Paddling and duck diving seems so awkward, and fraught with danger.
Warning: Icky stuff -> 
Pat, that is rude....now please tell what happened....looks like glass to me, or was it that sharkie that hangs around Scabs?
My guess is he kicked his own fin on a dodgy duck dive..we should turn this into the next competition..whoever guesses how he did it gets a prize
Pat, that injury sounds so dam stupid....I can't believe something like that can happen...you going out with only a surf board, duck diving and bam...total freak....seems kinda like stubbing your toe real walking down the street. I never surfed and never will, it is all too hard, and look what can happen when you are just paddling out.
It's rather embarrassing actually. It went like this:
I was down at Margaret River with some friends and family who had come over from Queensland for my 30th. One was a keen surfer and I'd borrowed two 7'6" mini-mals so that we could go for a surf, but I can count on one hand the number of times I've tried to surf and I wouldn't call any of them successful. So I'm a rank beginner.
We went out at Gas Bay away from the point as we didn't want to get in the way of the lineup. My friend had already told me that this size board was too big to duck dive, but I've got about 25kg on him so after my second abortive attempt to get onto a wave, when I was paddling out for the third time, I thought I'd try my luck anyway. Didn't work, I got caught in the froth and properly tumbled. I felt the fin hit my foot hard and then the flap of skin flapping around in the water so took a look. I could see right down to the tendon, bone and other gooey things and cursed, though it didn't really hurt much.
Went straight to Margaret River hospital, which sent me straight to Bunbury hospital. One doctor there wanted me to stay overnight and go into theatre the next day, even though the tendon was still intact, just to get it cleaned thoroughly. I wanted to get going though, and the registrar of the hospital came to have a look and said that it wouldn't get any cleaner, and I could go and get it stitched up after a few days propped open to expel any more sand. That's the way I understood it anyway.
So I left, went on the winery tour we'd had planned for months, and now it's un-stitchable.
The board was just a cheap beginner NSP with generic plastic fins.
I have a few more photos, here's one: 
Noooo!! I thought it was a woman all along....
Crikey!! I am definately having vego for lunch after seeing that pic.. 
Geez Pat - you know what they say about old dogs and new tricks..
Mate that is one bizarre injury, I am guessing the fin had some ragged chips out of it sumpin??
Nasty stuff.. good thing it's not Feb with deluxe wind every day. A good time to kick back with some home brews and DVDs and let the hoof heal up.
Had to laugh at the winery tour priority. 
Good luck old dog.
Its actually not that bizarre.. the back of a fin is very sharp. and your skin gets a bit softer after being in the water.. i have cut myself numerous times spinning my board around or pulling it back to launch myself onto a wave.. just brushing the fin can slice you.. mind you those feet look pretty soft.. do you moisturise daily ?? and that pinkie toe looks like a dugong.
If the cut was a bit further to the left maybe you'd be rid of that hideous little toe with almost no nail. now you got two gross bits on one foot. eeeeewwwwww gross.
ps hope the recovery goes well. And you don't have a friendly pet dog that wants to lick it better for you...
It"s a bit late but you could give the sharp side off the fin a hit with 100 grade sandpaper , i no how sharp they can be.
wow that sucks - so if it is unstitchable how and/or will it close up?
Either way that looks like a long time out of the water. 
They're bloody everywhere now!
Blow your nose big fella.......
......and have a sip
Speedy recovery Pat.
Hope to see you in the water soon
They're bloody everywhere now!
If you don't want to look don't click the link, that's the reason I'm not embedding the pictures.
Don't get me wrong Pat - I luv that stuff...just trying to add drama!
I dont read Waves Magazine anymore, not even sure if it is published nowadays, but they used to have the "slash of the month" or perhaps "gash of the month" segment. It was awesome!..more so when I was a grom me thinks.
Super glue it and go out and kite....naw, not your kind of wind at the moment anyway. But I do recon you can cover it in cling wrap and go for it.
