Summer is just around the corner… are you ready?

Summer is just around the corner, here in San Diego, I would say summer is already here. However, we are missing the warmer water. Prepping for a summer of fun involves many things, maybe a new surfboard, changeup the wetsuit, put away the booties, invest in some sunscreen, and more importantly shuffle your feet if you live in SoCal. Stingray season is upon us!

A few weeks ago a few of us were surfing at Beacons in Encinitas. As we walked up the bluff we noticed that there was plots of blood all the way up. My initial thoughts were, cool someone else kicked the reef today and not me. As we got to the top we saw an older man most likely buzzed on alcohol or weed and he was bleeding pretty good. So naturally we grabbed our first aid kit and went to help out. As we were giving him supplies to clean out his wound he told us it was a tiger shark that he saw in the water and it came up and bit him. His friend that was also surfing confirmed it was a shark under them. He then told us he had been surfing for over 15 years and never once had been bitten by a shark.

As we watching him clean out his would and he goes on to say wow, he just got me with 1 tooth. Incredible he thought. Then he started telling us it was hurting up to his knee. Keep in mind he was bleeding from the bottom of his foot. The thing about sharks is they don’t really bite with just 1 tooth and typically they got for the more meaty area like your calk or thigh… not the bottom of your foot. Also it wouldn’t hurt up your leg it would be more localized. More notably it would probably be a bite mark not 1 gash. So we told him I think it was a stingray, they are out now and a few people have been unlucky enough to find them this early on April.

He refused to say it was a stingray, he said he’s been hit before by stingray’s this that and the other. Clearly he “knew best” despite the reality. This goes to show that no matter how old you are you can always be ignorant and not matter what time a year it is, you’re not safe from those cute little critters on the sea floor. To this day I am sure that man is still saying he got bit by a shark and he probably had a very painful weekend not caring for a stingray wound verses a “shark bit”.

Since it is summer and stingrays are more common with the warmer water and sandy bottom (insert joke) be prepared, have a first aid kit, always know where a bucket is, and have some wound care supplies. If you are unlucky just know you have to put it in the hottest water you can bare, please don’t burn yourself, and keep it in the hot water for 2-3 hours. Make sure you clean it properly and you might as well go to urgent care to get on antibiotics because it most certainly will be infected.

Good luck this summer and shred safe!