how painful is a torpedo ray shock?

[ballastbelly]

I came across one this weekend but although it was very relaxed in our presence, i didnt get the close of shots of it i wished as i was unsure
of how the shock works, does it electrify the water? does it knock you out or sort of zap you like when you touch a spark plug lead on a car engine?

anyone know some one who had been though this?
thanks
b

 

[Scared Silly]

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ne...torpedo-ray-anyone-ever-been-shocked-one.html

 

[ballastbelly]

thanks, in that post there are a half dozen ppl who got shocked & a link to Electrogenesis in Torpedo Rays
which says the torpedo rays shock lasts less than 5ms, where to kill humans outright it needs to last from 20-200ms at least.

most of the ppl shocked didnt realize what happened, some even thinking it was lightning, a bigger danger could be a panic ascent after a shock

 

[Bopper]

anyone know some one who had been though this?
thanks
b

Never shocked but was barged into by one. I thought it was very rude. But what was really freaky was his ability to effortlessly pivot on a dime and then stare me down with his beady little eyes. (This occurred on San Clemente Island, by the way)

It's been a long time since I took a class in electricity but it seems to me that the inductive materials used by divers - namely neoprene - would make it hard for a serious shock to occur.

 

[drrich2]

I appreciated Scared Silly's link; from that thread, one person got burned badly enough stepping on one that he couldn't wear shoes for awhile, and another person got a large melt mark on a wet suit. That suggests to me that at least some of them can bring the pain.

Bopper's comment about divers in insulating exposure suits is well-taken, but assuming these things occur in the tropics, we don't all wear wet suits!

Richard.

 

[clownfishsydney]

I assume that these are similar to numbrays in Australian waters. I have been hit twice. The first one deliberately hit me as I was taking a photo of it. I ended up with pins and needles in my hand and lower arm for about 45 minutes. My upper arm was sore for about 4 hours, although this could have been as a result of pulling my arm back quickly as I got hit. The second one I put my hand on as I hit the sand bottom under a wreck after a very hard descent into a current. This one shocked me but there was no pain as the shock was far less than the first one.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

During one of Cousteau's television programs one of his divers got zapped at the Channel Islands in California. The diver convulsed for a couple of seconds and reported that it felt like sticking his finger in a light socket.

 

[AfterDark]

I appreciated Scared Silly's link; from that thread, one person got burned badly enough stepping on one that he couldn't wear shoes for awhile, and another person got a large melt mark on a wet suit. That suggests to me that at least some of them can bring the pain.

Bopper's comment about divers in insulating exposure suits is well-taken, but assuming these things occur in the tropics, we don't all wear wet suits!

Richard.

We have then here in New England. One hangs out at a very popular dive site in Jamestown RI. I've read reports of these shocking creatures as far north as Cape Ann, MA. Never been zapped.

 

[kwinter]

I had one of those big things charge at me off the 853, but didn't get me. Of course I had been harassing him a little as he lay in the sand so I could get a better shot. I have the whole thing on video including him knocking the reel out of my hand and causing a birds nest. Bastard.


Please pardon any typos. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Diving Dubai]

I accidentally knelt on one - I was messing with my camera and put a knee on the sand - I believe it contacted the rubber pad on my wetsuit (5/7mm) I can tell you I shot up and wondered why I'd felt an electric current ripple through me - it wasn't as bad as a 240V shock - more like a 110V AC shock. It left me tingling for a short while. fortunately even here in the warn waters I dive no less than a 3mm - i wouldn't have like to have taken a skin belt if wearing a shorty. Definitely NOT to be recommended - but my own fault for not looking (and kneeling at all!)