Freaking out over jellyfish stings

maoman · by **maoman** » Sun Jul 15, 2012 19:55

So I was at my favorite beach a few days ago, and I was just lazily paddling around on my surfboard. The waves were pretty small, so surfing wasn't really going to happen. The sun was shining brightly, so I could see fairly well under the water. I saw three jellyfish in the space of three minutes, and the last one was as long as my forearm. :eek:

After that, I got freaked out, and didn't want to go back in the (deep) water. I didn't have a rash guard with me on that day, either. Usually I have a long-sleeved rash guard that protects me from sunburn and from jellyfish stings.

After that, I couldn't relax. I was so tense expecting a sting at any moment. I've been stung several times before, and they ranged from mild itches to REALLY painful let's-stub-out-a-cigar-on-my-back kind of stings. How do I avoid getting stung? What should I do when I am stung? Surfer dudes, any suggestions?

Bubba 2 Guns · by **Bubba 2 Guns** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 08:47

On days where the current is very weak and the air/water temperature is warm you are going to have jelly fish. You can't avoid getting stung if you are in the water for any length of time. I've been stung a few times-from mild stings to having a sting that scarred me much like a burn.

First off, don't pee on a sting. That's something bored surfers tell tourists to do when there are no waves to ride and the jellies are out.

Wash the jelly off your skin with sea water, don't rip it off. I know that's kind of hard to do if you have a jelly fish connected to your face like in the movie Alien. Get out of the water and try to refrain from hysterically screaming.

You can have a serious reaction to a jelly fish sting. (MJB told me about a diving instructor in Taiwan who had a nearly fatal reaction to a sting. Have him tell you the story someday if you feel like not sleeping at night.)

You should also be aware that the nearest hospital to Wai Ao beach is in the middle of Jiao Xi thirty minutes away (or an hour on tourist-filled weekends). The clinics in Tou Cheng are closed on the weekends BTW. I found this out this weekend.

Grab a handful of sand and rub the area where you were stung. Jellies have barbs in their tentacles which can work their way into your skin. You need to get these out.

Add vinegar to the sting-I carry a bottle in my first aid kit in my car-ammonia works too.

Flush with luke warm water

Add aloe to the sting.

The food chain in ocean around Taiwan has been tweaked with so much you are bound to run into jellies. There is a really good lecture on TED talks about the mola-mola and how they eat TONS of jellyfish a day but we are eating the mola-mola. There is also a nice photo of a mola-mola on the menu in a Taiwanese restaurant so getting stung is nature's way of saying 'fuck you human'.

The ocean is a natural place that's filled with things that can kill you. It's not a water park.

Wookiee · by **Wookiee** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 23:08

I agree with everything B2G said except the rubbing sand part.
I was taught that rubbing sand on a jelly fish tentacle might trigger more stings as the tentacle rotates and fires off more barbs into the skin as it does. A tweezer is the best option, but who carries a pair of tweezers in their swimming trunks? Vinegar is the key. Do they have fish and chips at the Fubar? :lol:

risingsunsurfer · by **risingsunsurfer** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 07:08

Immediately call 119 if:
you are showing any signs of an allergic reaction, the sting may be from a box jellyfish or the sting area covers more than half a leg or arm area. Box jellyfish can trigger anaphylactic shock.

I agree with the treatment above except-
Do not rinse with fresh water as it can reactivate the stinging cells. If vinegar is not available you can use shaving cream or soap lather. Seek medical help, especially if it is a box jellyfish.

Bubba 2 Guns · by **Bubba 2 Guns** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 12:52

Flush with water well after the vinegar, sand when tweezers aren't available. While doing stand up paddle boarding I'll often see groups of jellies that spread out for acres!

Beaker · by **Beaker** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 21:42

maoman wrote:So I was at my favorite beach a few days ago, and I was just lazily paddling around on my surfboard. The waves were pretty small, so surfing wasn't really going to happen. The sun was shining brightly, so I could see fairly well under the water. I saw three jellyfish in the space of three minutes, and the last one was as long as my forearm.

Just got off the boat a couple hours ago. We use small sampling nets (1 meter in diameter). I pulled up one of the nets and it rubbed against my body. A couple seconds later my arm and leg stung. So, I peeked into our nets and it was crammed full of large jellyfish! Dozens of the things. We get jellyfish often, but they are tiny. These ones were at least a foot and a half long each.

mjb · by **mjb** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 00:51

Wookiee wrote:I agree with everything B2G said except the rubbing sand part.
I was taught that rubbing sand on a jelly fish tentacle might trigger more stings as the tentacle rotates and fires off more barbs into the skin as it does. A tweezer is the best option, but who carries a pair of tweezers in their swimming trunks? Vinegar is the key. Do they have fish and chips at the Fubar?

So far the best that works for me has been the shaving cream method followed by vinegar and aloe.

Diving last weekend, we saw quite a few jellies in the 1-1.5meter range.

Just Jennifer · by **Just Jennifer** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 18:15

1 to 1.5 meters?? Should we be concerned when we go to Fulong beach for the next beach day?

Beaker · by **Beaker** » Mon Jul 30, 2012 19:13

There are fewer jellies outside of Danshui lately, so that is good. I did get a nasty sting on my palm this weekend. One of my profs (Marine Ecology), said something rather interesting. If vinegar is not available, you can use alcohol as well. Since we didn't have any vinegar, I used some isopropyl alcohol. It stung worse for a few seconds, but it worked quite well. Just thought I would pass that along. I never thought you could use alcohol... learn something new every day.