Open-water hazards
John Frazer
risks are associated with open-water swimming?
E.g., I've heard of various bacterial infections -- are there any medical
precautions (i.e., shots) to take beforehand? I've heard of people needing
tetanus shots after being immersed in certain rivers.
Also, what about risks from pollutants?
Beth
"John Frazer" <jfra...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> Aside from the obvious risks such as drowning and hypothermia,
> what health risks are associated with open-water swimming?
Watch out for those insane jet-ski riders! Some of them
think it's fun to swoop near swimmers/scuba divers. Very
few of them obey (or even know about) the laws stating
the distance they must stay away from swimmers, swimming
areas, and diver-down flags. :(
> E.g., I've heard of various bacterial infections -- are there any
> medical precautions (i.e., shots) to take beforehand? I've heard
> of people needing tetanus shots after being immersed in certain
> rivers.
Well, there's girardia:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/list_gir.htm
leptospirosis:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/lepto.htm
cryptospirosis:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/crypto.htm
and algae blooms ("swimmer's itch"), etc....
(sorry about my spelling!)
More sites:
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/intro.html
(this is more for foodborne illnesses, but informative anyway!)
http://www.cdc.gov/ (general infectious disease info)
http://www.cdc.gov/health/diseases.htm (disease list)
A friend managed to get girardia from swimming in a (usually)
very clean lake that had just gone down from flooding.
Being near cattle ranches (or downstream of them) or
areas where wildlife may use the waterways are also factors.
Some doctors also reccommend that scuba divers/snorklers/
open water swimmers get the Hepatitis A & B vaccinations
as a precaution. I get the tetanus shots every 5 years
as a preventative measure.
> Also, what about risks from pollutants?
Depending on the place, you may very well find yourself
swimming through floating garbage, medical waste, and
boat fuel slicks (not a very attractive thought!). Then
there are many places that are totally pristine and
wonderful. :)
One thing I've discovered from doing a lot of open
water scuba diving is that old fishing line can be
a serious hazard. It's almost impossible to see,
is easy to get tangled in, and is difficult to break
without a knife. It also can be left for years and
still be a hazard. :( Those scuba diving knives
aren't just for fighting off sharks. :D
Don't get me wrong! I really like swimming in the open
water (especially in Hawaii :). There are just a lot
of hidden dangers that people should be aware of in advance.
Beth :)
~~~~~~~~~
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Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
Wendy Johnson
somebody get hit by a stingray but they only get you if your feet are on the
bottom.
Any RSTers ever gotten hit?
Wendy in St. Pete Beach
Sea2river
This is a common problem in the Pacific near San Diego. The key to avoiding
the stingray is to shuffle your feet whenever you walk in the water (at least
this is what my competition always tells me).
>Right now my biggest fear is stingrays and sharks. Almost every day I see
>somebody get hit by a stingray but they only get you if your feet are on the
>bottom.
------------
Bob Williams
55-59
Severna Park, MD
Sea2...@aol.com
Ferndock2
>risks are associated with open-water swimming?
When I've done open water, I've run into problems with jellyfish. Back in
college I remember a race in Ft. Lauderdale where someone ended up in the
hospital after an allergic reaction to taking a man-o-war in the face.
Fortunately, most jellyfish stings aren't too bad. Before you hop into the
water, ask the local lifeguards if there are any seasonal hazards. Most of them
know when the critters are more active, and can give appropriate warnings.
Jill
friedm...@my-deja.com
About 2 or 3 years ago, 'CONSUMERS REPORTS' magazine had a full-length
feature article about "beaches." This feature contained one of the few
interesting studies about waterborne pollution and disease. In brief,
there have been very few studies about this. Oftentimes swimmers who
develop digestive or respiratory illness do not connect this to a swim
they may have taken several days earlier. And some areas are more
prone to this than others. Suggest you find the article at a Public
Library and read it.
At this point, in my personal experience, I'd suspect that PWC's
(jetskiis) are # 1 hazard, with other motorboats/skiiers # 2.
Good luck!
jjotz
health
> risks are associated with open-water swimming?
