| Of Broken Collar Bones and Borrowed Suits
So I just moved to California last month from Colorado, and was dying to learn to suf. A new friend I met out here named Ben, took me under his wing (board?)and committed to help me learn to surf. Ben is a California native and has been surfing since he could walk; he is one of the most generous, genuine people I know. So he loaned me one of his Coral Reef wetsuits and one of his boards and has been helping me start catching waves.
So two weeks ago I'm out at Salt Creek beach helping some other newbies get out on the water too... We're sharing the board Ben loaned me, and trading off boogie boards for who ever is not surfing. On only my second wave of the day, I got into a wave too late and was summer-saulted down with the crashing water in what turned out to be more shallow than I thought it to be. In the crash I came down on my shoulder and the impact broke my collar bone.
After dragging myself onto the beach and waving down a lifeguard with my one good arm, I explained what happened and we arranged to get me to the ER for x-rays. Meanwhile I'm trying not to pass out or vomit from the pain as I try to figure out how to get out of the wetsuit without causing more damage to my collar bone, which I can feel parts of it moving around, causing more waves of "pass-out/vomit" pain. The only option in the end was to cut me out of my buddy's wetsuit and get me to the ER.
The x-ray confirmed a snapped collar bone and the orthopedist prescribed oxycodone and 4-8 weeks of "do nothing and wear this sling".
So not only can I not surf for a few months, I now feel like crap for wasting my buddy's wetsuit. Of course he was only worried about me being okay, and didn't care about the suit, but I'd like to get him another one. After all, his kindness can't just end with a friend in a sling and being out one wetsuit.
I looked up the model and brand with hopes of finding a replacement, but since I can't work right now, I'm short on funds too. So I figured I'd shoot you guys my story and, who knows, maybe it'll get picked for the free wetsuit give away you have advertised on you website.
If so, it'd be a great turn of events and a way to show my buddy how greatful I am for his patience and for not being worried about measley wetsuit.
Here's to generous friends and getting back up on the board (once I'm healed). |