Anyone been stung by a jellyfish?

[muldoonthief]

I was stung by a sea wasp in Little Cayman last week. Doing my safety stop on a night dive (Soto Trader) and got stung on the back of the neck. It hurt enough that the safety stop quickly became optional (I was well within no-deco limits) and I surfaced. Luckily the boat had vinegar on board (thanks David), which did a pretty good job on the pain, even if it did make me smell like a salad. I'd say the pain was worse than a yellowjacket sting, but not as bad as a second degree burn. By the next morning the pain was gone and I didn't miss a dive (apart from skipping the night dive later in the week).

It's 10 days later, and the site still has some swelling (like mosquito bites). No pain, but pretty itchy. I've been treating with hydrocortisone cream, as recommended by the DAN website.

 

[mogwai]

Got stung while swimming while on holiday in Ibiza a few years back. Caught me bang on the inside of the thigh. Thought someone had hit me with a hot poker. Got out of the water pretty quick. Pain went away after about 20 mins but was itchy and uncomfortable. Came out in a mad allergic reaction about a week later. My whole body ended up covered in a red rash that dissapeared after about 8 hours as quickly as it came on. Not much fun.

 

[cdiver2]

30 years and over a thousand dives I finaly got stung this summer. Surfaced into a shoal mixed with seaweed they were all around me, I had stings on one shoulder and arm, itched but stoped after 20 min

 

[coberry7]

On my first OW dive ever barely offshore of Destin, FLA, USA, at a site called 'The Intake'. We entered the water and midway through the skills we were surrounded by BIG jellies. I had on a skin and a 3'2 wetsuit. Others had on bathing suits and shorties. They were irritating to the ones that were not covered up, but to me they were fascinating.

Thankfully there was Windex applied to all divers upon surfacing. I didn't need it, but others were grateful.

The stings were only mildly irritating. Don't know what the jellies were, but they were interesting!

 

[jrmy_1]

I've been stung many times in Florida by jellyfish. The one's I got stung by only slightly burned, it was more of an itchy feeling. But, when I was about ten or twelve, I got stung by a portugese man-o-war off of one of the Keys while snorkeling on a reef. It got me across the back and neck. That was an intense burning feeling that had me crying until I finally fell asleep about two hours later. There wasn't any vinegar on that boat. That little event sucked!

 

[SOUTH DEVON]

Apparently rubbing sand into the jellyfish sting helps to remove the sting, so I read in a book anyway !!!!!
As does ammonia , urine or vinegar but this has been previously mentioned!
In Barbados there is a type of jellyfish which is like a piece of brightly coloured blue and read string , mainly on the South East Coast , it comes in on the surf and wraps itself around your arms or ankles and the whole part stings, so you're left with a white line around those parts of your body, and it's quite painful for an hour or so !!!! Also there is plenty of sea urchins to stand on!
My advice is to stick to the west coast and forget the rest of the island !!!!!!! (The southwest coast is also relatively safe)

 

[coberry7]

Just saw something in the Discovery Channel....Gotta avoid those Box Jellyfish In Australia.

Uggh, they can kill...And so dimunitive, too.

Not sure where they are located down under, but that's where they are!

Otherwise I never give a thought to jellies, and get excited if I see a shark or two.

Most non-divers have looks of shock on them when I tell them that little tid bit..

Dive safe!!=-)

 

[Tekk Diver]

Got stung a few times on my cheek & lip while in a swarm of jellies that drifted by the group while hanging at a safety stop in Cozumel. Feels like a small shock... like touching your tongue to the terminals of a 9V battery... then itches like hell later.

Seen a Man-O-War off the Florida Keys while on a dive boat..about 20 yards off the starboard side....im glad i was taking an extra long surface interval that day.

 

[Kat]

Got stung on the hand, during my safety stop, in Cabo, in August. Never saw a thing, but they got my fingers & wrist. Very itchy. My wrist felt like the 'Indian Burn' my older brother used to give me when I was little. There were 2 girls on the boat, doing their OW, in swimsuits. They had welts all over their legs, from the jellies.

My 1st experience w/ jellies was also my luckiest. About 9 years ago I was snorkeling in Nassau, and swam through a huge group of bubbly things. I couldn't figure out what they were or where they came from. My b/f at the time told me they were jelly fish. I didn't have one sting.

 

[jrmy_1]

I think that vinegar (or any acid, preferably a mild one like vinegar) is supposed to keep the stinging cells from releasing any more venom, while ammonia is supposed to make all the stinging cells fire once in contact. That is why they used to say to use ammonia, because all the venom is injected and there isn't any left. I believe it is stated to NOT use ammonia anymore, but instead used a mild acid like acetic acid found in vinegar.