Parasites Attacking

[armyscuba]

The Coral Hydroids are attacking US here in Cuba. Even wearing a full wet suit they are starting to appear on My body at the neck. Damn are they itchy...Using Vinegar and Benadryl..but they are still kicking..can't stop diving..that's not happening..Anyone have any other home remedies they use?

 

[crispos]

You will eventually develop immunity to the stings, if you can last that long. I have noticed that. The other alternative is hood and gloves.

How much dive time do you people get? I.e. off duty? Any restrictions on where you can dive? I hear Bucanero Marine Park is pretty decent diving.

 

[archman]

Try diving without the exposure suit. Works for me and my groups, barring the random encounters. Right before you get out of the water, "swish" your hands across your body to blow anything around out of the way. If nobody's looking (or even if they are), open up your swimsuit and swish water through there.
May is when the "flowers" bloom! The general stinginess will ebb at the end of the month... probably.

 

[armyscuba]

You will eventually develop immunity to the stings, if you can last that long. I have noticed that. The other alternative is hood and gloves.

How much dive time do you people get? I.e. off duty? Any restrictions on where you can dive? I hear Bucanero Marine Park is pretty decent diving.

Yeah, the Stings really aren't My concern, it does not prevent Me from Diving at all. I wear Gloves..No Hood...too Hot..Water Temp here is currently 82 degrees at surface down to 130 ft. As far as Diving..I work nights..I dive all day...Try and fit in some sleep once and awhile too. Bucanero Marine Park...? never heard of It. I'm in Guantanamo Bay, U.S. Naval Base. But overall the Diving in Cuba is outstanding. We did Kittery Beach today. The Navy just opened it after two Years...It was a great Dive! The Conch in the Grass beds was unlike anything I have ever seen, being it's mating season We tried to give them some privacy. Overall though..Yes there are restrictions, but overall the Navy has gone out of there way to make the Dive area's only open to Divers, We have no boat traffic in our Diving area's. Then again it's a little different Diving somewhere you can get hit by a Coast Guard Cutter. Safety is paramount down here.

 

[DocVikingo]

This is a frequently asked, and answered, question on this board.

You might find this thread from last month informative-->

http://www.scubaboard.com/t53721.html

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[CJ's]

This is a frequently asked, and answered, question on this board.

You might find this thread from last month informative-->

http://www.scubaboard.com/t53721.html

Best regards.

DocVikingo

At this time of year it's most likely that you are experiencing Sea-Itch. This is a result of the larvae from thimble jellyfish burrowing into your skin. It usually happens right around the top of your wetsuit on the neck, where the skin is nice and tender and they get trapped between the suit and you!

Not much you can do about it after the fact except wait it out and try not to scratch!! It usually goes away after a few days except in some instances.

You can try covering up with plenty of sunscreen before you dive to prevent it or wait until the thimbles have gone (probably late June). Not a great option, I know!

CJ

 

[DocVikingo]

Actually, sea bather's eruption (SBE), sometimes less accurately called "sea lice" or "sea itch," is not "a result of the larvae from thimble jellyfish burrowing into your skin."

Rather, these larvae have capsule-shaped cells with a trapdoor-like lid, called a nematocyte, containing a stinging nematocyst. A poison sac with an attached hollow filament armed with barbs, this sharp thread can be propelled into the skin at the speed of a bullet. The cell injects a viscous mixture into the skin where it can enter general circulation. The venom has both toxic and immune system activity. The larvae themselves, however, are quite free to swim on after stinging.

If you would like to read more about this, I recommend starting with the following article from Undercurrent (http://www.undercurrent.org/)---->

Getting Nailed by Jellies http://www.undercurrent.org/UCnow/articles/Jellies200309.shtml

Also, the hot link in my post above (and quoted in your response) goes into great detail on prevention & treatment.

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[armyscuba]

This is just Coral Hydroids..I got some around the neck 2 weeks ago..They don't eat Much..LOL..They kind of remind me of Chiggers...got them when I was in Ft. Benning in GA. before. They just seem to live just under the skin. But they die off. It's just tough when You spend so much time in the water. The Vinegar seems to help, and thoroughly rinsing..it's tough on boat dives though.

 

[archman]

"Coral" hydroids refer to the old group of hydrocorals, which include Millepora (fire coral), Stylaster (rose coral), and Allopora (Pacific). They don't have any stinging junk that gets up into the water; they're all stuck on the bottom.
The "chiggers" getting stuck around your neck could come from all sorts of things, but not coral hydroids. They could be regular hydrozoan jellies, stray tentacles from true jellies, loose dactylozooids (stinging tentacles) from siphonophores like the Man 'O War, chain siphonophore jellies (most siphonophores are this type and they hurt like heck!), oh and cubozoans. Being a Marine it's likely that cubozoan stings are only a minor annoyance to ya'... they kill or incapacitate most everyone else.

 

[armyscuba]

just to clarify..I talk of chiggers only as a reference..We do have quite a bit of Fire Coral here..so i can only assume I'm picking it up where it floats. At depth or at the surface..this is My second year dealing with it here. During the spring months.