Surfing Medicine International

Surfing Medicine International (SMI) was founded as a non-profit, volunteer-based organisation in order to "Keep the Surfer Healthy and Safe" by connecting Doctors and Allied Health Professionals with a passion for surfing. Whether you are a dermatologist from the Fjords of Norway, or a physiotherapist from the cape of Portugal, we all share the same magic love for riding waves.

With an international network of passionate people who share our stoke, SMI aims to make a positive contribution to the health and well-being of surfers across the globe by developing the specific sub-specialization of Medicine, Surfing Medicine, to respond to the needs of an every growing population.

Surfing is becoming increasingly popular, with current estimates numbering 37 million surfers worldwide. Surfers may encounter several different types of health issues while riding waves around the globe: trauma to the head or extremities, drowning and hypothermia, UV damage to the skin and eyes, tropical infectious disease from travelling, or stings and bites from marine species are part of this spectrum, to name but a few.

By sharing knowledge, expertise, and clinical experience from our membership, representing all medical specialties, we provide the surfer with information on how to stay healthy and safe throughout life.

Our current activities include the Annual Conference in Surfing Medicine, at exciting surf locations; Outreach & Public Health Promotion Events (The Surfer's Academy), Inter-Professional Collaboration, Learning, and Scientific Research.

If you are interested in what we do, and wish to use your skills to contribute to "Keeping the Surfer Healthy and Safe", please reach out and connect, or feel free to make a donation via our homepage to support our work.

Thanks for your support; See you 'out-back' in the water!
SMI