Jellyfishing

zagmund

Does anyone know of a central resource or location for checking the status of the various SCD beaches for jelly fish conditions?

For a combination of reasons including jellyfish & water quality, we've gone from swimming 3 or 4 times a week in July to not swimming in August at all so far. Every time we think of going for a swim we hold off because the jellyfish might still be there.

I had a quick look at Google news and can see recent articles about jellyfish in the water and notices about warnings being issued, but nothing about warnings being withdrawn or the all clear being given.

Does anyone know if there's a central place to check this sort of information?

z

ted1

zagmund wrote: »

Does anyone know of a central resource or location for checking the status of the various SCD beaches for jelly fish conditions?

For a combination of reasons including jellyfish & water quality, we've gone from swimming 3 or 4 times a week in July to not swimming in August at all so far. Every time we think of going for a swim we hold off because the jellyfish might still be there.

I had a quick look at Google news and can see recent articles about jellyfish in the water and notices about warnings being issued, but nothing about warnings being withdrawn or the all clear being given.

Does anyone know if there's a central place to check this sort of information?

z

The jellyfish will probably be around till mid September. Their not a new thing.

Best thing to do us to get some safesea loition, apply it and enjoy your swim. It's anti jellyfish sting.

Ron DMC

Most of the jellyfish in the beaches lately have been fairly harmless, the equivalent of a nettle sting.

However, both Sandycove and Seapoint have had red flag warnings up over the last week or so as there were some Lion's Mane jellies spotted and removed from the water.

There's been a few cases of Portugeuse Man o' Wars being spotted around Wexford too, but hopefully they aren't as far north as us.

You're grand to get in for a bit of swim, as long as you check what colour flags the lifeguards have up, and even then, ask them, because there might be parts of the beach that are ok, even with the warning flags up.

Seaswimmer

I think jellyfish are part and parcel of swimming in Irish waters. Unless you are prone to severe reactions to stings then I just think its a question of bearing it. You can buy anti jellyfish swim suits that look like a wetsuit. I haven't worn one but I believe they do the job. Remember the most common ones (common jellyfish, compass jellyfish) only inflict a mild sting no worse than nettles. I have been stung by lions mane and while sore its not unbearable and I had no reaction to it.

Maybe discuss with your GP carrying an epipen if you are worried about anaphylaxis for yourself or family members but I wouldn't let jellyfish stop me swimming.

http://www.irelandwales.ie/images/text_pages/JellyfishIDCard.pdf

zagmund

Interesting views above. I just don't want to be the guy with "The lads on boards.ie said it would be OK" on my gravestone.

I know they aren't new, I know most of them don't sting or sting badly. I've swum through them, just like I've walked through a nettle field before. It's not the first thing I would think of doing though - with nettles it makes sense to avoid them. Same goes for jellyfish. It's no fun swimming through them thinking "is the next one going to be one of the nice ones or one of the dangerous ones" . . . when you are swimming through hundreds of them. When the local authority say they advise staying out of the water, I'm more than happy to take their advice until they say otherwise.

The anti-jelly fish suits might be fine for the distancers who are out there for ages, but for the casual swimmer who might be there for 10-15 minutes it seems overkill. I know it will address the issue, but so will staying out of the water.

The problem with following the life guard flags is that they take them down at the end of the shift when they are heading home, so if the tide is in late you have no idea what the story is.

z

Fratton Fred

I saw a big lion's mane jellyfish a couple of years back when diving off Muglins.

Jesus, they look pretty scary underwater.

Kingp35

Lots of Lions Mane Jellyfish washed up on Sandymount strand yesterday morning.

https://www.facebook.com/leinsteropensea/photos/a.290587774299093.74345.118590398165499/826275270730338/?type=1

christmas2010

This website is good for swimmers
http://splash.epa.ie/#

rubadub

There was a sign up at the bridge at white rock warning about them.

At hawks cliff (aka vico baths) I saw 3 in the water, 1 guy was close to 2 of them. An old guy pointed them out to me and said they were the dangerous ones.

zagmund

I was kayaking at Seapoint over the weekend and there was no sign of jellyfish, although the life guards had the red flags up.

It's getting silly when the red flag is up for most of the Summer,

z