Tonight's the night for Bonaire sea wasps!

[jimw]

Yea I leave in a week... I was hoping for my 3 mil shorty but I guess I'll bring my 3/2 full. I just like the shorty better. The entries over the rough stuff concerns me a bit as I can be a klutz at times. The shorty would definitely not be something that I'd like to be wearing if I take a spill getting in and out of the water.

I guess I need to look at it like my motorcycle gear. I would NEVER ride my motorcycle with shorts and a T-shirt even though I haven't gone down in 20 years. I need to think of this the same way.

Jim

You could wear skins with the shorty. Full coverage IS a good idea, but dirt riding stuff is too much! I posted a moon cycle calendar for 2014 earlier in this thread. The threat is about 7-12 days after the full moon or thereabouts. Lots of info by Googling Bonaire Box jelly including pics. Their 4 tentacles are only a few inches long, so they are easily avoided by an observant diver. Having heard the screams, I say be observant or stay out of the water at night. I think I've seen'em during the day as well, plenty of pics are shot during daylight with BBJ's in shallow water. There's a wealth of info on Activity Stream - BonaireTalk in the archives as the discoverer posts there, Bud Gillan.

 

[Donnah]

If there is anything "bitey" in the water, it will find me. And I will react to it. I always travel with over the counter sedating antihistamine tablets,matching gel, 3 different strengths of steroid cream, and a strong antihistamine cream. Worst was in Cayman Brac, when the thimble jellies were spawning. We couldn't see the clouds of spawn (during the day) until we were in the middle of them. And they hung out about about 20 feet. My dermatologist in MI was so excited about my rash (still there after 3 weeks) that he gave me all sorts of prescriptions. The cremes last forever. Walking around Grand Cayman, you could spot the divers easily. We all looked as though we had a bad case of acne and were itching. The lucky people had on full wetsuits and hoods.

 

[jimbeeler]

You could wear skins with the shorty. Full coverage IS a good idea, but dirt riding stuff is too much! I posted a moon cycle calendar for 2014 earlier in this thread. The threat is about 7-12 days after the full moon or thereabouts. Lots of info by Googling Bonaire Box jelly including pics. Their 4 tentacles are only a few inches long, so they are easily avoided by an observant diver. Having heard the screams, I say be observant or stay out of the water at night. I think I've seen'em during the day as well, plenty of pics are shot during daylight with BBJ's in shallow water. There's a wealth of info on Activity Stream - BonaireTalk in the archives as the discoverer posts there, Bud Gillan.

I'll be there just before the full moon but honestly, I don't think it's worth it not to go ahead and wear my 3/2. I don't have a dive skin so I think the 3/2 full is going to be it. Thanks for the input.

Jim

---------- Post added May 28th, 2014 at 07:40 PM ----------

I always travel with over the counter sedating antihistamine tablets,matching gel, 3 different strengths of steroid cream, and a strong antihistamine cream.

Jeez Donna... I'm going to need another suitcase! I think the full wetsuit is probably a cheaper option!

Jim

 

[driftwood]

My wife was badly stung on a night dive at Town Pier. It basically ended her diving for the vacation. We bought skins when we got home. I have been told that something as thin as pantyhose or a coating of Vaseline will prevent a person from being stung. Never tried them.

I have also been told that you should shave the effected area. One thing that did help Becky was Vicodin. Applied liberally and often, she did get relief.

On a later trip, at Buddy's dock, they were thick. We found that the little s##ts would follow a light shined in the water. They move pretty fast.

 

[drbill]

Gulp... even at lowest power my Sola video lights illuminate the water like it was daytime

 

[gypsyjim]

My wife was badly stung on a night dive at Town Pier. It basically ended her diving for the vacation. We bought skins when we got home. I have been told that something as thin as pantyhose or a coating of Vaseline will prevent a person from being stung. Never tried them.

I have also been told that you should shave the effected area. One thing that did help Becky was Vicodin. Applied liberally and often, she did get relief.

On a later trip, at Buddy's dock, they were thick. We found that the little s##ts would follow a light shined in the water. They move pretty fast.

Gulp... even at lowest power my Sola video lights illuminate the water like it was daytime

I believe that it is light on the surface that they are drawn to, no so much dive or video lights under the water.

For years Buddy Dive used to have a fluorescent light on the building above the dock, which made gearing up sweet, but it drew the stinging jellies in. The hospital on bonaire told me they had the majority of their jellyfish burn accidents come from Buddy Dive. I explained that that fluorescent light was probably the reason. When we returned the next year that light was no longer in use, and has not been on any time we were there since then.

Even so, we are still in the habit of approaching the exit there on the bottom, quickly scanning with the lights to see if they are above us, and then shutting off the lights and exiting.(Note: when we used to see the pests above us at the exit we would stay on the bottom with the lights off, and remove our fins at the foot of the ladder, use a regulator purge to clear the surface in the area above us, and then very quickly exit via the ladder. Simple and effective, although my son did not listen, and stopped 1/2 up the ladder to remove his fins, getting both himself and his sister who was trapped right behind him stung.)

 

[Allison Finch]

Sea wasps, a member of the box family, are very common in the area. They are VERY attracted to lights and will zoom in on night divers. The more night divers, the greater chance to see them. They are fast swimmers and will swim right up the light beam to it's source....YOU!

I was diving a dock in Belize and I pointed my camera and strobes above me just in time to see one swimming just above my head. I exited the water fast. I tied a light to a rope and dangled it off the dock to see what would happen. Very quickly eleven sea wasps were seen swimming back and forth, staying in the light path. They were eating the blood worms and other critters attracted to the lights. I got some very poor photos of them.....

box jelly by allisonfinch, on Flickr

box jellies 007 by allisonfinch, on Flickr


box jellies 004 by allisonfinch, on Flickr

 

[Tony387]

In light of that, doesnt seem like the best place for a night dive, and certainly not solo.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[jimw]

In light of that, doesnt seem like the best place for a night dive, and certainly not solo.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

It IS among the best night dives as 3 weeks out of 4 the BBBJ's are deep. They come up following the full moon each month. It pays to know about them and time your visit accordingly.

 

[drbill]

Gulp... I just checked and the moon is pretty full my whole time there. I sure hope I can get in some night dives.