ScubaMike14
Contributor
So I'm out diving this morning...Grand Bahama Island, 100 foot vis, 88F water temp....nice day. I'm at about 40 foot hovering over the top of a coral head, picking off big lettuce size leafs of algae that have been covering our reefs and killing the coral. All of a sudden it feels like someone took a handfull of lit cigarettes and jammed them into my belly. Oh yeah...major pain!!
So I try to look down to see what the hell just happend and I can't really see my belly, but there appears to be no green ooze anywhere so I assume I am not bleeding. I go back to the line, do an abreviated safety stop and get on the boat.
I have my friend take a look at it and she tells me I have a red mark that looks like a puncture (needle sized) with a 2 inch long welt next to it. The welt also has a dark line down the middle that looks like someone tried to slice it open with a razor blade. No blood, LOTS and LOTS of burning pain.
30 minutes later we get back to the dock, I run to the bathroom and put scalding hot water all over it (heck, boiling water wouldn't hurt compared to this). It somewhat releives the pain and about an hour later the welt has gone down a bit and the pain is better.
It's now about 6 hours later and it still hurts, but now it's more like a bad rash type itch, rather than pain.
After looking and talking to people I think it was a sea wasp or a man-o-war.
NO, I did not, nor do I need to call DAN or go to a hospital....I just thought I'd provide an informative narrative on what it felt like so those who have never encountered it would know. I also wanted to see if others have had similar experiences, what it felt like, and what happened so I can better educate myself and others.
Mike Rushton
So I try to look down to see what the hell just happend and I can't really see my belly, but there appears to be no green ooze anywhere so I assume I am not bleeding. I go back to the line, do an abreviated safety stop and get on the boat.
I have my friend take a look at it and she tells me I have a red mark that looks like a puncture (needle sized) with a 2 inch long welt next to it. The welt also has a dark line down the middle that looks like someone tried to slice it open with a razor blade. No blood, LOTS and LOTS of burning pain.
30 minutes later we get back to the dock, I run to the bathroom and put scalding hot water all over it (heck, boiling water wouldn't hurt compared to this). It somewhat releives the pain and about an hour later the welt has gone down a bit and the pain is better.
It's now about 6 hours later and it still hurts, but now it's more like a bad rash type itch, rather than pain.
After looking and talking to people I think it was a sea wasp or a man-o-war.
NO, I did not, nor do I need to call DAN or go to a hospital....I just thought I'd provide an informative narrative on what it felt like so those who have never encountered it would know. I also wanted to see if others have had similar experiences, what it felt like, and what happened so I can better educate myself and others.
Mike Rushton