Fire Coral - Lessons Learned

[CelticRavenVA]

Sorry skipped to the end on this one, don't know if someone else posted these or not.

But there is a great set of books made by Humann DeLoach (specificly the coral identification book) that has some really good pictures. The only thing I disagree with are the actual descriptions of how dangerous some of the stuff can be. But they are really good.

 

[xtalscreams]

Hi I am a commercial diver usually working off the louisiana and texas coasts and could tell you a few things about fire corals. Currently I'm sitting here typing this with my hands and feet swollen to about 1 and a half times their normal size from my latest scrape with this stuff. Mostly all I can tell you is to try and cover yourself completely especially diving around platforms. I wear a full wetsuit when i dive and black rubber boots i duct tape to my legs. I wear those blue atlas gloves but if I know theirs fire coral in the area i usually wear thin dishwashing gloves underneath and tape those down too.
Most of the fire coral around here though usually looks like a large spongy mass often red to brown in color. It's soft too touch and exudes a white milky material when you press on it. (I don't recommend this!) I've also seen it as a large mass with a tubular shape and if you watch it you'll see the tubes belching forth this milky substance.
I usually douse my hands in as hot a water as I can stand then wash them down with vinegar afterwards. I also keep cortisone cream or aloe vera handy to take with me into the chamber when i get out of the water. They all help but mostly your just going to have to suffer a few days. You also might try and rub out some of the spores by wiping yourself down with nylon pantyhose if available. The needles that imbed in your skin are very tiny like fiberglass and sometimes you can get some of them out this way. Oh yeah, bristleworms and hydrilla are real fun too!!!