Stung by weever fish

Arequipa

Hi! I was surfing in Donegal over the weekend. About an hour into my surf I felt a sharp stab to my right foot. I surfed on and when I finished up and returned to my car, the pain became intense...I drove into town to a pharmacy..for 2 hours the pain was something else; i was advised to put my foot in very hot water..which I did.
My foot then swelled up fairly badly.
4-5 days later my foot is still sore and a bit swoolen , but defo improved.

Any of you get stung?

I didnt realise Irish water had such potent little creatures!
In future, I will defo wear booties!!

A

keryl

Darn, they are here in June! it's usually a late July/August weever fest

Arequipa

Yea, they pack a fine punch!
Was at Rossnowlagh fyi!!

It scares me to think what pain from a stonefish or a box jellyfish would be like!

ted1

I got stung by one on rossnowlagh about 20 years ago ( honestly were the f**k did the 20 years go)

Very painful,

It's a bit early for them , normally out in autumn. They tend to hang out in the sand around the low tide mark. Best trick is to drag your feet in the shallows when its low tide, this will startle them and you will avoid getting stung

catgalway

Just done the maths....bloody hell....30 years ago @ Furbo beach,Galway...stood on the fish but cute lifeguard took care of me...basin of very hot water for as long as I could take it,to draw poison out & then to hospital for tetanus jab:(

Geomy

It's very early for Weaver fish,if the water keeps warming up they will be in the shallows in their droves

Hopefully the greater Weaver won't make an appearance. ....
.
Haven't seen much jellyfish in year's

6541

Jellyfish are out in the deep, was sea fishing last week off the Mayo coast and saw loads....

Balmed Out

I have the same unopened bottle of vinegar in the boot for the last few years just in case....

ted1

Balmed Out wrote: »

I have the same unopened bottle of vinegar in the boot for the last few years just in case....

vinegar is usless for Weever fish, there venom is a protein that is broken down by heat.

Vinegar works with jellyfish stings as it balances out the alkaline with acidity. Vinegar does not work with Porteguse man O'War jellyfish.

Arequipa

Yep, really hit water is the recommended way to treat a weever sting!
Vinegar or urine for certain jellyfish!

Is not as sore today but still slightly swoolen & blistered: lovely!!

Notch000

i got stung under big toe a few years ago, was getting sharp pains for ages and eventually i pulled a bit of the sting out of my toe around 2 months later, problem solved.

The weaver was a pancake compared to standing on a sea urchent in peru

BGOllie

Happened to me a few times. first time is the most painful as you don't know what it is, you panic a bit and your body reacts.
I got stung a few more times since but I headed straight back to the van, heated some water and put my foot in it for a while and went back surfing.
It's still painful but once you know what it is you can block it out and carry on.

You'll find that as your surfing improves you'll spend zero time walking in the shallows are you're always paddling and it won't happen ever again

Low Pockets

LongZ wrote: »

first time is the most painful as you don't know what it is, you panic a bit and your body reacts.

You'll find that as your surfing improves you'll spend zero time walking in the shallows are you're always paddling and it won't happen ever again

Nope and Nope.
Found out the hard way Im allergic to them, three and counting, Iv been told I wont even know about the next one its gonna go so badly, I now keep a pen in the camera bag for when **** goes tits up and just down surf bare foot no more.

And Im years in the water, first was when I pulled outta a wave, second was getting on the board to paddle out, brushed my toe off the ****er, escaped lightly on that one, the last was swimming the shore break, stood on the little **** good and propper. If there was a handy bus for the lads to throw me under that day, I woulda happily agreed. As has been previously documented here, Iv broken everything. Nothing compares or even comes close to the pain of that last sting. I feel ill now even thinking about it.

lizgal

just wonderin, do all Jellyfish sting? ? someone told me the purple ones dont??

