danger with grab handle

[55NSup]

Was out SUS ing in ankle/knee slappers yesterday with my 9 year boy. Hes just getting used to waves and managed to catch a few and ride them straight in. Hes on a 9-0 Naish Keiko soft deck.
I was paddling too to keep close, but  missed eyewitnessing  a little accident. He apparently stepped into grab handle during a fall and his forefoot got stuck. Twisted toes around and got a little scrap on side of foot. Limped around, started body surfing and paddledxa bit more later.  He was 100% ok today.

Looking at that handle hole and his foot size I realize it could have been really worse, like a broken foot. His foot could get really stuck.
Any body else have this kind of accident?  Thinking of putting a peice of foam rubber in there when hes on water.

Probably never happen agsin, but im still a bit spooked after my cat/bike accident. 

[feet]

I had a rather freak mishap with the carry handle a few years ago. As you can see in the pic, I needed stitches between my toes. The waves were ankle to knee high and I was paddling into the wash in a surf stance, just kind of messing about. I move my foot forward, three toes went into the carry handle, the other two stayed on the deck and the board ripped them apart.

Of course, it was on the first day of vacation. I needed seven stitches, a tetanus shot, a few needles to numb my foot plus antibiotics because it occurred in the ocean. I wasn't allowed in the sun for the duration of the ABs, plus I had to shower with one leg outside the bathtub.

Good times!

[PonoBill]

Simple enough to stuff it full of dense foam. I have bee glueing foam strips on the inside edge of my handles to give a better grip. Just a strip of deck pad works well. If you put one on each side it might narrow the handle enough to keep his foot out. Of course it also might make an accident like that even worse--you'd have to experiment a bit. Maybe both--foam to keep his foot out and deck pad strips to retain the foam and give you a better grip.

Just remember there's no such thing as "safe" in the water. There's just prudent.

So Feet--is that why you're called "feet". Gotta tell you, that foot looks as weird as mine.

[feet]

I guess I should actually be called "toes" but yes, I have the biggest feet in my family - size 13 (which actually isn't that abnormal). A guy I played baseball with made the observation, "dude, you have some big ass feet, I'm gonna call you feet," and the name kind of stuck. 

[SaMoSUP]

Feet, your toes look like thumbs. Hence why they tried to grab the handle.

[stoneaxe]

Sounds like something to def be aware of with kids on boards. I'll for sure stuff some foam in the hand holds for my granddaughter...her whole foot would fit in most of them right now. Thanks for bringing it up

[AJR]

I guess I should actually be called "toes" but yes, I have the biggest feet in my family - size 13 (which actually isn't that abnormal). A guy I played baseball with made the observation, "dude, you have some big ass feet, I'm gonna call you feet," and the name kind of stuck.

I agree - 13 isn't that abnormal (unless you're 5' tall?)...

[southwesterly]

I had a board with the handle right where I put my big toe on a bottom turn.

I cut little pieces of foam with a bit of small line through it then stuffed it in the handle hole after I got in the water. When I wasn't using it, I wrapped it under my leash loop.

It worked really good and didn't cost anything to make.