Injuries in Water Sports: A Structured Narrative Review of Epidemiology, Injury Patterns and Prevention Strategies

Abstract

Introduction. Water sports include a wide range of recreational and competitive activities, such as swimming, surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, wingfoiling and sailing. Although these sports share the aquatic environment, they differ substantially in biomechanics, equipment use, speed and environmental exposure. As a result, they are associated with diverse injury patterns, ranging from overuse conditions to acute traumatic injuries.

Aim of the study. The aim of this structured narrative review was to summarize the available literature on injuries occurring in water sports, with particular emphasis on epidemiology, anatomical injury patterns, mechanisms of injury and prevention strategies across swimming, surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, wingfoiling and sailing.

Methods. A structured narrative review was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE as the primary database. Additional relevant articles were identified through manual screening of reference lists. Articles were included if they addressed sports-related injuries in non-motorized water sports and provided information on injury epidemiology, anatomical location, mechanisms, risk factors, treatment, return to sport or prevention. A total of 25 articles were included and synthesized descriptively.

Conclusions. Water sports should not be considered a uniform injury category, as each discipline has a distinct injury profile. Prevention strategies should be sport-specific and include load management, technical training, physical conditioning, environmental risk assessment, safe equipment use and early recognition of symptoms. Further studies using standardized injury definitions and prospective surveillance are needed, particularly for newer disciplines such as wingfoiling and foiling-related windsurfing classes.