shamrock55

Can i just ask slightly off topic but for example when kids are paddling in the sea in maybe a couple of ft of water could they be at risk from these weaver fish its just that my 2 little ones are only getting used to the sea this week has been their first time in the sea really im affraid they would be put off for life if they stood on something

MadYaker

All jellyfish have venom, thats how they immobilise their prey so they can eat them. The venom is in tiny spines on the tentacles, you can't get stung by touching the dome. As for some not stinging humans I don't know, I guess on some species the spines might not be able to penetrate our skin?

shamrock55 wrote: »

Can i just ask slightly off topic but for example when kids are paddling in the sea in maybe a couple of ft of water could they be at risk from these weaver fish its just that my 2 little ones are only getting used to the sea this week has been their first time in the sea really im affraid they would be put off for life if they stood on something

Weaver fish are generally very rare at this time of the year, they usually don't come in until around August. But even then people getting stung by them isn't that common. You can buy rubber sandals/shoes with thick soles for wearing in the sea that will protect your children from the stings if you're worried. You should be able to get them in most outdoor/watersports shops.

shamrock55

MadYaker wrote: »

All jellyfish have venom, thats how they immobilise their prey so they can eat them. The venom is in tiny spines on the tentacles, you can't get stung by touching the dome. As for some not stinging humans I don't know, I guess on some species the spines might not be able to penetrate our skin?



Weaver fish are generally very rare at this time of the year, they usually don't come in until around August. But even then people getting stung by them isn't that common. You can buy rubber sandals/shoes with thick soles for wearing in the sea that will protect your children from the stings if you're worried. You should be able to get them in most outdoor/watersports shops.

Yea thanks for that they have those shoes but both hate wearing them in the water anyway im sure the chances are very low anyway never happened to me or anyone i know before its just when you hear about it it just gets you thinking

MadYaker

Yeah it is rare. I've been surfing for years and I've only ever seen it once. Wasn't me thank god, I always wear neoprene booties. People paddling on the edge are most likely to get stung since the weaver fish are generally under sand around the low tide mark.

ted1

All jellyfish stung but the tentacles are different lengths so the purple ones are less likely to sting as oppose to the brown ones

lizgal

ok fanore loaded wit jf yesterday

Arequipa

Hey! Yea, i wouldnt worry about your kids; the chances of getting stung are low...
You could get them croc rubber shoes, just to be careful...

I was a bit unlucky that day...drove up via Enniskillen, got stopped at roadblock & diverted south because of the G8 summit.. Then i got lost for about an hour (drove in a big circle) arrived in Rossnowlagh, straight to beach with my board & within an hour i was stung by the weever... I should have done the lotto that day!!

A

Arequipa

The swelling of my foot is gone down.. Just the toe where i was stung, and area around it is sore & blistered... Using aloe vera @ mo!

A

rodento

Sorry bud but that sounds like a severe reaction to the fish, it'd be in your best interest to see if you are allergic to them, a second anaphylactic reaction wont be mild (Not saying thats what you got but it's in your best interest to rule it out)

MadYaker

Yeah you should go to a doctor, that isn't a normal reaction to the venom. You could be allergic...

elfy4eva

Yep I've been stung by a damn weever, right in the tip of my big toe while wading. Hurts like hell for about half an hour and was numb for ages after that.

Arequipa

Thanks! Yea, i am allergic to bee stings: swelled up really bad as a kid..
Will keep an eye on the weever sting...is definitely inproving but slowly... Can take 1-2 weeks for area to heal 100%!

Shekira

One of my crew got stung by a weaver fish at the weekend. Didn't realised what it was til we went to the lifeguard station. It was not even 12 noon and we were the third weaver fish case that day! Have to say the life guard was excellent but its still sore 2 days later. In future I won't let them into the sea an hour either side of low tide......easier said than done though!;)

lizgal

what is best line of action if u do
have an encounter?

Shekira

lizgal wrote: »

what is best line of action if u do
have an encounter?

