A UCLA Department of Neurology initiative is following surfers through the full swell season to understand what happens to the brain and body under some of the planet's most extreme ocean conditions.

The research forms part of UCLA's BrainSPORT and Neurobehavior programs, with a focus on behavioural and sports neurology. A select group of surfers are outfitted with HIT Connect devices that measure impact and rotational forces during wipeouts in live conditions.

Researchers record wipeouts, assess their severity, and track head impacts in real time, building a detailed picture of how the sport's most extreme moments affect recovery, performance, and injury risk.

• Captures what happens during wipeouts both above and below the water
• Links impact data to recovery, performance, and injury risk
• Helps researchers understand athlete brain health in high-stress conditions
• Creates a season-long dataset spanning the full swell window

The work is led by UCLA's Department of Neurology and sits within BrainSPORT and Neurobehavior, two programs designed to deepen scientific understanding of athletes who perform and recover under high-impact conditions.

The results will help identify how impact forces relate to long-term recovery and contribute to a better understanding of sports neurology in extreme environments.