Sea lice???

[reefseal]

I'm psyched. Signed up for first liveaboard (Nekton Pilot) to NW Bahamas.
Will be on May 29th - Jun 4th trip.

Someone just told me about Sea lice and the season. First I heard of it!

http://www.undercurrent.org/UCnow/articles/sealice9805.shtml

Will this be a hassle w/ trying to get 4-5 dives in a day?? Anyone experience problems with Sea Lice while on live aboards???

Advice??


Reefseal

 

[Walter]

Dive in just a swimsuit, you'll have fewer problems.

 

[H2Andy]

from what i understand, sea lice are the "larvae" of a bunch of different things,
including jelly fish. i have heard that they stick to the top fifteen feet of the water
column, so if you minimize your time there, you have a much better chance of
avoiding them.

also, of course, cover as much of your body as possible.

if you do take a hit, don't rinse with fresh water, as this will release more stinging cells in some species. talk to your boat crew about what the best first aid is.

hope this helps

 

[Walter]

"also, of course, cover as much of your body as possible."

Bad idea. They get caught in dive skins and continue to sting you after you're out of the water.

 

[archman]

I always cringe when I hear "sea lice". Out of all the possible biota linked to this (thimble jelly larvae, hydromedusae, hydroids, siphonophores, diatoms, dinoflagellates, cyanobacteria... even coliform bacteria), none bear remote resemblance to lice or any crustacean superficially resembling them. Where did this term originate, anyway? And why does it keep resurfacing to harass me? Oh the humanity... somebody make up a more accurate name and call Geraldo.

Oh yeah, ditto on the least wetsuit possible. The trick is to keep as much skin exposed as possible... this way the little nasties (whatever they ACTUALLY are) don't get trapped against your body. Before you get out of the water, "swish" water in and out of your swimsuit to blow out whatever's collected during the dive. Works wonders.
The only exception to this is diving in bacteria-rich waters. Then slap on a drysuit and cover every inch of skin possible. LA Harbor typifies these areas.

 

[H2Andy]

darn... that's good to know. our DM told us to wear all the neoprene we had available.

would the Cayman Islands be bacteria rich waters? I don't think so.... hmmm...

 

[archman]

The worst cases I've seen of "dermal reactions derived from plankton" (how's that sound?) occur with people wearing shorties, rashguards, and one-piece bathing suits. In these cases most (if not all) of the reaction is confined to the clothed areas. Ironically, "rashguards" exacerbate this more than anything else I've seen (nasty red skin conditions around the neck, belly, and armpits).

Wetsuits with good seals... that's a different story. If the water can't get in, then obviously the nasties can't either.

And most of these critters are only a true nuisance in the uppermost water column. Snorkelers have far more problems than divers.

As for Caribbean waters rich in bacteria, try the Key West beaches. The last few years they've been periodically closed due to unsafe fecal coliform counts. Water quality is seriously degrading throughout the Keys.

 

[GrierHPharmD]

Here's a great article about sea lice with photos and links to others. From my own experience, wearing anything loose-fitting allows the nematocysts to be compressed between your clothing and your skin. Compressing them fires the stinging cells. So wearing nothing or wearing a skin or suit seem to be the best preventative.

Peak season is between Mother's Day and Father's Day in South Florida.

 

[GrierHPharmD]

I guess it would help if I posted the link, wouldn't it. Well, since I had to repost, I added a good article on jellyfish stings that you might find useful.

http://www.scuba-doc.com/otherderms.htm

http://www.emedicine.com/aaem/topic276.htm#target4

 

[scubabear]

undefinedundefinedundefinedReefseal,
Being very sensitive to the various stingers out there, let me add to the above mentioned recomendations. 1) check out this product,Safe Sea
www.nidaria.com If using a skin, apply before donning. 2) Resist the temptation to use the showers at the back of the boat, until out of your skin. 3) Reapply around ears and hairline before next dives. 4) Bring some hydracortisone cream for topical relief, and I bring Bennadryl antihistimine to help reduce any gross reactions. I use the 30spf while my wife uses the 15spf. Since using this product we've weathered through many a sea-lice infestation with no problems. We'll be doing a liveaboard in the Cayman's this year, also during the heart of the S.L. season. Hope the info. helps and have a great trip!