Surfing is the leading cause of ocean injuries every year, according to ACC. In Gisborne this year, there have been 219 ACC claims at a cost of $194,000. Beach and sand injuries top that at $1.4m from 220 claims. Photo taken over Wainui Beach in 2023.
Surfing is the leading cause of ocean injuries every year, according to ACC. In Gisborne this year, there have been 219 ACC claims at a cost of $194,000. Beach and sand injuries top that at $1.4m from 220 claims. Photo taken over Wainui Beach in 2023.
Spending time at the beach, hitting the mountain bike trails or having your mates over for a barbecue?
Summer is the best time of year to be living in Aotearoa, but it is also a time when injuries spike.
ACC claim numbers show around 70,000 people are injured through outdoorrecreation activities over summer.
“We want New Zealanders to enjoy their summer, whether that is at the beach, on the mountain bike trails or on the sports field,” ACC injury prevention leader James Whitaker says.
“But we’re challenging people to take a moment to have a ‘hmmm’ – to think about ways they can manage injury risks while doing their favourite things.
In 2023, ACC accepted 12,025 claims for injuries that occurred at the beach or on the sand.
These injuries came at a cost of more than $28 million to help people recover. Soft tissue injuries made up 64% of these claims, with feet, knees and ankles the most injured body parts.
Summer is also a time where a huge number of Kiwis travel. Around 50,000 people a day will fly in and out of Auckland Airport during the Christmas period. An estimated one million Kiwis are set to fly across the country in the summer months.
“ACC can’t be everywhere with our injury prevention messaging,” says Whitaker. “But we can be somewhere that is on the way to everywhere.”
This replica of The Thinker at Auckland Airport sits next to a video screen which is part of an ACC safety campaign involving popular summer activities ranging from surfing to cooking on the barbecue. Photo / ACC
With this in mind, ACC has placed a replica of The Thinker (Le Penseur) statue at Auckland Airport during December.
“The Thinker will be sitting there as if he is waiting for a flight. We hope he becomes a bit of a talking point and a selfie star,” says Whitaker.
“Travellers may also notice billboards and other messaging that encourages people to check a few pro tips and hints that help to reduce the risk of injuries from summer recreation activities.
“There is a focus on road cycling, mountain biking, swimming and surfing because these activities lead to major spikes in injuries each summer.”
In 2023, ACC supported people to recover from 28,059 new claims relating to road cycling which came at a cost of $76m to help people recover.
Also on two wheels, ACC accepted 4152 mountain biking claims in 2023 at a cost of $21m.
Around 85% of New Zealanders visit the coast every year and half of them are active in the water. In 2023, ACC accepted 7551 swimming-related claims at a cost of $31m.
Surfing is the leading cause of ocean-related injury every year. Last year, ACC accepted 5582 surfing claims at a cost of $13m.
Last year, ACC accepted 1003 barbecue-related injuries which came at a cost of $2m to help people recover. The leading types of injury were soft tissue injuries, laceration/puncture/stings and burns.
“People should head to Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s website Check It’s Alright for tips on how to barbecue safely,” Whitaker said.
“Most injuries are predictable and therefore preventable. You don’t want to spend your summer holiday in A and E.”
