Meet the Not-for-Profit Surfing Doctors.

By Craig Jarvis

Many years ago, I was out surfing at Lagundri Bay in Nias. The waves were firing—six-foot, somewhat crowded, but really consistent.
To our collective amazement, a young girl in a bikini got gently washed out through the keyhole and paddled somewhat awkwardly towards us. It looked like trouble.
“Anyone know who she is?” asked someone.
“Christian touring group from Norway,” someone else replied.
As she drifted towards the take-off zone with a radiant smile, a set stacked up and started heading straight for her.
There was no time for anyone to do anything. Someone caught the first wave and headed off in the tube while this innocent girl took it lying down. She didn’t even have the basic water knowledge to jump off her board and swim under. Like deer in headlights, she just lay there as one of Lagundri’s finest waves smashed her.
At that moment, I realised that my first aid kit was not going to be of any use if someone got seriously injured. There was also no doctor around back then. A trip to Teluk Dalam would have had a poor result. Back then, it was common surfer knowledge that if something went down, you had no choice but to get to Singapore.
“We saw this sort of stuff happening and knew there was trouble coming,” said the Surfing Doctors Not-for-Profit organisation founder Dr Phillip Chapman.

For the full story, go to Stab Mag