Brand Spanking New to Diving!

[Jamie Ann]

Hello All! I just recently got back from the Keys where my boyfriend and I FINALLY finished our Open Water Diving Certs! Now that I'm back in Good 'ol Baltimore, I have a question for ya...

On my 2nd dive (last Monday) I brushed my right knee up on some fire coral. Now, I read all of the postings regarding the rash that can break out days later (which it did) and how to treat it as poison ivy, however, can it spread like poison ivy? I don't believe that it has, but I do have a small spot of it that I didn't notice at first when I sprayed it with the white vinegar on the dive boat. It has surprised me in how much that it now resembles a rash that I normally would get from poison ivy.

Also, we are both down in the Keys A LOT... so it would be great to mingle with some of you who dive down that way as chances are that we'll be diving there again sometime soon!

Cheers! :blinking:

 

[maniago]

Welcome to diving.

If you do a quick web search on jelly fish stings, like on WebMd or some such, you should get the answers you are looking for. I'm not a dr or anything, but as I remember reading, some of the stings lodged in the skin don't release their poison until disturbed (ie rubbing etc)> Hence you can get further rashes after first contact. So follow the directions you find in order to inert those still in the skin.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

You also need to be aware of secondary infections. Coral is not like poison ivy which is a plant. Coral is living animals with other animals living in and on it. I'd hit a med express and let this be a lesson. Always dive with full exposure protection in Open Water. Even if it's a skin or 1.5 mm suit. I would never go in Open Water in any less.

 

[maniago]

You also need to be aware of secondary infections. Coral is not like poison ivy which is a plant. Coral is living animals with other animals living in and on it. I'd hit a med express and let this be a lesson. Always dive with full exposure protection in Open Water. Even if it's a skin or 1.5 mm suit. I would never go in Open Water in any less.

+1 on all of the above. Excellent points Jim.

 

[Jamie Ann]

Thanks guys! Yeah... I thought about us suiting up but our dive instructor at the time only handed us shorties...