Surfer John Wolfson is worried he’ll be known as “Dolphin Boy” or “Flipper”.

The 27-year-old bodyboarder has made headlines after being badly hurt by a dolphin while going for a birthday paddle at a break south of Ulladulla on Monday.

The Sydneysider fractured a rib in two places and had his wetsuit torn off him by the force of the impact with the dolphin.

Mr Wolfson laughed when asked if he thought he was targeted, saying he didn’t believe the dolphin deliberately attacked him.

“I was, like, this is cool, like, it’s, like the waves are pumping and there’s dolphins around,” he told the Seven Network.

“They were just surfing the waves and I just got in its way.”

While his body’s still a bit sore, Mr Wolfson is more worried about other ways the dolphin has impacted him.

“Everyone’s going to call me dolphin boy from now on,” he said.

“Or Flipper, something like that” his twin David suggested.