Sea lice may be the most common stinging creature encountered by swimmers at warm ocean beaches. The name sea lice is a bit of a misnomer since these rash causing creatures are really the larvae of jellyfish. Nearly invisible in the water, sea lice can cause blisters, welts and rashes, often under bathing suits.
Instructions
1. Learn when sea lice are typically present in the area that you'll be swimming. Sea lice are generally only present during certain months of the year, depending on the location, so finding out when the sea lice season is can help you avoid them during peak times. In the Caribbean, for example, sea lice season runs from March to August, with the peak times during April to July.
2. Wear a wetsuit to prevent sea lice from becoming trapped in your bathing suit. Most stings happen when the sea lice become trapped between the swimsuit and skin, so wearing a wetsuit prevents the sea lice from coming into contact with your skin.
3. Swim with as little on as possible. If you can't wear a wetsuit, your best bet to avoid sea lice stings is to swim naked or wear as little as possible in the water. Most stings happen under swimsuits so eliminating as much suit area as you can helps prevent stings.
4. Talk to locals, hotel staff and other vacationers if you're in an area that you are unfamiliar with and want to avoid sea lice. Locals and hotel staff will often know if sea lice are present and if there are places where you can swim without encountering too many.
5. Try using a product that repels sea lice. Products like Safe Sea are said to protect you from sea lice stings. Anecdotal evidence suggests that suntan lotion applied before swimming may also help you avoid sea lice stings.
6. Stay out of the ocean if you know that sea lice are present. The easiest and most effective method of avoiding sea lice, particularly if you know that you're sensitive, is to stay out of the water.
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