Consequently much of this advice is not just wrong, but often borders on sheer lunacy. Even some supposedly reputable websites habitually have information that is out of date or has been discredited by new research. Never is this more apparent than when looking for practical, up to date, information on snorkelling hazards and what to do when you encounter them. One example of this problem is the first aid advice that is often given for jellyfish stings. Some web sites still adhere to the idea that urinating on the injured area is the best option. Others suggest the use of sea water or baking soda or even lemon juice. All of these suggestions are completely wrong, if not dangerous, and in the case of urinating on your snorkelling buddy, are likely to get you arrested. But let’s stretch our imagination for a second and say they all have some sort of merit; you still encounter a problem of practicality. After all, who of us ever thinks that in planning a trip to the beach we are going to need a first aid kit that contains a kettle, some baking soda, some citrus fruits and a selection of assorted condiments. Oh and a letter from a local lawyer explaining that urinating on another person is not a lewd and offensive act but is in fact a legitimate form of first aid, just in case the local coppers get the wrong idea.The sheer level of incompetent, impractical, out dated and farcical advice that inhabits the web on such topics as snorkelling first aid never ceases to amaze us. So we’ve decided to do something about it. On this page you will find information on some of the most common hazards you might encounter and some unlikely ones too. We’ll give you the most up to date, practical information available and what we’d do in such a situation.
Basic
common sense tips
Make sure you are fit. You don’t have to be an Olympic athlete to go snorkelling but don’t think it’s just all about bobbing about on the waves either. Snorkelling can be extremely strenuous, strong currents; waves and cold can all take their toll. If you get out of breath climbing stairs, you’ll get out of breath snorkelling and that’s where the trouble starts. Some of the most common factors involved in snorkelling related deaths are lack of experience, inability to swim and poor physical fitness.
Never snorkel alone. The British Sub Aqua Club recommends that the minimum number needed for a snorkelling party is three persons: a buddy pair of snorkellers to lookout for each other in the water, and third person to act as a shore lookout. We think that this is not only over zealous but rather impractical. A buddy pair of snorkellers is normally sufficient; just make sure you don’t lose sight of each other. The golden rule is one up and one down. If one snorkeller undertakes a breath hold dive the second snorkeller should remain observing from the surface in case the diver gets into difficulties. A word of warning though, make sure your buddy is a good swimmer and experienced snorkeller/diver; otherwise you don’t have a buddy with you - you have a liability.
Buy good equipment; cheap rentals are just that, cheap. They are usually in poor condition as well. The best advice is to remember that snorkelling equipment is like a haircut, you should always get the best you can afford. Once you’ve got the equipment remember to check it, check it and check it again. Poorly maintained or faulty equipment can lead to a poor experience at best and at worst, a complete disaster.
Learn some basic first aid. There are a multitude of organisations that provide basic first aid courses and most are relatively inexpensive. They might not provide speciality training in regards to decompression sickness, jellyfish stings etc but being able to identify cardiac arrests, respiratory arrest, signs of shock and what action to take could be potentially life saving. Most courses also provide in depth training in regards to puncture wounds, broken bones and general sprains and strains, which should give you the knowledge and confidence to deal with most situations. So get trained.
The Dangerous Snorkelling Club’s Golden Rules:
- Your safety is, at the end of the day, your own responsibility. Make sure you know what you are doing; ensure you have the right equipment and that it’s in good condition and that you have relevant insurance cover that is not voided by dangerous activities. Finally, be accountable for your own actions and don’t expect someone else to bail you out of the situation you got yourself into – if in doubt, don’t do it.
- Don’t harass, scare, damage or touch marine life.
- Whatever you take into the ocean make sure you bring it back with you. Leave nothing behind in the water, on the beach or the rocks.
The
Hazards
SunburnSunburn is the single biggest hazard the snorkeller will face. Prevention is always better than cure and in this case the simplest method is to wear a rash top or wetsuit. Long sleeve tops with high necks are recommended if you are prone to sunburn. High SPF sunscreen should be liberally applied to any other exposed areas. We use P20, which provides up to 10 hours of protection with just one application. If you are still unlucky enough to get burnt, the UK National Health Service recommends the following.
- Cool the skin by sponging it with cold water or by having a cold bath or shower. Applying a cold compress such as a cold flannel to the affected area may also help.
- Drink plenty of fluids to cool you down and prevent dehydration
- Apply a water-based emollient to keep your skin cool and moist.
- Take painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve any pain
- Try to avoid all sunlight, including through windows, by covering up the affected areas of skin until your skin has fully healed.
