Itching and Rash after riding Alameda

[schwede]

I rode on Saturday and about an hour after I got out of the water started itching and had these little bumps all over. I didn't assimilate this with Kiting but after getting out yesterday I had the same things happen. Does anyone know if there is gas, poo, or somethingelse growing in that water??

[windhorny]

It's probably from the shock of there actually being wind at alameda.

Seriously though, some people in the past have had this reaction and it tends to go away quickly. I have not heard of anything toxic or wierd. "They" are pretty good at checking water levels and posting any abnormalities and even then the water is relatively safe. Then again, a beginner might be in the water alot more than some so who knows.

I am about ready to yank out those damn cages they put back in though. I almost got cought in the mine field yesterday when the wind died down.

[adamT]

I used to get very itchy legs from kiting in Alameda. No bumps but still very annoying.. Hasn't happened in awhile though.

I kitted there all day Sat and Sunday and nothing...
I would suggest washing your wetsuit just in case it is somehow contaminated with something weird..

Adam

PS You could also try peeing in your suit regularly to try and kill off any bacteria build up.. :?

[scottp]

I was looking into this as well because there have been folks talking about "worms" recently at the beach...

The only thing I could find was an article from 2007 on AlamedaMagazine.com:

Periodically, another biological problem hits the beach. Starting in June 2005, doctors on the Island reported that
more than 90 patients had come in
with small, itchy rashes along their feet and ankles—a classic symptom of “swimmer’s itch,” or cercarial dermatitis. The rash is caused by the larval form of a flatworm that starts life in aquatic snails and burrows under the skin of birds and mammals to complete its lifecycle in their bloodstreams. Sometimes, for lack of a better host, the larvae burrow under humans’ skin. The larvae can’t live there—and won’t take up residence in your bloodstream—but they can cause an itchy allergic reaction. Alas, the larvae are also most often found in shallow water along coastlines—just the kind of environment for which Crown Beach is famous.
Reports of itchy ankles surfaced again in June—right after the public schools on the Island let out—prompting another wave of notices up and down the beach. The parks district is continuing to sample snails to make sure the problem doesn’t arise again, however. “Swimmer’s itch is very unusual in salt water, so the fact that it happened here had a lot of us scratching our heads,” Fujita puns. “But we’ll keep testing for it.”
As for the itchy rash one of my friends mentioned, that’s more likely due to larval jellyfish or other tiny sea creatures than sewage or industrial pollutants, notes Sharol Nelson-Embry, supervising naturalist at Crab Cove Nature Center at the westernmost end of the beach.
Source: http://www.alamedamagazine.com/media/Al ... -Polluted/

...And here is a link to the wikipedia showing what the rash looks like:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swimmer's_itch

Certain creams might provide protection, according to the Wikipedia.

[windhorny]

All the more reason to not sit there standing in one place and get on the board!

[scottp]

Ah... You've seen me standing out there with the red helmet and 15m Cult... :roll: One day soon, wind willing, it will happen, I swear...

On the topic of the rash, bumps, itch - thing, whatever it is, most people seem unaffected (as is the case with Swimmer's itch because either the organisms do not like them as a host, or they are not allergic to them) - AJ had some bumps on his head (like two or three that he showed us) and they did not seem to bother him, but that is all I have seen...

Schwede, would you be willing to post a photo of the bumps?

Scott

[go4kitesurfing]

schwede: i was out in alameda sat & sun as well and noticed small weird pink/red bumps on my feet directly after the sun session. mildly itchy right away but not for long. can still see that my skin is irritated though.

btw, are you actually a Swede?

[schwede]

Scottp - Sorry I didnt take a picture of my crouch for you but next time I will make sure I do for you. Thinking about it though it could have something to do from my friend I picked up on Friday night late on International blvd and 98th.

[airess]

It's probably from the shock of there actually being wind at alameda.

:lol: :D :lol:


you have a rash? no seriously....take some of this :auto-nx:

[maxsteamer]

Hello Kiters,

This is a "Parasite", that can only survive for a few hours on your skin, you should still wash with dish soap like (joy) or the like....as it has a deterrent that works very well...I got the red bumps on my back, and could not reach the itch after a shower with "joy dish soap" the rash was gone and there was no more itching.

This Parasite will only survive in hot salty water from july, through sept..after that no worries they die off from the colder waters.

Max be with you " " but not in the water