Jelly Fish in Medano!

Hey guys 

There has not been a lot going on over here in Tenerife to do with windsurfing, although we have had a few freestyle days and two good wave days. Unfortunately I haven't got any pictures for you, though I can say I have discovered a new enemy out on the water...

"Who can this enemy be?" I hear you say. Well it just so happens to be a Portuguese Man of War, or a Blue Bottle depending how you want to call it.

This last week we suddenly had a massive influx of jellyfish floating through El Medano. Luckily I only ran into one of these balloon like things and only got stung very minimally. What happened was that I was sailing at the Harbour Wall and fell in. As soon as I hit the water I felt a small electric shock in the back of my knees. I then jumped onto my board and in doing so I must have kicked a tentacle because it then stung me on my big toe. I had no idea what had just happened but my legs hurt and my toe hurt A LOT! So I thought to myself it must be something in the water. Sam Neal then sails past and notices I am in pain and shouts over to see if I am all right. He notices the jellyfish around my boom and points it out to me. In seeing this, Sam then continues to sail in the waves and never came back to check on me again! (The waves were really good though, so I won't hold it against him!) Well, now I was in a predicament - what do I do with this jellyfish, which obviously has a powerful sting and its wrapped around my boom? Being in pain and wanting to get back to the beach I did the only thing that came naturally and just dipped my sail into the oncoming swells to shake it off. Eventually it got loose and I made it back downwind to the beach. Coming up the beach, Tris, being the fountain of knowledge that he is, gives me three remedies - vinegar, hot water and of course the old favourite ... pee! Well, I was in quite a bit of pain so I tried all three (it was my own pee before you ask!) and it worked luckily, so all turned out well.

The jellies have now drifted on down the coast and out into the Atlantic to bother some other poor soul, so hopefully we wont be seeing anymore of them.

Graham K-51