Put foot in a basin of hot water asap....as hot as you can bare it..... for about 20 - 30 mins. Top up with hot water every so often........think it draws the sting out....well at least this is what the life guard did.

pauld81

Shekira wrote: »

Put foot in a basin of hot water asap....as hot as you can bare it..... for about 20 - 30 mins. Top up with hot water every so often........think it draws the sting out....well at least this is what the life guard did.

Yup dead right, but make sure you take out affected part out before topping up the hot water!! Ive had to treat a guy stung on foot, two hours later he got stung on his hand from playing in the shallows with his kids doh!!
And always get stings from weavers and jellies checked by doctor as the stinging spine/s may still be in the skin alos possible tetanus and allergies.

68 lost souls

I was out surfing today on Tullaghan and after reading this thread I found myself making sure to shake up the sand as I walked out to scare any fish away. Normally its the jellies Im worried about. I was thinking though they are probably more likely to be found at a calm beach like Rossnowlagh than they are at Tullaghan? Would I be right?

pauld81

Any waters that are warm and shallow (usually from knee depth down), doesn't have to be calm unfortunately.. But shaking up the sand, casting shadows in-front of where you walk and dragging your feet all might work, thing is we are entering their world and as far as they know we are a predator, so the little feckers sting us!
And I don't mean to be pedantic but Tullaghan is the town land west of Bundoran, Tullan Strand is the beach to the east with the cliff..

68 lost souls

pauld81 wrote: »

Any waters that are warm and shallow (usually from knee depth down), doesn't have to be calm unfortunately.. But shaking up the sand, casting shadows in-front of where you walk and dragging your feet all might work, thing is we are entering their world and as far as they know we are a predator, so the little feckers sting us!
And I don't mean to be pedantic but Tullaghan is the town land west of Bundoran, Tullan Strand is the beach to the east with the cliff..

Sorry Tullan, been surfing it for years you think I would get it right.

I find myself generally shaking up the sand as I go until I get up on the board and start paddeling. The weaver fish look so small and inconspicuous but sure can pack a punch

justme83

I was stung yesterday and thankfully my foot didnt swell up. I thought I had stood on glass initially. The pain spread pretty quickly through my foot. It is still very tender. Does anyone know how long this will go on for?

gtrizy

Got stung a couple of weeks back but it wasn't that painful at all as most people make it out to be, no swelling or anything. Still have a black dot on my foot from it.

ray doyle

are they weever fish are stone fish off the coast of waterford???

rodento

ray doyle wrote: »

are they weever fish are stone fish off the coast of waterford???

Weever fish can be issue in Waterford in the summer months

Akrasia

rodento wrote: »

Weever fish can be issue in Waterford in the summer months

I got a blast of a weever fish at fanore today. On my big toe just beyond the low water mark. Stung like hell for an hour. My wife squeezed some of the venom out so maybe that helped it recover that bit faster. It's tingling now a bit.

I didn't expect them to be around this early but then the water was really warm today.

ted1

Akrasia wrote: »

I got a blast of a weever fish at fanore today. On my big toe just beyond the low water mark. Stung like hell for an hour. My wife squeezed some of the venom out so maybe that helped it recover that bit faster. It's tingling now a bit.

I didn't expect them to be around this early but then the water was really warm today.

Squeezing shouldn't work as its protein rather than a venom, hot water is hat you need

Stealthfins

Akrasia wrote:

I got a blast of a weever fish at fanore today. On my big toe just beyond the low water mark. Stung like hell for an hour. My wife squeezed some of the venom out so maybe that helped it recover that bit faster. It's tingling now a bit.

Fanore is dotted with weaver fish,I went snorkeling there and it's full of them buried in the sand.

The greater weaver is also there.

barrymanilow

Will wetsuit booties protect from weever fish stings ? What I'm asking really is has anyone been stung while wearing booties ?

Low Pockets

I was asking a lad in a surf school that very question recently as we shuffled up and down the shallows.
He's seen it happen once, but it would have went through the neoprene on the top rather then the rubber on the bottom