- Fever (high temperature)
- Chills
- Dizziness, headaches and nausea (signs of heat stroke)
- Severe blistering or swelling of the skin (oedema)
Rip currents and rough water
Rough water and strong currents are a danger for all users of the ocean and your greatest defence is being able to get out of trouble faster than you got into it. Which means that you must be able to swim. Your second line of defence is knowing when, and when not to, go in the water. Conditions in the ocean can change dramatically hour by hour so snorkellers of all abilities should be aware of any particular hazards that might be present at the intended snorkelling site and how conditions might change. For instance, that deserted beach you’ve discovered might be deserted for a more perilous reason than the fact there is a naked German on it. So get as much local knowledge as you can and keep an eye on the weather report. But what do you do if you get caught in a rip current or find the water is getting too rough for comfort? One of the first things to clear up is that there is no such thing as a rip tide. Tides and currents are distinctly different. The second thing is that rip currents do not drag you underwater; there is no current anywhere in the world that drags you underwater. Rip currents are strong, narrow flows of water that move away from the beach and could almost be said to act like a river funnelling water out to sea. There are a variety of rip currents and they form in different ways. Quickly changing wave heights, sandbars, piers and jetties can all cause rips currents to form. Some beaches may have permanent rips currents whilst other beaches never see the phenomenon. The single common denominator in all rip currents is breaking waves, if there are no breaking waves, there will never be a rip current. Rips usually move at one to two feet per second but can move as fast as six feet per second which is quick enough to sweep even the strongest individual off their feet. Always keep in mind the fact that you cannot fight the current so don’t try, instead stay calm and start to swim parallel with the shore.
Escaping a rip
- Know what a rip current looks like and make sure you know if the site you intend to snorkel in is prone to the phenomenon or not. Forewarned is forearmed!
- Don’t panic, you will not be dragged under
- Swim parallel to the shore
Sea Bather’s Eruption
No it’s not a sudden explosive bout of diarrhoea when swimming but a very nasty rash brought about by contact with the larval form of the thimble jellyfish, sea anemone nematocysts and other larval cnidarians. Each larvae is equipped with a number of stinging cells, that can be triggered by simple mechanical pressure or by osmotic changes that occur with evaporation or when rinsing off with freshwater. The rash typically develops underneath the bathing costume. As the swimmer gets out of the sea, water drains out of the bathing suit, trapping the larvae between the suit and the skin. Pressure on the small jellyfish cause the stinging cells to discharge, releasing toxin into the skin. Wearing bathing suits for prolonged periods after swimming, showering in fresh water, and mechanical stimulation such as rubbing with a towel make the eruption worse.
The condition is most prevalent in Florida, the Caribbean, Brazil, the Philippines and New Zealand. A tingly sensation may be felt whilst still in the water and develops into a persistent itch over several hours. The rash, red bumps that may run together to form a mass, usually develops a few hours after swimming.
If you think that you may have been exposed you should remove your swimsuit, rash top or wetsuit as soon as possible. Wash the affected area with warm salt water in the first instance if possible; otherwise plain seawater should be used. The affected area should then be covered in shaving foam and a credit card, razor or stone edge scraped along the skin to remove any larva/nematocysts that might be clinging to the skin. The area should then be washed in warm salted water The UK NHS recommends shaving cream as it prevents the release of further toxins. Do not shower whilst still wearing your swimsuit. Neither should you apply vinegar or alcohol to the affected area as this may make the condition considerably worse.
The itch and resulting rash may be treated with topical hydrocortisone and antihistamines. The condition usually resolves itself after a few days however medical advice should be sought if the symptoms persist for more than a week or if you suffer fatigue, chills or nausea.
The swimsuit or rash top should be thoroughly washed in hot water, preferably machine washed several times and then heat dried. Personally if the swimsuit was not that expensive we’d bin it.
Stinging Fish
Some fish have the ability to cause significant injury to humans. Scorpionfish, lionfish and weeverfish are all equipped with sharp spines that are loaded with venom. The best defence against these foot-spearing critters is to avoid contact with them; this type of defence is greatly enhanced if you know what they look like, their likely hiding places and habits. Learn what dangerous inhabitants might be lurking in the waters you plan on snorkelling in and only get close enough to get that photograph. Of course avoiding contact is not always easy, particularly when getting in and out of the water. Weeverfish are particularly pesky little sods that tend to bury themselves in the shallows, venomous spines primed for an unwary foot. Accepted wisdom is to shuffle your way along the seabed to warn them of your approach. The idea being that they will get out of the way…
If however, the accepted wisdom proves to be less than wise and you are stung, here’s what you should do. Firstly, regardless of what you may have read elsewhere, you are going to need medical assistance. Stings from any of the aforementioned critters can cause major problems and potentially death. So don’t wait, call for help as soon as possible. That said there are some basic first aid procedures that can be carried out at the scene or nearby to reduce the pain and prevent the toxins spreading.