Last summer, I did a 7.8 mi. swim down the Hudson River in Manhattan. A
&%*&%#!@*($@* power boat race pushed commercial boat traffic to the
eastern shore of the river -- right in the path of us swimmers. I
almost got plowed under by a barge! The barge ended up passing me
approx 10 yds. to my right after taking some evasive action.
Suprisingly, there was not much turbulence -- only a little from the
wake.
> E.g., I've heard of various bacterial infections -- are there any
medical
> precautions (i.e., shots) to take beforehand? I've heard of people
needing
> tetanus shots after being immersed in certain rivers.
I received hepatitus and tetanus shots last summer as a precaution. My
HMO covered the tenanus shot, but not the hepatitis shot, which cost
$60-$70.
> Also, what about risks from pollutants?
The Hudson River was suprisingly clean. I've done the Chesapeake Bay
for the past five years (including last Sunday), and I'm more concerned
about runoff from farms, manicured lawns and golf courses in the area.
If you want to play it safe, stay out of the water 48 hours following a
heavy rain. Many towns with older sewage treatment facilities and
combined sewers (that collect storm runoff as well as sewage from
toilets, etc.) can't handle the added capacity after a heavy rain. The
result? Raw sewage gets dumped into nearby rivers, bays, oceans, etc.
Jeff
--
"I want to share something with you -- the three little sentences that
will get you through life. Number one, 'Cover for me.' Number two,
'Oh, good idea, boss.'Number three, 'It was like that when I got here.'"
-- Homer J. Simpson
Ferndock2
Does your local health department do any sort of water testing? On a weekly
basis here, the paper publishes a list of different beaches, bays and bayous
and the water condition in each, as well as giving it a rating for swimming
safety. (Excellent to poor)
In Michigan, the health department or someone used to test popular beach areas
during the summer, and would publish the results of tests. They'd even close a
beach if bacteria levels were too high.
Jill
fern...@aol.com
Outsd1999
>health
>> risks are associated with open-water swimming?
A few years back a fellow drowned in the crowded swim at Chicago. It was
presumed that he was kicked in the head.
Bob
Ken
waterborne pollutants and other drifting scuz, I swear to never again
complain about bumping head on into a 4 foot sea turtle just cuz I lost
concentration and was distracted by colorful little fishes swimming in and
out of the coral 80 feet below me. I remember my days of swim training on
Guam, along the ledge near Orote Point, where the bottom fell to 1200 ft and
the water was so clear that I felt I like I should have been wearing a
parachute. Open Water swimming, the thrill and fear at the sight of a
shark , the mirade of sounds that emerge from the deep, to be encircled by
an envelope of schooling fish, passing over the ledge and seeing the coral
bottom fade to an infinite deep blue, there is no feeling that can compare
nor can I find the words to describe it. Reading these other accounts
does make me feel lucky.
Ken@Kauai
Freds4 wrote in message <19990616015849...@ng-fn1.aol.com>...
>>A few years back a fellow drowned in the crowded swim at Chicago. It was
>>presumed that he was kicked in the head.
>>
>
>This is not true, I was there. He was originally thought to have drowned,
but
>it was later discovered that his heart simply stopped beating. I guess it
was
>just his time.
>
> Steve Fredericks
> Oceanside, CA
Freds4
Tricia Richter
<k...@hawaiian.net> wrote:
> I remember my days of swim training on
> Guam, along the ledge near Orote Point, where the bottom fell to 1200 ft and
> the water was so clear that I felt I like I should have been wearing a
> parachute. Open Water swimming, the thrill and fear at the sight of a
> shark , the mirade of sounds that emerge from the deep, to be encircled by
> an envelope of schooling fish, passing over the ledge and seeing the coral
> bottom fade to an infinite deep blue, there is no feeling that can compare
> nor can I find the words to describe it.
Ah, this reminds me of the sensation of swimming over the ledge toward the
backside of Molokini, Ken. Exactly the same experience! And the sounds
of the whales out there...unbelievable. I love your description of the
feeling that one should be wearing a parachute---perfect!
:)
--
Tri-Baby
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