45 min, having had three times leaks of around 5 cubic centimeters each one.

I also tried some days the bags lying on the bed and pressing with the hands for half an hour. In those conditions, it seems that the bags last without having leaks around 45-50 minutes.

For knowing how long you remain in the water you can wear a watch or use an alarm if you've got a waterproof mobile phone case.

Luckily, when I had water leaks, the catheter exit site never was infected, and I also didn't have any peritonitis owed to the water filtrations. When I had leaks, as soon as I came out form the sea and arrived to my car, I took off the wetsuit and went home (45 minutes drive) for having a shower, removing the colostomy bag, healing the catheter exit site first with Prontosan and later with Betadine, and for disinfecting the catheter with Frekaderm.

As an additional security measure, at least in Spain, water quality monitoring is done during the bathing water season according with R.D. 1341/2007, which is available at:

http://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2007/10/26/pdfs/A43620-43629.pdf

Escherichia coli and intestinal enterococci contents are measured.

In the next link you can check the water quality for the bathing waters of the beaches of Asturias:

http://www.asturias.es/Asturias/playas/calificacion.htm

I think that information can be checked at the beach asking to the lifeguards.

I always used wetsuit, and the water temperature ranged between 13,5-21,5 ºC approx. I never had any discomfort because of the water temperature, or any pain when paddling on the surfboard because of the catheter, but I felt that my body was getting cool sooner than when I wasn't on dialysis

Here is one photo taken the last day I went surfing. Good surf session one afternoon at San Juan de Nieva!

It was such a pleasure to be able to surf while I was on dialysis. Every time I came out of the water, especially if the session was good, it was like flying of happiness, and feeling indestructible!

I am very happy because as I was getting fit, I also improved technically, completing new maneuvers that before I was not able to do. I was not confident at all when surfing back-side, and now I like it as much or even more than surfing front-side!

My physical condition was not as good as before starting dialysis, but paddling out through rip currents, and waiting for lulls for reaching the line-up, I could catch big set waves days up to 1,5 m NW groundswell. I didn't expect to manage that!

Duck diving the less the better, If possible less than two consecutive ones! Because if not, I was exhausted longer than desired.

First day I went surfing, I don't know why I chose that, but I went to the water with a 6',0" Red Beauty by Channel Islands , and as I was not very fit, and last time I had been surfing was one year ago, I barely could stand up on whitewater waves. But despite that, I enjoyed a lot for coming back to the water.

Next times, I used the first surfboard I bought, which is a 7',0" x 20 x 2 5/8 Moor minimalibu, and I had so much fun! I started to ride good waves, waxed the deck in its entirety, and as I'm not very heavy, although bending my knees, I could hang five!

When I was a bit more fit, I tried the first shortboard I had, which is a 6',6" x 19 1/2 x 2 9/16 Slash Guru Big Guy, and I found myself very comfortable.

As this surfboard was very old and heavy because of water that got inside it, I bought the new Slash Guru Big Guy model. The measures are 6’4’’ x 20 x 2.50, being shorter and thinner, but wider to the nose than the old model I had, because next measure was 6’6’’ x 20.25 x 2.63, and I thought that duck diving was going to be too hard for me.

I'm very happy with this last acquisition, and although I have to paddle harder for getting out to the line-up, when catching waves I hardly notice any difference in comparison with the old model, and it turns very easily.

Besides, as I was getting fit surfing and going to walk, I had my arterial blood pressure under control around 125/76 without needing medication, except one pill a day every one or two months, when it was up to 135/84.

Good waves! See you in the water!