Sea Lice Repellent - is there such a thing?

All the dredging work at Botany seems to have stirred up the vermin. I'm getting savaged by sea lice just before taking off at the beach. I can even feel the buggers biting biting my legs when I'm standing in the water.

Prevention is better than cure. Is there anything that can be used as a repellent, some sort of lotion? There must be something.....scratching my legs...

are you sure its sealice or is it " sandflys"

you could wear pantyhose des they have some really hot colours, you mite be able to get a match for your sails get a few pair's

I'm glad you mentions this because some body was asking me why they were getting stung down at Kyeemagh yesterday and i didn't know the answer...
I guess the State governments environmental impact of the Desalination plant missed this one huh. Next thing they will try and tell us is that Botany Bay is getting deeper...

20 knots at Sydney airport right now and you're complaining about sea lice? We'll trade all your sea lice, 20 car parking spaces .. and a shark for just half of your 20 knotters.

As for the desal plant, the freshwater will be used to lay even more concrete which will further improve the strength and reliability of your noreasters. And - if we can have a little whinge - the power for the desal plant is allocated to the new windfarm upwind of lake George - our best sailing when its full of water. 200MW extracted from the wind! That's got to slow it down.

I had the same problem at xmas on the mid north coast. After taking days of torture like a man, i was told that vinegar was relatively good repellent. Vinegar has been used as a cure for jellyfish stings for quiet some time now as it kills lice attached to the skin. With this i soaked my boardies and rashie in vinegar and it worked a treat. the only let down is the smell which is associated with the vinegar.

hey des stop complaining, you have got another 2 days to go and seabreeze says it going to be stronger than the last 3

i went on wikipedia and they said this stuff is good for keepin them off
'chemical emamectin benzoate (SLICE)'
dunno if its poison to us though but in WA we dont get the buggers so i guess
SUCKS TO BE YOU!!!!

could me sea michies ya get em up north michys

Cross posting this from the Kiteboarding forum, as there is a post there pointing to this one - thought this info may help if it is actually the problem

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I thought that it was mosquitos at home that were getting me, because I would go Kiting and come home fine, and then overnight wake up with terrible itching, and the next day look like I had been monstered by a squadron of Mosquitoes.

When I had a bit of a dig, I found this:

www.northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au/

and this:

www.warringah.nsw.gov.au/community/pelicanitch.aspx

The summary is that it is likely to be a blood fluke. It comes out in water temps over 24 degrees, and wanders around the surface of the water looking for a bird to go and live in.

When it reaches a human, it burrows into the skin, but can't reach a blood supply and dies.

The itching and lumps is the bodies imune system response.

I have been getting it really badly between my waist and my knees.

My theory is that my full sleeve rashy keeps the little bastards off my body, the water flowing along my legs washes them off, but the trapped water under my boardies gives them time to attack.

My kite buddy wears a springsuit, and hasn't been bitten once.

I know that I probably just need to HTFU, but this **** is killing me, I can't sleep at night for the itching of these frigging bites.

I think until the water cools down a bit I might try and find some skins or similar to wear under my shorts to see if that helps.

SB

Such good info, I've been wondering what's been going on!

Australia Day 26 Jan 09 at Cronulla Beach, we swam without issues.

Sunday the 1 Feb 09 at Como baths (Sutherland Shire), we swam at low tide and the four us broke out in approx. 20+ itchy bites the next day, very similar to mosquito bites.

Upon attending Jannali Pharmacy the Pharmacist advised they experienced the swam itchy condition after swimming at Cronulla beach 26 Jan 09?

We were prescribed:
Claratyne -Loratine 10mg, relieves itching
Pinetarsol - lotion Pine Tar 2.3% and triethanolamine lauryl sulfate 6%)
Egocort cream - Hydrocortisone (dissolved) 1% w/w

These aforementioned treatment assisted, yet found the quickest relief was achieved by squeezing the infected area until a clear fluid was released (breaking the skins surface) and applying the Pinetarsol and as well as Calamine Lotion (Calamine 15g/100ml.

By observation, we found the more hairy ones body is the greater the degree of attack. Loose rashy skins appeared to increase the chance of attack and after reading some other sites there was further evidence supporting the same.

http://www.ampa.co.nz/Adams_Bites%20and%20Stings%20Marine%20stings%20FINAL.pdf

Other sites:

images.google.com.au/images?hl=en&q=sea+lice&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=l-mPSZakM5qWsAOchfn2CA&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&resnum=4&ct=title

www.surviveoutdoors.com/emergency/sea-lice.asp

www.sealicecancun.com/

After recovering we swam at Dolls Point beach (Botany Bay) 7 Feb 09, yet were stung again!

I am giving swimming away until the cooler months.

Hey Des, Am here in Japan.
And would you believe that i'm just only now getting over the 20 to 30 itchy bloody sea lice bites all over my legs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That hi speed blasting sesh we did on my last day in Sydney, had me buzzing with the sailing. But also had me scratching like a demon at the bites all over my legs!!!
The only way i killed the f%@#ing itch was to scratch the tops off all the bites then pour AMONIA all over my legs and the bleeding open bites.
Stings a little, but 24 hrs later job done. No more itch, and the possibility of a decent nights sleep.

i was at the chemist yesterday and saw a product called HTFU.
i believe it is good for sea lice, sandflys and any other homo related problems.
so, yer try some HTFU!!! you wont regret it.