Hydroids -- Beware!

[billy bobba]

It's that time of year when the water temp gets right for Hydroids to flourish.
If you fish Brown & Root and LHLs -- Beware!
Wear waders or tights, or -----

[Hector]

WOW!

[cliftonio]

Wow that looks ITCHY!

[Mr. Green]

I got torn up by chiggers twice last year at work...but your situation looks way worse...I feel for you...

[billy bobba]

That photo was from a few years ago.
I was actually in the "healing" stage -- about a week after the attack.
It seems that I became more sensitive to the stings every year, so I am extra careful to cover up these days until the water temp reaches 80 deg. Then they seem to go away.

[txspeck]

That's why I prefer to stay in the kayak?

[fryemup]

thanks for the reminder.. It seems like every year someone doesn't remember and gets them bad.

[billy bobba]

That's why I prefer to stay in the kayak?

I was in my kayak !

[Blindcasting]

The worst cases seem to be when sitting in the kayak with legs over the side. The kayak is like a skimmer that channels all of the hydroids to your legs.

I've had good success in avoiding them the last couple of years using Safe sea lotion.

http://www.buysafesea.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[wandering wader]

Hydroids??

[Jeffrey]

Thanks for the warning. I learn something from this forum everyday. How long does the season for hydroids last?

[wandering wader]

The worst cases seem to be when sitting in the kayak with legs over the side. The kayak is like a skimmer that channels all of the hydroids to your legs.

I've had good success in avoiding them the last couple of years using Safe sea lotion.

http://www.buysafesea.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Followed the link to sealice (hydroids). thanks.

[billy bobba]

The worst cases seem to be when sitting in the kayak with legs over the side. The kayak is like a skimmer that channels all of the hydroids to your legs.

I've had good success in avoiding them the last couple of years using Safe sea lotion.

http://www.buysafesea.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Followed the link to sealice (hydroids). thanks.

Hydroids, which sting you in the bays, are a larval form of a creature in the jellyfish family. You don't see them, and sometimes the sting / rash does not show until the next day.
I always thought that Sea Lice were a different critter but I could be wrong -- they are a small marine ectoparasite. I get them while surfing in the Gulf, and they tend to home in on your ---well -- crotch.

http://indosurflife.com/surfnews/world- ... -lice.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here is past thread on the topic -- with more gruesome photos.

http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/foru ... d&start=25" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The thread had a good link on hydroids --

http://www.jfponline.com/Pages.asp?AID=1515&UID=" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[4TheReels]

Put some butter on it......butter makes everything better.....

[SoulSeeker]

Looks like poison ivy.

[newguy]

Long pants help, but seem like a few still get through . Haven't tried seasafe, but plan to. Thanks Trey.

[c1337j]

not just in the bays either, they get in the surf bad. but ive never seen someone actually break out like that they're more of just annoying as hell

[RedWolf]

OK, just curious, as I had never heard of Hydroids before Dean posted up about them last year. Are they limited to the South Coast area or do they run all the way up the coast also? Not sure that I have ever heard of them on the upper coast.

[c1337j]

def upper coast too, i get em in surfside a lot in the warmer months

[newguy]

Fished BR today in shorts, with no droids. Water temp 68F, maybe a little cool for them, but it won' t be long.

[Kingz]

.
That didnt take long...
.
...........................
.
Not too bad, earliest I've got 'em...........G

[billy bobba]

Rx = Benadryl Gel + A tall cool libation (repeat as necessary) .

[WoodsWaterSky]

Thanks for sharing! I have yet to encounter them, but now know what to do, when I do.

[billy bobba]

I should have noted that the Benadryl Gel does hardly any good - but you can tell everyone you have treated the stings and then get straight to phase 2 of the cure - Drinking heavily.

[GoinCoastal]

Luckily, I am not allergic to them so I just get the red bumps and very little itching. However, I have found that if I wash my legs with Purell when I get off the water, I hardly even get the bumps.