Asher Pacey Cops Eight Stitches And A Haematoma

If you have Instagram and follow Asher Pacey you may have already seen, but yesterday the twin-fin aficionado did quite the number of his head. It wasn’t inflicted while digging for diamonds or keeping his bees, but from the craft we’re most familiar with him atop: his twin-fin.

“Fin jammed me in the head. 8 stitches and a giant lump on me head. Coulda been heaps worse.” Asher told Stab this afternoon. 

What’s even more concerning is that Asher was surfing by himself near home on the NSW mid-north coast; a delight the majority of the time, but a curse if something like the above is to happen. 

“[I] was underwater and after not making a toob and flew backwards. [My fin] got me right above the ear. Coulda been way worse. Was out solo so glad I didn’t wash up the beach face down,” Asher continued. “Lucky it didn’t crack my skull.”

AP sporting his new haematoma, which is very fortunately not subdural.

To err on the cautious side, the hospital sent AP down to Coffs Harbour for a CT scan. Fortunately Asher hasn’t fractured his skull, and the CT came back negative for any bleeding beyond the surface level haematoma on the side of his head. 

The good news for Asher (and those who enjoy those watching him surf) is that he won’t be out of the water too long. 

Based on his Instagram story, Asher is at least thankful he doesn’t ride thrusters.

“Apparently the head heals quick so stitches out in a week.” AP continued. “The lump on my head was huge after the stitches yesterday. Seems to have moved to my face now.”

Head injuries in surfing are a serious issue, so we’re thankful Asher wasn’t added to the list of more severe injuries dealt with by surfers of the years or close calls a number have had after knocking their head on their board. Owen Wright was out of the water for nearly a year after a Pipeline-induced haemorrhage; Jeremy Flores going headfirst into the reef in Indo in 2015; and even the GOAT who was knocked out surfing “not very big waves” in France a few years ago.

For a detailed look at the history of head injuries in surfing, you can read Jake Howard’s very good article here.