Jupiter31
Contributor
I do a lot of diving in PB County - Jupiter, mostly - year 'round - and I have never gotten "hit" by sea liceAs I will be diving in Florida at the end of the month, might I ask, what are sea lice and what effect do they have?
Not to Hijack this thread but I will be staying in Palm Beach and am planning on doing most of my diving up there but would like to take a day and go to the keys. What would be the best (can't miss this dive) location to go to?
Bruce
Sea Lice are marine organisms that can cause EXTREME skin break outs; you get little red dots (many) on the exposed area which depending can be small or cover more of your body than what you want - they can drive you crazy and itch like you would not believe.
The good news - some can dive in a sea of them and not be affected; others (like my wife, who got a really bad case in little cayman a few years ago) are really suseptable.
Best advise is to wear an exposure suit, and if you do get hit, antihistimines will help as there may be swelling - you can check with the operator to see if they have been spotted, but there is no assurance as the ocean is a pretty big place - they may be gone or there to welcome you on your next dive.
PS We tried everything when my wife had an exposure to them; she had some really big bumps - one thing I can tell you for sure is clear nail polish on the bumps just looks silly; it is not a cure - cortisone cream helped a little.