Surfing: Matt Banting grounded with latest foot injury forcing him out of Tweed Coast Pro

But a prolonged surfing career could be the positive outcome from his seemingly endless injury run over the last five years.

The Port Macquarie product has spent more than 12 months out of the water with his latest injury setback to add another two months to the overall recovery process.

He will spend the next six months in a moon boot.

"It sends your mental health into a spin, that's for sure," Banting said.

"You learn a lot from when you're 12 to when you're 20 and I would have loved to have had the prime years of 21 to 26 injury-free, but then it's encouraging to see other guys like John John (Florence) get injured too.

"It's a reminder that most people go through hardship because life isn't perfect."

The injury not only means he can't surf in upcoming competitions, but it also affects other aspects of his life such as earning an income.

"Dad has had some jobs on lately so even if he wanted a hand as a labourer for concreting I could have helped (if not for the injury), but I can't do anything," Banting said.

"I've just got to remember the main goal is getting back to what I'm doing and knowing there's good money involved in doing that in a short period."

The latest hurdle comes with Banting currently sitting on top of the Qualifying Series leaderboard after strong results in Forster and the Central Coast to start the season.

He'll miss the Tweed Coast Pro at Cabarita on June 19 and is hopeful travel restrictions surrounding the pandemic will still allow him to compete at the US Open on August 1.

"Those (international) events are double the importance of prize money and points so if I did the Cabarita one I wouldn't be ready for the US Open," he said.

"So I had to do the inevitable and wait and see how the injury goes."

Banting was hoping to get in the water with around 15 grommets in Port Macquarie on Sunday, but he will have to pass his knowledge on from the sand instead.

"It's good to pass some of my knowledge from travelling and competing on the CT and QS and everything that's involved and how to stay away and prevent injuries because I've had a few now.

"It's good to see the hunger in the groms too and they're training hard which is good. They're taking it very seriously.

"They look like me when I was that age so it's good to relay the message 10 years on."

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