Stinging Marine Plant life...

[psychocabbage]

Click to see mega huge size..

So, in Cozumel last year, my eldest daughter (then 14) and I were going through a swim through when I hear her scream.. I immediate reaction is "hmm Im next".. Then I feel it.. Something had grazed my right calf and sent some fun sensations.

Now neither of us would of thought that the "dreaded black fern of death" as we affectionately call it, would deliver such a feeling but wow. I have since done some closeups with it to see all the stinging bits of it.. I question to this group is WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED?

This year, we returned to Cozumel and still were diving with just our swimsuits and the issue was more pronounced for me because a BRANCH of DOOM was floating along while I was distracted with a seahorse, the BRANCH seized the opportunity to lay waste to my exposed thigh. The next day I had welts (sp?) on my leg where I had been violated.

I would just like a real name for this thing..

It reminds me of a mimosa plant only that its black and full of stinging fun goodness.

 

[diver 85]

Have no idea the name, but below may be the best 30 dollars so you ever spend.....been wearing them since the late 80's when they started 'coming out'......

Sea Elite Sport Lycra Skin at Divers-Supply.com

 

[psychocabbage]

I already have a skin.. and a suit.. but I prefer to dive without them.. I would like to know the name of the vile plant life that wishes to force me into a covering..

 

[diver 85]

It's called local bush------wear your skins & you might not have that question in the future.....

 

[Firefyter]

I'm not sure of the exact name, but I'm pretty sure it's a type of feathery hydroid. I usually get at least one incidental contact the first dive of each trip. After that, I'm way more alert to it....LOL. It always seems to get one of my hands, and it leaves a mark and itches for a couple of days. Just enough of a reminder to watch for it the rest of the trip

 

[Crowley]

Looks like a hydroid of some description and therefore an animal not a plant - hydroids are a sort of upside-down relative of jellyfish and contain the same sort of stinging cells which needless to say can instigate those fun sensations across the skin.

Try not to swim into them. Silly, but sound advice!

C.

 

[psychocabbage]

Looks like a hydroid of some description and therefore an animal not a plant - hydroids are a sort of upside-down relative of jellyfish and contain the same sort of stinging cells which needless to say can instigate those fun sensations across the skin.

Try not to swim into them. Silly, but sound advice!

C.

I didnt swim into it. It was a whole branch about 10-12" long and with a few stems freely floating in the current until it found my thigh to stop against.

I dont normally go around touching things that will sting me. Thats just how wild and crazy I am.

 

[Gen San Chris]

We have similar nasty animals here called Stinging Hydroids, they are a kind of fawn color and you really know and remember the once they kiss you!

 

[Crowley]

I didnt swim into it. It was a whole branch about 10-12" long and with a few stems freely floating in the current until it found my thigh to stop against.

I dont normally go around touching things that will sting me. Thats just how wild and crazy I am.

No offence intended dude - I didn't pick up on the fact that they were free floating - in which case some other diver needs to be watching their buoyancy!

Cheers

C.

 

[psychocabbage]

No offence intended dude - I didn't pick up on the fact that they were free floating - in which case some other diver needs to be watching their buoyancy!

Cheers

C.

Its cool.. was just saying that no matter what, there are no ways to stop certain things..

I was just thinking what ifs..

We were all around a seahorse checking it out.. what if it had hit someone in the face? (from the side).. That would suck. Bouyancy wont stop that. Nothing will stop things you dont see and are floating in the current from hitting you. Just how it is under there.

I did end up wearing a skin for the rest of my dives just cause there was so much freely floating that it was not worth the risk.


I wont get into my issue with those micro mosquitos topside. OMG that was bad!