TLDR: It’s unlikely but you could. Know the risks and try to mitigate them if you’re going to surf after it rains.
This water tastes funny…
If you live in or near a big city and you’ve paddled out after a rain you’ve probably noticed that the water tastes (and perhaps smells) a bit different than usual. The reason for this is runoff – that rain picked up all sorts of things that were just lying on the ground and swept them all into the ocean. Anything that could have ended up in the rain’s path to the ocean could be swept in. That includes:
- Dirt
- Rocks
- Fertilizer/Pesticides
- Construction Materials
- Plastics
- Oil
- Paint
- Dog poop
- Sewage
- Animal carcasses
- Trash
Anything you can imagine lying on the ground could end up sharing a line up with you. As bad as these things are by themselves they’ll often bring their worse friends with them – bacteria and viruses.
What can happen to me?
Bacteria and viruses swept into the ocean by rain can cause all sorts of health issues. Some of the reported issues include:
- Gastrointestinal issues including gastroenteritis
- Hepatitis
- Respiratory illness
- Ear, nose, and throat problems
- Stys
- Infections (E coli, Staph, Streptococcus, etc)
- Meningitis
- Rashes
If you feel sick after surfing please visit a doctor as soon as possible. Many of these conditions can be treated better if they are caught early.
How risky is it?
The most commonly citied study on the affects of runoff on surfers is The Surfer Health Study done by UC Berkeley and the Surfrider Foundation. It’s a very accessible study and I’d encourage all surfers to give it a read. The results as summarized as follows:
“The study found that when surfers enter the water during or in the 72 hours following storm events, an average of 30 per 1,000 will contract GI illness, compared to 18 per 1,000 surfers who will contract GI illness without entering the water, and 25 per 1,000 who will contract GI illness when entering the water during dry weather (Figure 1). From a health risk perspective, that is an extra – or excess – risk of 12 surfers per 1,000 on average who will become ill when they enter the ocean in wet weather, compared to when they do not enter the ocean.”
Keep in mind that this study only looked at the impact of pathogens – there are many other substances in runoff that can impact you negatively. Things like paint, oil, and other chemicals used in cars and construction. The impacts of these don’t seem to be well known and might not show up until later in life.
What can I do to mitigate the risks?
Fortunately there is an easy way to avoid this extra risk – wait 72 hours after a rain stops to paddle out. The risks drop significantly within that time period for a few reasons. First is that salt water is inhospitable to most of the troublesome bacteria and viruses that cause these issues and they’ll eventually die or become unable to infect you. Second is that after 72 hours most of the runoff has sunk to the bottom of the ocean or has been pulled out into deep water.
You will especially want to heed the advice to not surf if your surf spot is near a rivermouth or drain pipes. These will increase the risk since they supply higher concentrations of runoff. Same if you have cuts or open wounds – these will provide an easy infection point.
Bottom Line
Life is full of unavoidable risk. Do you want to add the risk of getting sick (or worse) from surfing? Or can you wait 3 days to paddle out?
Thanks to gagemed for the headline image.
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