Help!....dive problem

[ScubaGuy77]

I recently dove the Orange Beach Pass and developed what my Dr. called a "bacterial infection" on my feet. This happened at 3 mile barge when I dove it in early August (I thought it was poor fitting boots and fins at the time). I dove in Cozumel and had no problems a few weeks ago. Could someone please answer a few questions.

1. Any idea what this is?
2. Do you know anyone it has happened to?
3. How do you treat and/or prevent it?

I would appriciate any help. I am relatively new to diving and would hate to have to quit because of this.

 

[snepdiver]

First of all, Welcome to Scubaboard. I know tons of people who regularly dive there and have never heard of that happening. Does not mean that it can't though. Did you get it all cleared up?

You might try asking this question in the dive medicine sub-forum here:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/diving-medicine/

 

[seadoggirl]

Dude? :11:I know many divers who suffer from serious liver problems that they attribute to Orange Beach Alabama but never a foot bacteria. Who is this doctor and how did it connect it to diving? Did you wear booties?

 

[tom wicker]

I recently dove the Orange Beach Pass and developed what my Dr. called a "bacterial infection" on my feet. This happened at 3 mile barge when I dove it in early August (I thought it was poor fitting boots and fins at the time). I dove in Cozumel and had no problems a few weeks ago. Could someone please answer a few questions.

1. Any idea what this is?
2. Do you know anyone it has happened to?
3. How do you treat and/or prevent it?

I would appriciate any help. I am relatively new to diving and would hate to have to quit because of this.

I may take a trashing for this but yes. We have two men with it now My work keeps us in the water at the very lease waist deep most of the day. Keith one of our pipe men developed at first a rash on his toes this rash in a matter of days turned to a blacken area on each toe and according to him very painful. The second person Terry soon started developing this rash also but like I said it tended to stay to the toe area and along the side of the feet.

Both is under medical care and the doctors are saying it is caused from the water coming from the bay Two different doctors in Fairhope. Keith has had his about a month now with very little improvement and Terry has had his a couple of weeks. Now keep in mind there are five of us but only two has developed this Fungus

One thing about this situation is these two always wear sneakers in the water and us other three don’t . We have been wondering if maybe it could have started by the rubbing of the shoes? But also keep in mind were in this water over 50hrs a week and only one other crew is having a problem as I know of. This is the first I’ve heard of in the cleaner Gulf water.

I have dove three mile a few times over the last month and also have had no problems other than fisherman

Are you wearing nice and snug booties were that want rub ya?

 

[ScubaGuy77]

I go back to the Doc tomorrow 9/21, I am taking 2 antibiotics to try and get rid of it. Your friend is right, it is VERY painful. I have spots on two toes and one on my instep. We had poor visibility Saturday night (5/6 feet) so the water quality was poor. My dive buddy did not develop any symptoms.

I am going to buy a tighter pair of boots and see if that helps. Maybe even a new set of fins that change the rub/pressure points.

Tom, do you know the names of the MDs in Fairhope that your friends are using? I was referred to Dr. Blessey at Spring Hill Med Center 433-8448 (he is a scuba diver). I would like to provide him some names and numbers so they can share ideas and treatment.

I appreciate everyone's input. I do not mean to alarm or scare anybody, but this is a real issue we all potentially face as divers. Hopefully this thread will help to find the cause, care, and prevention methods necessary to deal with this problem.

 

[maggs_the]

I knew there was a reason the scuba gods worked against us last week!! I thought it was the bullshark at 3-mile barge but it was fungi... ew.

sorry for your pain ... i thought i was suffering for NOT getting to dive!

 

[noladiver]

I used to work in dirty water around the lake and got a variation of that fungus that eats your nail bed and leaves blackened spots in the vicinity. Beware try to go to a dermatologist thats who fixed me up.

 

[wjefferis]

This is just a thought but how aoften do you clean your booties. For a while I wasn't letting my booties air out enough inside and they developed that real dank mildew smell. I went out and dove with them and got a nasty case of athlete's foot. I then started cleaning my booties regularly with a wetsuit shampoo or just regular shampoo and also use myrazine that eats bacteria growing in your wetsuit and booties. This coupled with ensuring that all neoprene items are completly dry before storage has kept me from having another episode like before. I'm not saying that it couldn't be something in the water, but I have been diving in Orange Beach (including the 3 mile barge) all summer with no problems.... hope everything clears up soon and you can get out and enjoy some more diving.

 

[jwhitlock]

This is just a thought but how aoften do you clean your booties. For a while I wasn't letting my booties air out enough inside and they developed that real dank mildew smell. I went out and dove with them and got a nasty case of athlete's foot. I then started cleaning my booties regularly with a wetsuit shampoo or just regular shampoo and also use myrazine that eats bacteria growing in your wetsuit and booties. This coupled with ensuring that all neoprene items are completly dry before storage has kept me from having another episode like before. I'm not saying that it couldn't be something in the water, but I have been diving in Orange Beach (including the 3 mile barge) all summer with no problems.... hope everything clears up soon and you can get out and enjoy some more diving.

:11:Yuck........Actually I was thinking the same thing..

 

[Web Monkey]

I recently dove the Orange Beach Pass and developed what my Dr. called a "bacterial infection" on my feet. This happened at 3 mile barge when I dove it in early August

. . .

3. How do you treat and/or prevent it?

A drysuit would help, although I have to say that if the water can give you a foot infection, I wouldn't want it around my face either.

I'd probably find a different place to dive.

Terry