nasty water

The deep dark secret of the US and everywhere...the oceans aren't getting any cleaner folks. From little shreds of plastic bags to bacteria and runoff, it's pretty filthy out there. After surfing Friday night and all day Saturday, I was so congested I thought about visiting the doctor. It went way beyond that, though. I had a splitting headache and was completely exhausted for the next two days. I'm in pretty good shape, so it wasn't simply fatigue. My brother and friend (who don't surf) also had sinus issues, and they just went swimming for 1-2 hours. This stuff isn't going away, and it'll only get worse. I don't really know the solution, but we can definitely do better. As surfers, it's our responsibility since we suffer the consequences more than most other people.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by live aloha

The deep dark secret of the US and everywhere...the oceans aren't getting any cleaner folks. From little shreds of plastic bags to bacteria and runoff, it's pretty filthy out there. After surfing Friday night and all day Saturday, I was so congested I thought about visiting the doctor. It went way beyond that, though. I had a splitting headache and was completely exhausted for the next two days. I'm in pretty good shape, so it wasn't simply fatigue. My brother and cousin (who don't surf) also had sinus issues, and they just went swimming for 1-2 hours. This stuff isn't going away, and it'll only get worse. I don't really know the solution, but we can definitely do better. As surfers, it's our responsibility since we suffer the consequences more than most other people.

---

Amen to that. The water reeked of piss when I was surfing croatan. I've felt like **** since I went out, all making sense now.

i got a sinus and an ear infection. the ear wasnt that bad so i still surfed every day last week

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by live aloha

This stuff isn't going away, and it'll only get worse. I don't really know the solution, but we can definitely do better. As surfers, it's our responsibility since we suffer the consequences more than most other people.

---

I'll tell you the solution. We have to rebuild and refine our sewage and sanitation systems. Any time there is a significant rain event (1 in. or more) beaches surrounding outfall pipes must be preemtively closed due to unbelievable levels of the enterococcus bacteria. Here's a fun fact: the legal swimming level is 104 MPN (most probable number of bacteria) per 100 cubic centimeters. Testing after 0.68 in. of rain at and near the plume of outfall pipes rendered results as high as 3,000 and 4,000 MPN per 100 cc. So it's really no wonder you would get sick after a hurricane which most certainly delivers more than an inch of rain.

Our problem is that we do not realize that the bacteria is actually caused by fecal coliform from humans. We are the cause. Every time it rains, our sewage systems become overloaded and often overflow into nearby lakes and streams. Since these lead to the ocean, all of our partially treated and and/or untreated sh*t flows right into the ocean. The source is us and the solution is to stop dumping our **** into the ocean.

I try to surf national parks these days. You should see the difference between back bay and croatan...

The worst I've seen is off Hawaii, specifically Oahu. Particularly south shore breaks like Diamond Head.

On Oahu there's an open canal named Ala Wai Canal, runs right through downtown Honolulu. It looks picturesque, like you'd go kayaking or canoeing on it. Fish born in this water are deformed at birth from the chemicals. A couple years ago, a local got tossed into the canal & quickly died from massive infections spawned in that disgusting soup of human excrement.
http://www.surfermag.com/features/on...ill/index.html

So, back to Diamond Head...as for the ocean water....we were wondering, where does all the waste go from over 1 mln people ? 'Cause they only have one sewage processing plant on the entire island. And no way can it handle all the sewage being produced.

Shoot, man, they pump that stuff out through pipes a few hundred yards offshore. And good luck to you if the currents, wind or waves are pushing it right back on you as you surf. My buddy lives in Diamond Head & comes down with staff & sinus infections on a monthly basis.
http://www.surfrider.org/a-z/staph.php

MRSA & gram negative infections can't be beaten by normal drugs. In fact, if you don't catch MRSA early, it will b with you for the rest of your limited lifespan. And gram negatives .... nothing we have in our array of drugs works against those flesh eaters. You're simply done.

Honolulu lost a suit by the EPA against it in 2008. 1 billion dollar judgment, yep, billion. EPA demanded that they revamp the waste management system for the entire island. Good luck with that one, eh...?

If only those turistas snapping pics of the beautiful Hawaiian waters knew the truth...:eek:

I've been fighting sinus infections all summer. I still don't have all my taste back yet and my right ear just dosent seen 100%. Definitely gonna check out that sinus wash. Never had it like this before. :(

Yea, that was some nasty sh!t in the Ala Wai back in...2006(?). Didn't a sewage pipe rupture or something? That was the filthiest water I've ever seen. I remember the news report saying the guy who fell in was so messed up (only 24 hrs later) that his family could barely recognize him at the hospital. Absolutely horrible.

I remember sitting in the Ala Mo' parking lot watching head high barrels reeling through with no one out there. Then some tourist got a foot infection which was later diagnosed as bacteria from walking through ankle deep water on the beach. Do you remember how long it lasted? I seem to remember it being like 4 months, but it's been awhile. I went back in before a lot of other people, and I remember the water still being really bad.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by live aloha

Yea, that was some nasty sh!t in the Ala Wai back in...2006(?). Didn't a sewage pipe rupture or something? That was the filthiest water I've ever seen. I remember the news report saying the guy who fell in was so messed up (only 24 hrs later) that his family could barely recognize him at the hospital. Absolutely horrible.

I remember sitting in the Ala Mo' parking lot watching head high barrels reeling through with no one out there. Then some tourist got a foot infection which was later diagnosed as bacteria from walking through ankle deep water on the beach. Do you remember how long it lasted? I seem to remember it being like 4 months, but it's been awhile. I went back in before a lot of other people, and I remember the water still being really bad.

---

That's absolutely disgusting.

After surfing it total shmeg for several days straight, I woke up Saturday morning feeling like something was crawling around deep inside my nose on one side. All day I had this itchy tickle that was driving me crazy. Saturday night I was woken up several times by the same raging sensation. Started thinking it was a parasite or some kind of flesh eating bacteria gnawing away at my sinuses. It started to go away by Tuesday, and today it's gone completely. I still don't know what it was, but I guess if it didn't kill me, I must have killed it.