RE: Swimmer's itch and Seabather's Eruption

sydned — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 09:11:54 GMT

I am highly allergic to "sea lice" and get them like crazy. I have been SAVED by Safe Sea. Sounds crazy and I don't know how it works, but seriously, it does. You can order it on their website and while it's not cheap, it's so much better than the suffering! I do a lot of ocean swims and use this for every one. Just spent a week in Mexico this past April and was doing swims as long as 2 hours with no problems. Typically, it's supposed to wear off before then, but I've had luck with it lasting for longer. I'll be swimming in St. Croix again in October and will DEFINITELY be using it. Good luck!

RE: Swimmer's itch and Seabather's Eruption

Former Member — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 08:38:53 GMT

What you call "Seabather's Eruption" we call sea lice. They are bad here in Florida right now. From Wikipedia (under "Seabather's Eruption"): The reaction is identified by severe itching around small red papules 1mm to 1.5cm in size located on areas of skin that were covered by water-permeable clothing or hair during ocean swimming. Initial swimmer exposure to the free-floating larvae produces no effects, as each organism possesses only a single undeveloped nematocyst which is inactive while suspended in sea water. However, due to their microscopic size and sticky bodies, large concentrations of larvae can become trapped in minute gaps between skin and clothing or hair. Once the swimmer leaves the ocean, the organisms stuck against the skin die and automatically discharge their nematocysts when crushed, dried out, or exposed to fresh water. This is why symptoms usually do not appear until the swimmer dries themselves in the sun or takes a freshwater shower without first removing the affected clothing. The key is to not let them get trapped between your swimsuit and your skin. We wear two-piece suits for that reason. A couple of the women I swim with just take their suits off. We usually have a paddleboard escort, so they just take their suits off after we're in the water and tie them to the paddleboard, then put them back on before we get out of the water.