Sea Lice/ Thimble Jellies

[Wendy]

I went to do a shore dive in West Palm on SUnday and was met at the entry point by thousands of spawning thimble jellies. I opted to abort the dive before I even touched the water, although several other dive teams were wadding thru the masses of little, pulsating, thimble jellies. I wonder if they regret that decision today?

I thought I would post this link to some info on the littel guys and the itchiness they produce.

www.fau.edu/safe/sea-lice.html

 

[jbd]

Thanks for that link Wendy. Now my question is how does free flowing a second stage prior to or during final ascent help prevent this problem?

 

[devjr]

That's easy, free flow creates giant bubbles which look like bigger jellyfish, scaring the little larvae away.

 

[Wendy]

The sea lice things float at or near the surface. By free flowing the reg under water as you ascend, the bubbles clear out the area where you are coming out at, so you surface in a sea lice free circle. We do this in the springs sometimes with the duck weed on the surface. For lack of a better example, you know when you have a sick full of greasy water and you drop in a little soap, the soap displaces the grease around where the drop went in, well its kinda like that, but your bubbles are coming from underneath, spreading out the sea lice, so you surface in the clear.

 

[Laurence Stein DDS]

DIVE NAKED!!!!!!!!

 

[DocVikingo]

Yes, dive naked AND shave your entire body.

The below is an edited version from my "Ask RSD" column of the October '99 issue of "Rodale's Scuba Diving" magazine:

"I. What are "sea lice" and what can I do about them?

A common form of skin disorder after diving is Sea Bather's Eruption, or SBE. Often mistakenly attributed to "sea lice," which are parasites of fish, SBE is primarily caused by the larval form of thimble jellyfish, very small creatures which float near the surface. Found in Florida, Mexico and the wider Caribbean, they are most numerous from March to August, with early April to early June being peak season.

The main feature of SBE is raised and itchy red welts/blotches which appear 4 to 24 hours after swimming or diving. The larvae tend to attach to swim wear, dive suits and hair, causing the skin under covered areas of the body and around the back of the neck to be most affected. Depending on exposure and individual sensitivity, there may be fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, generalized weakness or chills.

Prevention of stings is the best way to combat SBE. You should: (1) Ask resorts and dive shops if they are aware of heavy infestation; (2) Wear a snug fitting full body protective suit which fits tightly at the neck, wrist and ankle. Swim suits and T-shirts are not recommended; (3) Apply a thin layer of sun protectant, baby oil or petroleum jelly to the skin; (4) Remove wet garments immediately and wash yourself thoroughly. Do not rinse off with any items on; and (5) During your safety stop, stay at 15-20 feet, which is below where most of the larvae hang; and (6) When surfacing, vigorously purge your second stage above your head just before breaking the water. If on a night dive, turn your light off at the safety stop and keep it off.

If you do get stung: (1) Immediately apply a mixture of 1/2 isopropyl alcohol and 1/2 vinegar to affected skin areas, or whatever is on the boat for such stings. Allow it to dry. Or, put on a thin paste of meat tenderizer and allow to dry. In place of meat tenderizer, some find it more soothing to rub the area with papaya if it is readily available. (2) Bathing in or applying colloidal oatmeal, which can be purchased at the pharmacy or grocery store, may afford additional relief. Follow these actions with the topical application of hydrocortisone cream/lotion, 2-3 times a day. If you do not have or cannot use hydrocortisone, Calamine lotion with menthol can be applied; (3) Given that there are no contraindications, take an oral antihistamine (nonsedating type if you are going to continue diving) if the allergic reaction continues; and (4) Wash all garments well in warm, soapy water and let dry completely before wearing again.

Remember that if you have a severe allergic reaction, or don't get substantial resolution from self treatment, or the eruption seems to be getting worse or infected, you should seek medical attention in a timely manner."

There is a more recent article in the Mar '02 issue of Undercurrent http://www.undercurrent.org/

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[Laurence Stein DDS]

Dear Doc,

I know, I know....

I dive nearly year round in South Florida and have experienced the little buggers.

They seem to be more common close to shore or at the beach. We dive in the ocean, near the Gulf Stream. We get some "sea lice" on occasion but it usually amounts to just a few bumps.

They feel like "chiggers" for about a week and go away. I get them in my bathing suit waist band and around the arm openings for the BC.

My buddies tend to suffer more cause they wear dive skins. I prefer just a bathing suit. Their skins tend to trap more, in worse places--like the neck area.

Glad to see the extra info though. Thanks

Larry Stein

 

[devjr]

In late Aug-Sep we are visited by a similar problem. The offender looks like a strand of miniature, purple pearls. I think they are called "hydroids". On impact they cause minor stings followed by many small red bumps which itch like chigger bites and persist for a week.

 

[voidware]

I hate them things...
I had a nice encounter with them just a few weeks ago down in cayman. The stuff is finally clearing up.

brandon

 

[freefall2]

The thimbles must have spawned here recently. Last saturday I was freediving for about 45 minutes over our guests who were diving. When I got out of the water I knew I'd been stung but I didn't have any vinegar on the little boat and my husband thought it inappropriate to pee on me with our boss' wife on board. When we got back to the big boat I put vinegar on my neck and chin but it was too late. I'd already scratched too much. The red itchy bumps came up overnight and I had about 3 days of nightmarish itchiness. I tried everything and the only thing that gave me any relief was tea tree oil.

A few days later neighbors of ours on another boat were stung.

If I go in this weekend I'll be sure and slather on the Safe Sea.