FAQ

Unless you suffer from a broken/fractured rib (which you should always check with a medical professional), your rib pain is likely to stem from some form of overuse. Surfers who do not have a lot of upper body fat and/or who go back to surfing after a long break might be more likely to develop it.

Overuse usually stems from repetitive activities over a period of time. When paddling, your lower rib area presses into the surfboard in order to keep the so-called “banana pose” or arched back. Tissue in that area is not naturally designed to hold this kind of pressure for hours at a time. This repetitive microtrauma may overload the capacity of the tissue to repair itself. The various tissues such as muscles, tendons, bones, and ligaments, are being loaded and experience excessive physiological stress.

If pain from overuse is ignored, the body has no chance to recover and chronic forms of pain and muscle/tendons strains are more likely to occur.

The Heeru Ribguard pads your ribs with a 6mm neoprene layer that can be increased to 9mm thanks to additional padding that comes with it. This neoprene layer distributes the pressure over a larger area and thereby reduces the stress on your muscles, bones, cartillage and other tissue.
It also helps to absorb the shock of wave movement more smoothly.

The Heeru Ribguard is first and foremost a tool for preventing rib pain, not curing it when it's acute. If you are suffering from acute rib pain, we advise you to see a medical professional and always take sufficient rest days.

When you feel that you are ready for the waves again, Heeru can help you ease back into surfing.
Many of our customers have gone back into the water with our Heeru Ribguard after taking an extended break from surfing - and they have been able to surf without pain ever since.

First of all, directly on your skin! It's absolutely possible to wear your Heeru Ribguard with any second layer on top, for example a rash guard, your bathing suit or wetsuit. This will actually help keep your Heeru Ribguard perfectly in place, especially when the swell is bigger.

Make sure your Ribguard sits firmly on your rib area while still letting you breathe comfortably. The elastic bands are designed so that you don't have to worry about not getting enough air.

When you wear your Ribguard without a layer on top, you might want to attach it a bit tighter - and remember that you can always readjust in the water.

Just like you would with a wetsuit: a fresh water rinse after every session should be enough. Dry your Heeru in the shade, as sunlight makes neoprene degrade more quickly.

You can also occasionally hand-wash your Heeru with some gentle soap. If you want to get rid of wax residues, put parchment paper on the spot and gently iron for seconds at a time.
The wax will stick to the parchment paper.