Had a timely reminder to respect the foil yesterday. I always wear booties, but left them at home yesterday. Close call, could have been much worse. Have you had a near miss?

That's quite a gash, and really close to your carotid artery. Sheesh.

I usually quickly curl up into a ball when I come off at speed. I've been hit by the foil numerous time and been lucky. Got really whacked in the Achilles over the weekend and still hobbling.

Helmets are a lot saver, till the foil hits you in the face .
A prone foiler guy on the beach last weekend got his foil in his face and sliced his eyebrow, from the look at it good for 8-12 stitches.

CH3MTR4IL5 said..
Wicka and others, what are you doing to end up in the gashed head scenario? Landing a 360 is probably not a risk factor for me at the moment but would be keen to know what it was that led to these!

Funnily enough I was doing nothing special here.. prone foiling literally a 2 foot wave, got caught up in the whitewater and the foil clipped me in the head somehow. It can happen so fast!
To protect my face Jeroensurf I always tuck into a ball if I'm close to the foil but sometimes that's just not enough as you can see. I'm lucky I had a few boys in the water to help get me out an get me to the hospital.

CH3MTR4IL5 said..
Wicka and others, what are you doing to end up in the gashed head scenario? Landing a 360 is probably not a risk factor for me at the moment but would be keen to know what it was that led to these!

IMHO close calls tend to happen for me at low speed in transitions - classic "Taco", where you over compensate & instead of leaning into a fall, you lean away from it & fall towards the foil... most high speed crashes you fly free & clear - especially if you heed the advice to hang on to the Wing...