Beach problems

[Sybarite]

After Wales, it's Brittany's turn to get warnings about lion's mane jellyfish. These are tending much further south than normal. They are the largest of jelly fish (record in 1870 7'6" diameter bell and 120' tentacles.) Given their potential size the sting can be dangerous. First aid : apply vinegar.

Another on-going problem is the presence of weever. These fish, about one foot long, bury themselves in the sand but have venomous spines on their back. Walking on them can cause very painful stings and can even provoke fatalities DIL was surfing and stood on one and had to taken to hospital. She said it was the most painful thing that ever happened to her and she still had side effects a year later. First aid : apply water as hot as the victim can bear. Wear hard plastic soled sandals when bathing.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

I think urinating on the sting works as well. Usually no shortage of volunteers

 

[Sybarite]

I think urinating on the sting works as well. Usually no shortage of volunteers

In the medical article I read they said that this is a popular myth.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

In the medical article I read they said that this is a popular myth.

Doesn't stop people trying though.

 

[Yngmar]

Urinating on jellyfish stings is utter BS - please stop spreading this nonsense. Also inadvisable is rinsing with freshwater - saltwater is okay (and usually unavoidable anyways).

What works, depending on the type of jellyfish, is acetic acid (vinegar) or heat, 43°C or as hot as you can stand, for at least 30 minutes. If you don't know which type it is, apply both, in that order. A microwaved gel heatpad worked very well when I got a bad sting on my wrist this week from a Pelagia Noctilua in Cala Gat - hence my fresh memory on treatment

 

[Giblets]

Another on-going problem is the presence of weever. These fish, about one foot long, bury themselves in the sand but have venomous spines on their back. Walking on them can cause very painful stings and can even provoke fatalities DIL was surfing and stood on one and had to taken to hospital. She said it was the most painful thing that ever happened to her and she still had side effects a year later. First aid : apply water as hot as the victim can bear. Wear hard plastic soled sandals when bathing.

And people mock the wearing of Crocs!

 

[DownWest]

Treatment in Portugal used to be beating the sole of the foot with a stick (for weevers) ar least the pain of the beating took your mind of the sting.. Local fishing friend had been stuck by a weever and a scorpion. Both gave him 24 hrs of 'discomfort'.

 

[vyv_cox]

Weever fish are around in large numbers in Greece this year. When fishermen catch them some will gut them with care, as apparently they are quite good eating. Others discard them. In Marathakampos a few weeks ago we were surrounded by floating dead ones, chucked overboard by the fishing fleet.

 

[sailaboutvic]

I think urinating on the sting works as well. Usually no shortage of volunteers

Your taken the piss

 

[alant]

Treatment in Portugal used to be beating the sole of the foot with a stick (for weevers) ar least the pain of the beating took your mind of the sting.. Local fishing friend had been stuck by a weever and a scorpion. Both gave him 24 hrs of 'discomfort'.

Bastinado.

 

[Davy_S]

After Wales, it's Brittany's turn to get warnings about lion's mane jellyfish. These are tending much further south than normal. They are the largest of jelly fish (record in 1870 7'6" diameter bell and 120' tentacles.) Given their potential size the sting can be dangerous. First aid : apply vinegar.

Another on-going problem is the presence of weever. These fish, about one foot long, bury themselves in the sand but have venomous spines on their back. Walking on them can cause very painful stings and can even provoke fatalities DIL was surfing and stood on one and had to taken to hospital. She said it was the most painful thing that ever happened to her and she still had side effects a year later. First aid : apply water as hot as the victim can bear. Wear hard plastic soled sandals when bathing.

Not trying to be awkward but, the weever is a lot smaller than a foot! most of them are around 6 inches in old money, i have lost count of the number of kids i have stopped from grabbing one on the end of the fishing line, they all hurt no matter what size

 

[Wandering Star]

Not trying to be awkward but, the weever is a lot smaller than a foot! most of them are around 6 inches in old money, i have lost count of the number of kids i have stopped from grabbing one on the end of the fishing line, they all hurt no matter what size

Correct, I used to fish commercially for Plaice and the odd Weever would come up in the net, they were never more than 6” long and would bury themselves under the catch. If you did get stabbed while picking up another fish to gut it, your hand would swell up like the proverbial football, very painfull although I never actually experienced it.

 

[Sybarite]

Not trying to be awkward but, the weever is a lot smaller than a foot! most of them are around 6 inches in old money, i have lost count of the number of kids i have stopped from grabbing one on the end of the fishing line, they all hurt no matter what size

The bit I read said that they can be up to 37cm long.

 

[Davy_S]

The bit I read said that they can be up to 37cm long.

Yes, there are the Greater Weever and Lesser Weever, the majority of Weevers encountered are the lesser Weever, although they do count as two separate species when fishing a species match, they both smart a bit!

 

[TSB240]

After Wales, it's Brittany's turn to get warnings about lion's mane jellyfish. These are tending much further south than normal. They are the largest of jelly fish (record in 1870 7'6" diameter bell and 120' tentacles.) Given their potential size the sting can be dangerous. First aid : apply vinegar.

Another on-going problem is the presence of weever. These fish, about one foot long, bury themselves in the sand but have venomous spines on their back. Walking on them can cause very painful stings and can even provoke fatalities DIL was surfing and stood on one and had to taken to hospital. She said it was the most painful thing that ever happened to her and she still had side effects a year later. First aid : apply water as hot as the victim can bear. Wear hard plastic soled sandals when bathing.

I was out dolphin watching off the North Wales coast this weekend. I was surprised by a large dolphin cruising alonside us that flipped a huge Lions Mane Jellyfish clean out of the water. Amazing sight. I had heard of stories of groups playing with them as footballs but never witnessed it. His heading prowess was way better than any of these overpaid athletes currently knocking a bag of wind around in Russia.