REEF CUTS
Coral reefs have a magical effect on swell. Having travelled perhaps thousands of miles in the open ocean, the swell’s power is concentrated by the sudden presence of the rapidly shallowing bottom. Add some tradewind and a crystal barrel appears, wrapping and sectioning as the bottom influences come into play. That’s the good news.

The bad is when the deep pit closes down or a floater goes wrong. Paying the reef tax is all part of coral reef surfing. Hard, unyielding coral is sharp and abrasive and finds little difficulty in slicing or scraping away soft human skin. The fact that the corals and other reef creatures are covered by living tissue and, worse, marine bacteria makes the fateful encounter very much more than a simple wound.

Though the pain from any such wound can be annoying to intense, the real problem may begin a day later and last until you properly deal with it. Dealing with it means cleaning out the wound so that the healing process can begin and proceed unhindered. Pieces of coral skeleton and tissue or marine bacteria can make for a longer healing process. Bacterial infection is the most threatening for the simple reason that the conflict goes beyond the wound; it is a contest between your immune system and micro-organisms. The result may be an infection that will give you much more pain than the original slice. It may keep you out of the water until you can overcome it by constant care, which may have to involve antibiotics.