Did you read that article by Gordo Bryn (or however you spell his name) and how he got stung my that big jellyfish? Man. Unbelieveable.
Not what I needed to read when I’m headed to Curacao to swim in the ocean for a week.
Yes, and I still have the creeps from it! Did you see the pic of him in the hospital? I wonder if he’ll be doing any more ocean swimming. The doc said an allergic reaction from future stings could be worse.
D.
…yes and on a scale of 1 to 10 the doc said his reaction was a 9.5…
Some background…
I took a lot more toxin than most folks would – 68 mins of mod-hard swimming, very lean, sleeveless wetsuit, direct contact across entire upper body and head – good capillary development – I sucked the toxins right up, fast. Two minutes post hit, I was unable to swim. Felt the toxins in the base of my spine within seconds of being in contact.
We aren’t sure if it was a toxic or an allergic reaction – toxic would be better for gLongevity.
Most hits during UM happen either right at the pier or half-way down the coast. Kailua Bay is quite safe, in general. The last two years, between 25-33% of the UM crew take a minor to major hit. One Jelly DNF in each of the last two years (my turn this year).
Haven’t decided on Ocean swimming – have to admit that my experience was pretty unpleasant – the sensation in my spine wasn’t fun at all. Not the sort of thing that I’d like to repeat. If we discover that it was probably an allergic reaction then I’ll save my harder swimming efforts for the Kona Community Pool and make sure that I am drafting when ocean swimming. I used to do loooong solo oceans swims all over the world, those days are likely over. Even with my wetsuit, I wouldn’t have been able to swim to shore (400m) post sting. The toxic reaction meant that I would have sweat-to-death – my sweat rate was pretty entertaining once the reaction took hold – it was pouring off me.
IM Hawaii 2004 and 2006 are on my calendar – in the event of another hit, the rescue boats should get me back to the med-tent before I cop it. Also, as those of you who’ve swum with me know… I won’t exactly be leading it out – that makes a direct hit very unlikely.
I have a new appreciation of folks that live with bee and nut allergies on a daily basis.
Take care,
g
direct contact across entire upper body and head
Gordo - The thing was this big!?? OMG! I thought those types of creatures were only in my nightmares. 
Glad to see you seem to be fully recovered and you’re not as wimpy as me since you’re still planning on going near the ocean again.
D.
Good luck dude. You are the absolute king.
Ouch for Gordo!
ABout 3 years ago Iwas training with my squad at a Takapuna Beach in Auckland and we were doing some “in and outs” where we’d srint through the breakers out to a bouy 200m from shore and cruise back in while practicing our body surfing technique. On about the 5th rep just before I hit the beach, I ran into a jellyfish. It was about 125mm diameter and about 35mm thick. A clear rubbery disc with a reddish centre, It hit me on the eye, nose, cheek,and ear, centred on my cheekbone. It felt like I’d been bashed in the face with a baseball bat with a thousand pins stuck in it. It was amazing. I immediately turned and cowered in the water and let out a yelp (OK a mad scream!) and wondered what the hell had happened.
I couldn’t return to the water cause the entire side of my face was screaming with a 7/10 pain. There was absolutely NO evidence that anything had happened. I look just as ugly as ever but man did it hurt. It was that sorta weird pain that’s half numb at the same time. It took about 3 days to completley dissipate.
I can’t imagine how bad Gordo must’ve hurt to end up in hospital.
TriDork
I have no impressive stories. I’ve been stung twice, both ultra-minor. Once in Thailand last week on the neck and face and the other time in Curacao on the face. Hurt and left a series of red marks. My neck is still red from last week. I was SCUBA diving in Florida last year in the Keys and the Portugese Man-o-Wars were everywhere. When you looked out into the water there were tons of them. I have never seen so many. The dive boat captain said the wind blows them in. Incredible. You had to wait under the surface for a second to be sure you weren’t coming up under any. In a way, it was kind of cool (since I didn’t get stung).
Size – I didn’t feel the body just the legs – I’d estimate that they were 60cm long, very thin, like swimming through long, synthetic hairs. After contact I grabbed the legs and pulled them off from around my body – my hands didn’t take any hits so it seems to be only the thinner skin areas that are at risk.
Contact – I didn’t see it, first contact was with right arm at full extension, breathing to the left – the right side of my face // then I recovered my right arm and did a big stroke on my left – so the ‘top’ side of right arm was hit and my left under arm and pit.
Suit – I got hit last year and my eye swelled shut. I was wearing a fullsuit – so perhaps I missed all the toxins that went in through my arms this year. Still, the fullsuit is very hot for Kona swimming.
Pain – Very interesting sensation – more a “wrong” sensation than searing – Some moaning and whimpering before I got a grip. When I got to the hospital it was fairly bad for a bit – but not like somebody chainsawed my arm off. About 30 minutes of not wanting to talk and simply lie on my side. Quite humbling.
In the ambulance…
Dude – “Would you like an IV”
G – “No thanks, I think I am turning the corner, I feel much better.”
D – “You sure, you don’t look so hot”
G – “Yeah, let’s what happens…”
Once I started sweating so much that it was flowing off the bed, I asked for a glass of water – at that stage we figured that an IV might be more prudent. If they had a mirror then I probably would have agreed quicker. I was Mr. Tomato-head for about an hour after the hit.
Personally, I thought that I would have come through it without medical intervention if I had unlimited water to counter my sweating. My Doc disagreed, so I guess that we’ll have to give the benefit of the doubt to her.
My experience is rare (the folks at emergency confirmed that) – the waters around Kona are pretty safe in tropical terms. Of course, we are visitors and certain creatures have the right of way. As my bro said, “Dude, any injury that you can walk away from is a good one.” I walked out of the hospital around noon that day.
Kinda freaked out when they told me that they gave me steriods – when they explained my alternatives and the fact that they weren’t anabolic then I settled down. A search of my board will show my med records, all the drugs they gave me and more jelly info.
g
I just loved the post-emerg treatment assessment that Gordo brings to the table:
Just before they let me leave, I was lying in the bed wondering how my reaction would have scored. Seven? Six? Nah, it wasn’t that bad, maybe just a three. Geez, I wonder what a bad reaction might be like.
And of course, the “word” gLongevity.
He’s one tough mofo; and in my book, a perfect 
“the other time in Curacao on the face. … I was SCUBA diving in Florida last year in the Keys and the Portugese Man-o-Wars were everywhere.”
I got stung by something while snorkelling in Curacoa about 15 years ago. Saw a Portugese Man-0-Wars in Cuba while scuba diving. Had I not looked up I might have ascended right into it.
What are Portugese man-o-wars? In the north of Australia we get Box Jellyfish which I’ve heard are the most venomous jelly around. The tenticles are generally several metres long. When stung it is instant agony, venom attacks nervous system and if medical attention isn’t close you’re basically history. I used to be a week-end lifeguard and the pictures in the training manuals of a sting victim look like they had been severely burnt.
you don’t swim outside netted enclosures in North Queensland during stinger season, even in enclosures full length stinger suits are usually worn.
very glad I live in south Queensland where we only get occasional bluebottles.
I see that the Portugese Man of War is also regionally refered to as a “Blue Bottle”.
See, I learn something on this forum every single day. Awesome.
Anyway, here is an interesting link to a page I found about the Portugese Man of War. I’m in Netscape right now so I can’t make this a link. Copy it and paste it in your browser if you are so inclined.
"What are Portugese man-o-wars? In the north of Australia we get Box Jellyfish’
The box jellyfish are worse but the other guy aren’t good friends either