- To control the pain, the affected area should be immersed in hot water (as hot as can be tolerated) for 30-90 minutes. However, be careful not to burn your skin. This can be repeated if necessary.
- You can use simple painkillers such as paracetamol to relieve any remaining pain.
- Any large spines should be carefully removed from the wound using tweezers (avoid touching the spines with your bare hands). Clean the wound using soap and water and then rinse it with fresh water. Do not cover the wound.
- Spines embedded in or near joints or tendons should be assessed in a hospital emergency department. X-rays may be required and the spines may need to be surgically removed.
If suffer a sting/injury from a stingray, immediate hospital treatment is indicated. There is no antidote to stingray venom but again some simple first aid at the scene or nearby can help improve the condition. Immersing the affected area in hot water (as hot as can be tolerated) for 30-90 minutes can reduce pain. Once in hospital, the pain will be managed with local anaesthesia or if severe, intravenous painkillers will be provided. Once the wound has been cleaned and the sting is removed (if indicated), the doctor will be able to look for further damage. You may need a tetanus booster if it's more than five years since your last tetanus injection. After being stung by a stingray, there is a high risk of wound contamination from bacteria in the sting or seawater that could lead to infection so medical staff will usually prescribe a course of antibiotics. The wound will initially be left open before being closed with stitches after about 48 hours if it hasn't become infected. In rare cases, surgery may be needed if the sting affects the tendons or blood vessels. Stingrays can be lethal (remember Steve Irwin), so always maintain a safe distance and avoid the injury in the first place.
Jellyfish
- Someone stung by a jellyfish should be treated out of the water. They should stay as still as possible while being treated because movement increases the risk of toxins being released into the body.
- Undiluted vinegar is the only solution recommended for treating jellyfish stings. Rinse the affected area with vinegar and remove any remaining tentacles/nematocysts with tweezers or a clean stick (the use of gloves is recommended where available). The use of other substances, such as alcohol and baking soda, should be avoided as they do not work and can make the situation worse. You should also avoid rinsing with seawater or freshwater for the same reason.
- Ignore any advice you may have heard about urinating on the sting. It's unlikely to help and will almost certainly make the situation worse (the victim might also punch you in the face and the police will probably arrest you for lewd and offensive behaviour).
- Immerse the affected area in hot water 45°C (113°F) or apply a heat pack for 45 minutes.
- Do not apply ice or ice packs.
- If symptoms persist or worsen, seek medical attention immediately.
Encounters with sea urchins are a common occurrence mainly because sea urchins are common. Snorkellers and divers can easily brush against these spiky critters and suffer a painful injury. The sharp spines are the urchin’s first lines of defence but many species also have a second line of defence in the form of small venomous organs called pedicellariae, that inject an intensely painful venom. These organs are located between the urchin’s spines and are difficult for the snorkeller to make contact with unless they have been deeply impaled on the spines. Sea urchin puncture wounds can be treated in the same way as those inflicted by other stinging fish.
- Immerse the affected area in hot water (as hot as can be tolerated) for 30-90 minutes. Again, be careful not to burn your skin.
- Any large spines should be carefully removed from the wound using tweezers. The small venomous organs (pedicellariae) should be removed by applying a small amount of shaving cream to the affected area then using a razor blade to gently scrape them out.
- Scrub the wound using soap and water and then rinse it with fresh water. Do not close the wound with tape.
- Pain and swelling can be treated with painkillers, such as paracetamol and ibuprofen.
- If the skin is red and badly inflamed, a topical antibiotic cream or ointment should be applied three times a day.
- Medical attention should be sought if spines are retained in the hand or foot, or near a joint, as they may need to be surgically removed to minimize infection, inflammation and damage to nerves or important blood vessels.
- Purple or black markings in the skin immediately after a sea urchin encounter does not necessarily indicate the presence of retained spine fragments. The discoloration is more likely to be dye leached from the surface of a spine. The body will absorb the dye over a few days and the discoloration should disappear. If there are still black/purple markings visible after 72 hours, then a spine fragment is likely to be still present and medical advice should be sought.
- Immediate medical assistance should be sought if signs of an allergic reaction occur or if symptoms worsen. We would always recommend that you get medical advice after suffering any injury from marine life particularly if you have any pre-existing medical condition.
Last updated June 2017
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