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watch out! man o war stinging jellyfish sighted

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  • 04-09-2012 11:16am
    #1
    surfman1
    Registered Users Posts: 7 ✭


    man o war are a stinging jellyfish type of creature with a powerful sting they are purple and blue and should be avoided at all costs. they wash up here every year in small numbers and fishermen say they are common sight this time of year

    if you are going out over the next few weeks(tomorrow looks great:D) just be careful because the stings are very painful and in very rare cases have been fatal

    just thought id let people know


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    #2
    bagus
    Registered Users Posts: 101 ✭✭bagus


    They will only be there if the wind is onshore.

    Their sting can be nasty if stung in the wrong place (e.g. the eye), but mostly their sting is just annoying (and won't end your session).

    I was stung by them many times while living down under. They're in Sydney in abundance during their summer, as are the NE onshore winds. It never stopped anyone I know going out.

    Add to that, we wear wetsuits here so the odds of being stung are massively reduced.


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    #3
    keryl
    Registered Users Posts: 286 ✭✭keryl


    Salt Water not fresh water, also rubbing an aspirin on the sting helps keeping in mind age restrictions and allergies.
    Not that there's probably much chance of coming across them, I haven't seen them on the west coast anyway.

    taken from a site...


    Treatment for bluebottle stings
    Following a bluebottle sting it is important to carefully remove any remaining tentacles. This should be done by gently washing the area in sea water and carefully picking off any tentacles, taking care to avoid further stings, preferably by wearing gloves.
    Washing the site of the sting with vinegar is NOT recommended for bluebottle stings. It is now recommended that the area where the bluebottle sting has occurred be immersed in hot water (45 degrees Celsius - no hotter than the rescuer can comfortably tolerate) for at least 20 minutes or, if this is not possible, direct a hot shower on the area for this length of time.
    Recent studies have shown that this use of hot water is more effective at reducing the pain of bluebottle stings than the previously advised use of ice packs and cold water. However, if hot water is not available a cold pack may help.


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