Insect repellent?

[DiveAnyone]

You will get mosquitos and othe biters in the jungle around cenotes, but please keep in mind that this is a very sensative ecosystem... many guides will actually ask you NOT to use any chemical repellants or sunscreens. The Yucatan is like swiss cheese. Everything that goes into the cenote and the ground water for that matter, has few filters before it makes its way out to the reef. If you knew what they used to look like even just 5yrs ago compared to today, it would break your heart. 30% hurricane/climate and 70% human related...

I'm a bug magnet and get nasty reactions to bites. I've used Skedattle for the past few years in Mexico, Hawaii, and elsewhere and it's worked well for me. It's an all-natural, biodegradable product. The Mexitan sunscreens are also 100% safe and any of the eco-parks or marine reserves will allow you to use them. www.mexitan.com

Products that are biodegradable and eco-friendly don't contain emulsifiers, dye or fragrances. The lotions take a bit of effort to apply and you won't smell like a fruit salad or a pina colada, but you also won't be leaving anything behind in the water that damages the reefs or messes with the cenotes.

Thanks, we have been made aware of the restrictions (which I agree). We have 3 days of cenote diving planned, and while we will do our part to protect the eco system, we also didn't want to become a meal for the local insect population. Appreciate the web-site, and now have some idea of what we need.

Again, thanks!

 

[bleeb]

When I was in Playa (in the town itself) in the spring, I kept getting bitten in the evenings. Used to be a lot of bats along 5th Ave (the main strip parallel to the beach) but it either wasn't the season for them or all the development has driven them away. A little good old DEET took care of that, with a rinse-off at the end of the evening to take care of both skin absorption and the local fresh-water diving environment.

BTW, wanted to highlight scubawife's comment about not using sun screen (or any other fragrences, lotions, moisturizers, etc). I was a pasty-white northerner during winter, so this was a particular challenge for me, but I see your profile say SoCal, in August even, so hopefully it'll be less of an issue for you. Have fun.

 

[scubawife]

BTW, wanted to highlight scubawife's comment about not using sun screen (or any other fragrences, lotions, moisturizers, etc). I was a pasty-white northerner during winter, so this was a particular challenge for me, but I see your profile say SoCal, in August even, so hopefully it'll be less of an issue for you. Have fun.

I have two shades - red and white. And I'm a beacon for anything that bites. If I spent a sunny day in a boat or in the jungle without any sunscreen or repellant on exposed skin I'd be a chewed up red mess for days. Like I said, they ask you not to use any chemical stuff. They do prefer that you use nothing at all, but if you have to, biodegradable and eco-friendly are ok.

On that note, don't be fooled by products that call themselves "all natural." It doesn't mean biodegradable. Here's a list of sunscreen ingredients that the eco-parks and marine reserves who actually do monitor what people bring in prohibit. The products must also say "biodegradable" on the label

Octocrileno, Benzofenona, Butil metoxidibenzoilmetano, Hexilodecanol, Dimetil capramida, Cetil dimeticona, Metilparabeno, Polietileno, Propilparaben, Butilcarbamato.

 

[DiveAnyone]

I have two shades - red and white. And I'm a beacon for anything that bites. If I spent a sunny day in a boat or in the jungle without any sunscreen or repellant on exposed skin I'd be a chewed up red mess for days. Like I said, they ask you not to use any chemical stuff. They do prefer that you use nothing at all, but if you have to, biodegradable and eco-friendly are ok.

On that note, don't be fooled by products that call themselves "all natural." It doesn't mean biodegradable. Here's a list of sunscreen ingredients that the eco-parks and marine reserves who actually do monitor what people bring in prohibit. The products must also say "biodegradable" on the label

Octocrileno, Benzofenona, Butil metoxidibenzoilmetano, Hexilodecanol, Dimetil capramida, Cetil dimeticona, Metilparabeno, Polietileno, Propilparaben, Butilcarbamato.

Went with your suggestion and ordered some Skadattle & Mexitan sun screen. Also, looking at Cactus Juice (repellent only) as they state it's eco-friendly as well. If the Mexitan works well for me it will be my sun screen of choice for So Cal. I DM a lot of boats, and having a bio-degradable sun creen sounds like a good plan here as well.

Cheers!

 

[citykid]

Cactus Juice also comes with sun screen. Works very well.

 

[jefffalcone]

Deet is the only thing that I've found to work if the bugs are bad enough. I think every serious hiker will agree with this. That being said, I don't think you will run into a problem bad enough to need deet in Playa. At least for me, the bugs in that part of the world have only been a minor annoyance, and I didn't use any insect repellant at all.

 

[scubawife]

Cactus Juice also comes with sun screen. Works very well.

I know it contains a plant extract that I'm very allergic to, so I've never tried their products. I am curious though whether it says anywhere on the packaging that it is biodegradable?

In years of searching for truly biodegradable, eco-friendly products I've come across many that say things like "all natural," "non-toxic" and "eco-safe," but then contain chemical emulsifiers and frangrances. Cactus Juice has a trademark on "Eco-Safe Spray," which kind of makes me wonder if they are claiming that the product is environmentally friendly/biodegradable, or does it just mean that they are using a pump (non-aerosol) spray?

 

[phelana]

The mossies are bad now at my house here in Bonaire. I have a client with citronella patches. He got them in Singapore. When I go stateside I am on the hunt for them. Off does not work for me.

Ann Phelan