Ankle injury with monofin. What best to do?

[glubglub]

Today I'm officially an idiot.

I came in when the ocean is a little bit rough, so putting the mono in beach entry is already as hard as it is without the wave sweeping you. Visibility was poor, so I just did several hundred yards buoy swim at 10-12ft-ish before coming on shore.

When coming back to shore, since visibility was pretty poor with the surfs raging, I couldn't really tell how deep it was. Usually I take the fin off about 3-4 ft deep so I can stand but I still can maneuver a bit. But to my surprise while undulating my knees were already hitting the sands. Just before I taking off the fin, two rapid successive waves hit me and with monofin not getting the force uniformly, my left ankle got twisted a little sideways (no, it's not like it snapped but it still hurt a little to walk).

Anyone have suggestions how to tend to this type of injury?

Thanks!

 

[monkeyhatfork]

mono's can be tricky with some shoredives especialy a sandy beach with surf when you don't have a rock jetty or chunk of lava to simply hop into the water. once I took mine off a bit deep held the mono in front of me pocket forward at a slight angle and used it to bodysurf in. A sea kayack can be a good solution, paddle out put it on dive a while ride the kayak back in and avoid fumbling around in the surf. As much as I hate to say it sometimes conditions might call for using bi-fins in place of the mono. Or else just check the surf report-go out when its flat.

 

[sunflower]

Sounds not too good - hope you´ll be all right soon.
:crutch
..if you have a buoy with you it would be a solution to take the fin off in deeper water and attach it to the buoy - then swim a to the beach

 

[Erik]

RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation (RICE)

Read and watch TV for a few weeks

 

[Hugh.]

I sprained my ankle very badly about a month ago. For the first week or two you should use the RICE method aforementioned. If its not such a bad sprain, you should be mobile after a couple weeks. Immobilization for too long leads to your muscles/tendons freezing up. My ankle is still swollen after a month. It's terrible! Good luck.

 

[danhitchcock]

ankle injuries are miserable-- i went through a 'phase'
a while back, i sprained my ankle not too bad-- i could limp the next day.


half a year later, i sprained my other (right ankle) while rock climbing. Apparantly when you fall and stick your landing, you shouldn't land on the side of your foot. I was on crutches for 2 weeks, and was unfortunate that the bone didn't break. If you want to see pictures of a bad sprain (i'm sure some people here have worse), let me know.

then lucky me, i fell off the rock wall, and sprained my left ankle. this was different since I felt it dislocate, and then pop back into socket when my weight shifted, which didn't hurt as much as I think it would. I think that actually helped a bunch, because I could limp the next day. All 3 were inward sprains (the most common type). i'm not too much into rock climbing anymore. also, my brother broke his ankle (bottom part of the leg i guess) from rock climbing.

Tape was the best thing for my ankle once I got to a point wehre I could put weight on it. A figure 8 pattern with the tape going over the top of the foot, wrapping around the bottom and the achilles. This gave it a little movement, but would not allow my ankle to move past a certain point-- much better than ace bandages.

I didn't swim much back then, but what I do remember is that when I did, it hurt a lot to kick my feet. In fact, 2 1/2 years later, its still rough on my ankles to use fins. Just remember once it gets back strength, stretch, and massage where scar tissue may be forming. I can only bend my right knee forwar a little past my toes.

I think the fins at this point are really helping get flexibility back. I know almost nothing about free diving, but I unfortunately am experienced in sprained ankles, and that was what helped me.


*Edit* For my ankle (not saying this is the best route, but it worked for me and felt good), i used an ice bath. I am not nearly enough of a man to submerge my foot completely in ice, and that hardly seems like a good idea, but I used to put a sock on, put my foot in a water bath, and slowly add ice. you can find lots of (often conflicting) information on icing on the internet, which i'm sure you have already

Oh yeah, if your foot falls off from my advice, don't blame me.

 

[Erik]

^ See, rock climbing is bad for you hahaha ^
j/k, just me that's terrified of heights!

 

[coadavid]

Does anyone know of a waterproof ankle brace? I'm itching to do some freediving since it just warmed up but I sprained the outside of my right ankle and got a small emulsion fracture on the inside.

 

[danhitchcock]

you can try the tape method i suggested. Also, you can ask your doctor about an air cast, but i'm not sure how useful the are for underwater-- i think they're just for preventing rolling your ankle again.

but i can't imagine putting a fin on the sprained and fractued ankle. willing to try freediving with one leg?

 

[glubglub]

Thanks for all the great reply. But sometimes time does heal your wound (well your body does, but time is needed, you get the gist).

That said, I would advise against anything rash like diving while injured or sick. It could work with mediocre satisfaction at best, but it could get really really bad at worst. Just weigh the risk and reward.

My ankle healed up finally after limping for a bit less than 2 weeks. But by then there is a flu going around office, and I caught some a little bit. Usually it would go away after 5 - 6 days, but by day 3 I was feeling a little better, then decided to go diving again...

Bad move. I got worse (a lot worse, coughing blood-tinged pleghm), for 3 weeks! Doc said I got bronchitis. Now It's been 5 weeks plus I'm out of the water. Antibiotics took care of the bugs, but then even now I'm still coughing a little in the morning. All just because I felt a little better and "pushed through".

Moral of the story: when your body gives you a signal to slow down or rest, do as it says. You'll be much happier at the end.

 

[Erik]

Moral of the story: when your body gives you a signal to slow down or rest, do as it says. You'll be much happier at the end.

Amazing things, bodies.

 

[raeraelynn]

Ankle is not easy to heal! I sprained and fractured 3 years ago. I landed on a 65-foot-long rock and injured my hind ankle. It took 3 years to finally recover. Take it easy, RICE is all you can do. Ankle compression socks help secure the ankle while avoiding secondary injuries.
https://www.gearhunder.com/ankle-compression-sleeve-brace/

 

[raeraelynn]

Ankle is not easy to heal! I sprained and fractured 3 years ago. I landed on a 65-foot-long rock and injured my hind ankle. It took 3 years to finally recover. Take it easy, RICE is all you can do. Ankle compression socks help secure the ankle while avoiding secondary injuries.
https://www.gearhunder.com/ankle-compression-sleeve-brace/

 

[HLanger1955]

Apart from the ankle,

monofin use in rough sea is always tricky. On my favourite shore (rocky) I always put-on/put off the fin when I've still some 2m (7 feet) or more under my feet. When I climb out I take the fin in my hands. The mono I use is quite light, some 2 kg, so I can handle it.. BTW, getting in often normally easy, the way out of the water is typically more tricky. From my experience, always think about how to get OUT of the water after a dive before enter the sea. Watch the waves for 10-15 minutes in order to see whether there are anomalous waves which can cheat you - yoi see waves mpre or less 1/2 m ? There may be a few ones with 1m or or more - on a rocky coast these may hurt....