On December 13, 2016 (Last week) I dove in Barbados and rubbed my leg against a moor 40 feet down that the dive boat was tied too. A big cement moor. Immediately my leg started burning. The burn lasted for a day then went away. There was never any red rash or swelling during the burn. In fact, you could not see anything unusual on the skin, just the pain. Its now a week later and that same area of skin is now a red itchy rash. Has anyone else experienced this and anyone know what this might be? Yes, I know I need a doctor and I will go, but curious if anyone else ever had this. Ive been diving for many years and never experienced this before.
Red itchy Rash after diving in Barbados
- Thread starter Bullrock
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There are a lot of possible culprits. But the good news is that none of them (to me knowledge) are likely to cause any long term harm.
Its likely a delayed reaction similar to the contact dermatitis many get with poison oak/ivy. Treatment is symptomatic. Antihistamine (benadryl/claritin/zyrtec) orally and a steroid cream (hydrocortisone) topically. If the rash and itch is bad your doctor might prescribe oral steroids. Usually lasts about 3 weeks.
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fmerkel
Contributor
+1 to what uncfnp said.
My whole group brushed their hands across a black lacy bush like thing (hydroid) drift diving at Cozumel. Stung like firecoral for a bit, then went away by the end of the dive. Next day there was a rash. Day after that small red blisters. Blisters got larger and itchy. Many people ended up on oral steroids, most on at least topical steroids. Nasty but pretty hydroid.
Most of the stuff that will actually hurt you in the water looks pretty harmless. Sharks are rarely a problem.
If you break the skin by being banged up or hitting coral or the like you may need medical attention. Getting hydroid/nematocyct material in your flesh can create some real healing problems.
My whole group brushed their hands across a black lacy bush like thing (hydroid) drift diving at Cozumel. Stung like firecoral for a bit, then went away by the end of the dive. Next day there was a rash. Day after that small red blisters. Blisters got larger and itchy. Many people ended up on oral steroids, most on at least topical steroids. Nasty but pretty hydroid.
Most of the stuff that will actually hurt you in the water looks pretty harmless. Sharks are rarely a problem.
If you break the skin by being banged up or hitting coral or the like you may need medical attention. Getting hydroid/nematocyct material in your flesh can create some real healing problems.
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fmerkel
Contributor
Deep dift, hanging a couple feet off the bottom, cruising along and looking at stuff. The hydroids were like small buhes. We didn't plow through them. Hands hanging down barely brushed the top....just a touch. Didn't feel any contact it was so light, just the sting a bit later. Didn't seem a big deal at the time.
You can be sure no one touched them again.
You can be sure no one touched them again.
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Thanks for the additional information. That is pretty much what I had envisioned, and I know it can happen so easily when cruising close to the bottom. Sort of like flying low level at high speed--certainly more risky, but a lot of fun if nothing goes wrong.
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