10/24/09 Norcal dive report. Another "SICK" trip!

[Nelson Kwok]

The ocean was supposed to be pretty gnarly this weekend, but I drove up the coast anyway because I wanted to drop off my Rob Allen at Bodega Bay Dive shop to get it looked it. I pick up my friend Melissa at 7:00 and head up. We get to the dive shop and find its doors closed, a sticky note saying they are opening late, at 12:00 in the afternoon. Doh!

I brought my dive stuff anyway in the off chance we find a calm spot. Checked out a couple areas before settling on one that looked decent. Big sets were coming in, but the frequency wasn't bad and the wind didnt seem as bad as it was forecasted. The vis sucked, but a milky 3-5 feet was doable for abalone. Popped 3 quick abs, grabbed an urchin, and traded out my ab iron for my speargun. Spearing was a bit more difficult because I couldnt see well enough to spot fish swimming so I concentrated on looking into holes and small caves. I shot one small gopher and called it a day because the surge was getting worse and I was getting knocked around.

Cracked open and ate the uni with my friend and then dropped off the gun at the dive shop. During the drive I started feeling nauseaus. The same way I felt last weekend. I pulled off the freeway next to a McDonalds around Tiburon and immediately started puking. The first set lasted a couple minutes and as I got back in the car to rest I was still smiling and joking with my friend. A few minutes later the second set of vomiting had me hunched over, but I was still in good spirits and in between heaves I told Melissa to take out her Iphone and take pictures of me puking. The third set had me on my knees and when I finally stumbled back to the car to get water to rinse out my mouth I wasn't smiling anymore. Roughly 45 minutes later and after the 8th or 9th time puking I was absolutely drained and if death were to have come knocking I would have welcomed her with open arms. My head was spinning and had a throbbing headache. My stomach was in knots. My whole body was super sensitive to any external stimulus be it light, sound, or touch. The car's dome light made me want to puke. Hearing my friend talk made me want to puke. The car's radio made me want to puke. Even moving and shifting my body around on the car's seat made me want to puke. All I wanted was to crawl inside of a dark hole and stay there.

At that point i was so emptied out that I wasn't bringing anything up just dry heaving. My stomach muscles were cramping. My friend bought a Sprite from McDonalds hoping it would help settle my stomach, but after just a few sips, it came back out. Just like last time I felt my bowels rumble, but this time I was able to stumble over to the McDonalds and had a toilet to sit on. Just like last time, after I finished my business I puked one more time and then I was done. This was just like last weekend. Puke, puke, puke, poop, puke, and finish. My friend drove the rest of the way. I took a nap at her place until I felt well enough to drive and got home around 9:00. If this was like last time I knew I would wake up and feel a lot better and I did. I bought some jook from China town this morning and feel just about 90%. A little tired, my stomach muscles are sore, but not bad.

At this point I'm thinking its the uni. Maybe I'm allergic to it or something. I'm really hoping its not brought on by diving and that there is nothing physically wrong with me. Going to try and dive next weekend, but without the uni to see if the same thing happens.

Anyway, some pics. I didn't bring my camera, these were all from my friend's iphone.

[Chris Lupin]

Gotta be the uni. Your reports are still awesome.

[Lino]

I will be sure to pass on that stuff.
Sounds like food poisoning.

[Seaholic]

Well if it makes you feel better, I just got done puking. After my last dive yesterday in the Charlie sturgill pole spear meet, as I was getting on my boat, I must of took a gulp of sea water and it didn't take more than a couple of minute and I just puked everything in my stomach. My stomach has been upset since yesterday. Its just one of those things, what are you gonna do you know.

[el_pedorro]

I'm thinking it's the uni.

For more empirical evidence though, you'll have to try it again as a controlled experiment...just to be sure.

[matt mattison]

it is the uni !!!!!! everytime I have ate the stuff I have puked !

[Nelson Kwok]

Originally Posted by el_pedorro

I'm thinking it's the uni.

For more empirical evidence though, you'll have to try it again as a controlled experiment...just to be sure.

Yikes, no way Doug. I'm not touching the stuff ever again! Im going to dive without eating the uni and see how I do next week. If it turns out its the diving causing me to get sick I'd be pretty devastated. Just as I'm getting into the sport.

[matt mattison]

Try eating the uni when not diving and see if you get sick that qwill answer the question right there.

[seawolf]

Sounds like salmonella poisoning.

[KingNeptune]

Hi guys,

What I don't understand is this, what's the purpose of eating a urchin? To me, it's not worth the risk to even try one as one diver mention salmonella poisoning or some possible consequences of your health......? To me, it's best to leave the sea urchin alone in the ocean and just hunt fishes and abalones in which we know is safe....smile.

KN
Dive safe and smart

[MarineMammal]

I've eaten urchin from our coast at least 6 times just this year and not a single problem. Hell I ate one of them underwater on SCUBA. I also eat scallops directly off the rock, abalone straight from the shell and also lingcod sashimi (after candling). I haven't had a problem yet.

I've gotten more food poisoning from fast food and burritos than eating raw seafood by a long shot. Besides thousands of people eat uni everyday and are fine. I'm guessing it may be allergies, the urchins were taken from contaminated waters or just bad luck.

[offduty]

It sounds like a reaction to the Uni. Although, I don't think a bacteria like Salmonella is the culprit. Not even sure that fresh seafood, right out of the ocean, can have Salmonella contamination.
Were you dizzy? Did the room feel like it was spinning?
How long after you exited the water and ate the uni were the symptoms?

[seawolf]

You're right, probably not salmonella if it was fresh and not taken from contaminated waters. It was probably echinoderm poisoning. Sea urchin gonads contain an acetylcholinelike substance that produces the expected constellation of signs and symptoms, including salivation, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. I investigated it more and came up with this.

[Fis_Hunter]

Originally Posted by offduty

It sounds like a reaction to the Uni. Although, I don't think a bacteria like Salmonella is the culprit. Not even sure that fresh seafood, right out of the ocean, can have Salmonella contamination.
Were you dizzy? Did the room feel like it was spinning?
How long after you exited the water and ate the uni were the symptoms?

I was thinking the same thing. Also most alergic reactions to food have associated with them swelling of the toung and throat and sometimes hives. Were you in the car do you get car sick the roads are curvy around there.

[offduty]

Originally Posted by seawolf

You're right, probably not salmonella if it was fresh and not taken from contaminated waters. It was probably echinoderm poisoning. Sea urchin gonads contain an acetylcholinelike substance that produces the expected constellation of signs and symptoms, including salivation, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. I investigated it more and came up with this.

It sounds like they both ate the Uni, but only he got sick. Which makes me think he has some sensitivity to whatever it was. Maybe it is this echinoderm poisoning, but I would have expected them both to have the same symptoms.

Did you eat the most? Did you eat anything else?

If it was an inner ear/ Barotrauma thing, I would have expected some dizziness or equilibrium problems and the symptoms would have started while in the water or soon after exiting.

If the symptoms started only after he had the Uni in his stomach for a while and the symptoms were limited to vomiting, that points to the Uni. I don't know if it would be considered an allergic reaction or not. No Hives, itching swelling...etc. But definately an unpleasant reaction

I think you have the right idea Qtip...skip the Uni next time and see how it goes.