If you are planning a marathon swim or a channel swim where there may be jellyfish or Portuguese man o war, it is always good to prepare for the worse. Getting stung for the first time in a channel swim is never pleasant and always a shock.
While everyone handles jellyfish and Portuguese man o war stings differently, swims in Bermuda, Florida or in the Caribbean may be a good preparation for what you can expect psychologically and physiologically.
In a 2010 race in Bermuda, there were significant stings caused by box jellyfish and sea urchins. Some stings resulted in severe muscle spasms that required medical intervention.
The race Medical Director also used Ocean Care Solutions. “There were significant jellyfish stings treated on site that we identified as box jellyfish. There were minor Sea Urchin spine injuries, and two coral abrasions that required cleaning. I was very impressed with the kits and wished we had more. When the kits were first applied, the 5% acetic acid relief spray increased the pain sharply for a brief interval, but then provided injury and pain relief from the box stinger. Next time, we recommend the saline rinse and straight to the heat pack first.”
Dr. Patrick Daubert and Dr. Scott H Plantz prepared this presentation (and here) on stings by the Chironex fleckeri, one of the most toxic jellyfish in the world.
In Dr. Daubert’s study, he writes, “Patients initially develop severe pain despite removal of the tentacle.“
It is most certainly not a pleasant thought or a welcomed experience, but knowing how a jellyfish stings feels and, most importantly, how you react is certainly better done during practice or on a preliminary swim than on your day in the channel.
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.