Jellyfish

I hope that a perfectly good morning of boogie boarding and getting golden does not get ruined by one of these creatures, but you never know.  It is best to be prepared for every contingency.  Please read the following information carefully.  Just in case.

If you are stung by a jellyfish, remove any tentacles that are adhered to the skin (generally, the tentacles do not stay on the skin, but merely brush across an arm or a leg). Use anything available to get the tentacles off to avoid being stung again.

Contrary to popular belief, alcohol, urine, and picric acid should not be used on a jellyfish sting as they actually cause more nematocysts to release venom into the skin. Simple products almost everybody has at home are great for reducing the effects of the sting like mean tenderizer, baking soda, vinegar, and sugar (any one of these substances will do).

Scraping a jellyfish sting with something like a credit card may also help remove the nematocysts and alleviate the stinging sensation.

After treatment of the sting, the area will generally produce raised red bumps and could be sore or itch. In severe cases, medical treatment may be needed, but generally this isn’t the case.

Things to Remember:

• Jellyfish are most prevalent in warm water. Swimmers in August and September generally suffer the most jellyfish stings, but the warmer the water the more likely jellyfish will occur. The summer of 2010 had an early jellyfish due to the extreme temperatures that summer which raised the water temperature
• Dead jellyfish can still sting you, so it is best to avoid them when they wash up on the beach
• Carry baking soda or vinegar with you when planning on staying at the beach all day. This will aid in the case of a jellyfish sting without disrupting the day

I'll pack the vinegar!


Oh, and while we are on the topic of jellyfish, here is the classic Julian Smith video: