Tony Abbott was admitted to hospital briefly on Friday after an early morning surf was truncated by an errant surfboard causing an injury severe enough to require stitches.

The former prime minister at the heart of a simmering Liberal Party row over who was to blame for excessive obstructionism during the Gillard years, attended Manly Hospital to have a gash to his foot seen to.

It is understood the wound required "a couple of stitches" and was caused by the fin of a surfboard, which was thrown about in waves that had been better than expected.

Mr Abbott was reluctant to discuss the incident, describing his injury as the result of "a very very minor fin chop".