Sea Safe and Thimble Jellies

[Christi]

Chisty - you say full exposure protection. Are gloves allowed in Coz? That would sound like a winner.

Technically, no they are not permitted per marine park standards. However, we allow people to wear tem for thermal protection as long as they don't touch anything. Once a diver with gloves starts touching things...the gloves come off. I can't speak for other operators however.

 

[opalobsidian]

Im still waiting to hear why these larval jellies attach themselves to divers...does anyone know the answer?

Pamela

 

[safeseajason]

Im still waiting to hear why these larval jellies attach themselves to divers...does anyone know the answer?

Pamela

Hi everyone. I hope you don't mind if I contribute to this thread. I noticed this forum was sending some traffic to my site and I came on to check out the source. This is a great forum you have here!

To answer opalobsidian, thimble jellies travel in very large groups (or blooms), almost like a large cloud floating through the water. I believe someone posted earlier that when you're ascending from a dive, sometimes you can actually see them above you. A lot of divers report that a tank discharge will sometimes clear your path. However, if you find yourself right in the middle of a bloom, you can't do much to go through untouched...short of just staying down and waiting for them to pass. They don't necessarily "go after" divers or swimmers in general. The problem with these "sea lice" is that they are so small they easily get underneath your suits. And as you can imagine, a stinging organism trapped between your skin and a suit is not going to be very happy. If you wear loose-fitting clothing, it will minimize the friction that causes the stinging mechanism to fire. Unfortunately, dive suits are not loose and often times cause the most severe reactions. EDIT- if the jellies get under the fabric!

If anyone has a specific question that hasn't been answered yet regarding thimble jellyfish, I'm happy to help provide some answers. I'll keep an eye on this thread and do my best to respond in a timely manner.

And thanks for the mention of my site!

Best,
Jason

 

[opalobsidian]

Thanks so much SSJason!

That was VERY informative! It's good to know that these buggers are not actively trying to attach themselves to you, an impression I got from reading one of the links about the larvae. I was also wondering what "sea lice" were- I guess the baby jellies got this name because of their sting?

I'm relieved these creatures are not really malicious, just defensive about being stuck in a tight ol wetsuit- I certainly know the feeling!!!

 

[safeseajason]

Glad to help! As far as "sea lice", that is actually a misnomer. There are sea lice in the sea but they are fish parasites and are not what we're talking about here. Applying the term "sea lice" to thimble jellies apparently started sometime in the 1950's, due to the itchy rash they leave behind.

DocVikingo - thanks for the private message. It is true that wearing shirts and extra baggy clothing is not recommended while swimming during a thimble jellyfish infestation. I apologize for the confusion my last post may have caused. A tight wetsuit will always be your safest option (aside from swimming nude - but that can lead to all sorts of other risks). The reason the wetsuit works so well is that it forms a protective barrier, minimizing skin contact. However, ask any of your diving colleagues who've experienced the thimble sting and they will certainly attest to having the rash around their neck and wrists where the suit allowed some exposure. (While wearing a suit, many of our customers will apply the lotion in only those areas.) The friction of the suit will cause the stinging reaction. When I talk about loose trunks, I'm citing our specific experience within the field. Baggy fabrics WILL act as a net and trap thimble jellies (especially larvae) but they will also allow for the greatest movement and flow of water. If the thimbles are allowed to move unimpeded, you will often times not even notice them. Or again, only notice the rash develop along the waistband area.

Stings will occur when the thimble jellies and their larvae are trapped under tight areas of the fabric, laying on a surfboard or raft, sitting on the sand in the water, or sitting on your dry car seat on the way home (if the larvae are in your suit). So many possibilities!

Here's a good article on the subject:
http://www.drralph.net/SeaLice.html

I hope this was helpful.

Best,
Jason

 

[DandyDon]

I have pretty tough skin, but always wear a long suit for various protective reasons, with cheap, nylon socks the cover the gap between my suit legs and my booties. Sounds like it'd be good to use Vaseline on the exposed skin in thimble season as well as inside the cuffs.

For those with more sensitive skin, this Sea Safe sounds like very good assurance.

 

[archman]

Baggy fabrics WILL act as a net and trap thimble jellies (especially larvae) but they will also allow for the greatest movement and flow of water. If the thimbles are allowed to move unimpeded, you will often times not even notice them. Or again, only notice the rash develop along the waistband area.

Yeah, no joke about this! I used to teach snorkeling classes in the lower Keys, smack dab in sea lice "season". We established boat protocols whereby students vigorously *swished* water around and inside their swim trunks before they came aboard. The rashes and welts dropped in number significantly.

Girls wearing one-piece suits got hit the worst. Man, that wasn't pretty to look at.

****
I'm ordering some of this SeaSafe junk TODAY!!

 

[Brules]

So is Sea Safe good for the sea lice problem? I have goten the sea lice rahs before and it SUCKS.

Also, a couple of trips ago, one of my fellow divers (female) decided to dive in her Bikini....in May. Not a good idea as we came up from a dive in HUGE bloom of jellies. I stayed under the water sucking rust waiting for everyone to get out, then I kicked my fins up like mad, made a hole and got out like my rear end was on fire. Made it A-OK. The fellow female diver....not so bueno. She had major welts all over her umm....lovelies and shoulders. She had a slight reaction as well and didnt dive the next day.

So the moral of this story is: PROTECT YOUR LOVELIES! No really, wear a wetsuit and most of you will be ok if you are worried about the jellies.

 

[DandyDon]

Yeah, no joke about this! I used to teach snorkeling classes in the lower Keys, smack dab in sea lice "season". We established boat protocols whereby students vigorously *swished* water around and inside their swim trunks before they came aboard. The rashes and welts dropped in number significantly.

Girls wearing one-piece suits got hit the worst. Man, that wasn't pretty to look at.

****
I'm ordering some of this SeaSafe junk TODAY!!

New protocol: Everyone get naked in the water before boarding to wash off the bus.

So is Sea Safe good for the sea lice problem? I have goten the sea lice rahs before and it SUCKS.

Uh, isn't that exactly what it's designed for...?

 

[Brules]

Haha my bad, I went to their web page and found the answer.

I wonder if it is good AFTER the fact? Anyone?