After suffering a serious neck injury from a windsurfing accident wondering if anyone sails with a neck brace or similar device?
Salty if the injury was serious I would wait until its healed and strong mate. What injury and have you seen doc and physio ?
Agree Haggar on waiting for it to heal but considering once it is, should I be protecting it. 4 days in Trauma ward. Damage to vertebrae. 6 weeks to go in a neck brace then reassess.
I broke my neck many years ago and considered a neck brace but couldn't find anything suitable. In the end I followed by Physios advice and got my neck as strong as possible before returning to sailing. Good luck mate wishing you a speedy recovery.
i am not belittling you in anyway, but, if you had a car accident and hurt your head would you suddenly want to start wearing a helmet? How many times have you hurt your neck before in a windsurfing crash? I'm guessing never...??
My point is don't have a kneejerk reaction to something that was a freak accident. Just get your neck healed and make it strong again and come back carefree. It was an accident, remember that. Chances are you will never ever hurt it again.
Those neck Braces only work when your wearing a full face helmet, wearing one without you will probably not hurt your neck but break your jaw.
Select to expand quotesick_em_rex said..
i am not belittling you in anyway, but, if you had a car accident and hurt your head would you suddenly want to start wearing a helmet? How many times have you hurt your neck before in a windsurfing crash? I'm guessing never...??
My point is don't have a kneejerk reaction to something that was a freak accident. Just get your neck healed and make it strong again and come back carefree. It was an accident, remember that. Chances are you will never ever hurt it again.
Three times in six years
Stop hitting stuff with ya head 
Spotty would wear the horse collar one on big days, but I think it restricted he's ability to look around. He might still have it.
Sorry to hear of your accident but could you please provide more details of how it happened? Is there a lesson to be learnt for those of us a bit newer to the sport?
Select to expand quotesailingkid said..
Sorry to hear of your accident but could you please provide more details of how it happened? Is there a lesson to be learnt for those of us a bit newer to the sport?
Wind conditions too big for the gear I had. Gust took me out. Over finned and board too big. Fin provided too much lift wind got under the board and lifted me 1 -2 Mtrs in the air and I did a perfect forward loop through the sail.
Damage to the neck was caused by hitting the water at 27kts
Had smaller gear in the van. Go figure
Most people that I've know that have injured their neck while w'surfing, suffered hyperextension, usually from getting launched during overpowered conditions.
Neck braces won't prevent hyperextension only a sideways tweak. If you need a neck brace to go windsurfing, I wouldn't even go there, remember you are trying to protect your spinal cord. Damaging your spinal cord can easily be a life changing event, so I wouldn't w'surf until 100% cured, the risks are just too high.
Select to expand quoteOld Salty said..
Or
These braces are designed for use with full face helmets. They will not be of any assistance in a windsurfing crash.
There is nothing on the market that would be suitable and yet be considered safe in a water environment enabling you to still swim, have adequate range of motion to be able to see other water users and so on.
Maybe the horse riding inflation jackets southern stars sadlery sells them. Only problem is how to trigger it for the emergency and not everytime you fall off or gybe. Dont sail ovrr finned. Thats about the only time i get chucked off. Also be carefull after sailing deep and then rounding up, you need to decelerate first otherwise the apparent wind swings forward too much and there is a heap of drag on the tip of the rig and that lifts the front of the board up. multiple times with same injurry suggests you need to think carefully about what is happening and perhaps change style or behaviour or equipment or sports. Try not to hit the rig which means clean separation or solid bracing. Also beware of over doing it unfit or untrained on modern gear. I had no injuries or big offs last season other than a broken toe from jamming it in the footstrap, after 15 years off but a gradual comeback and moderate fitness. This year i had a fitness sapping illness and i think i got back into it too quick, one bad off and into the boom fortunstely just bruised shoulder, then i ruptured a big toe tendon gybing and sailed a few times before i knew how bad it was, and i had a lot of big offs at the end of runs due mainly i think due to lack of foot control. So when the toe is good i plan to ease into it slowly and get the fitness and skills back gradually. good luck with neck but seriously think about what is going on and why. Eliminating the risk is always better than ppe (personal protective equipment)
