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What to Pack for Surfing in Baja?

What to Pack for Surfing in Baja?

original watermen, stay salty, earn your salt, baja surf trip, surfshirts, sun screen.Baja California Mexico is a surfers paradise but also a brutally harsh environment for humans to survive in. Adventures in Baja, away from the main towns, are not for the air conditioning hotel going types. Dirt is everywhere, cacti are everywhere, and there is no fresh water to speak of. No wonder it hasn’t been developed. Traveling in this dusty land requires street smarts, survival instinct, and experience. You will most likely need two of everything because Baja giveth and Baja taketh away. Expect to get lost, and expect to get stuck, but most of all, expect an epic adventure. The following is a list of some of the essentials I like to bring with me when exploring the remote reaches of this barren land.

1)      Full size spare tire– Although there are llanteras, or tire shops in English, it is a necessity to have a full sized spare when searching for that remote point break. I have guys get stuck fifty miles from the main paved road and I have had to tell them, “Sorry. Best of luck as there is nothing I can do. I will tell the next campo owner.” Note: It could be days until the word travels down the road and a tire guy comes to help you.

Repair kits help and so do compressors, but they are both useless if you shred a tire.

2)      Water– It is hot and it is dry. It’s a desert, so this should go without saying, but bring twice the water you think you will need for your trip, including enough water for cooking and cleaning.

3)      Food– While a lot of old Baja lizards don’t bring ice or coolers on their multi week or month adventures, it is possible to bring refrigerated goods. Let them enjoy their warm beer and rice dinners. The new technology in coolers allows you to keep block ice for well over a week at a time. Just keep the cooler out of the sun by hanging your boardshorts on it. There are few things better than a cold beer after an all-day surf session.

Food should be easy to prepare and able to survive a bumpy truck ride. Sealed packages of non-refrigerated chorizo and a few eggs make a great easy breakfast. Bring a lot of tortillas and anything else that doesn’t require a tremendous amount of water to cook. But if you forget tortillas I suggest getting them fresh there! If you are camping near a local fish camp, you can usually buy fish off the locals for super cheap, and even pay them to take you fishing when the surf gets flat. I have seen guys paddle out to shrimp boats offshore and buy a kilo bag (2 pounds) of shrimp for 20 U.S. dollars.

Bring a lot of food, but don’t go overboard. Plan your meals. Water and food are some of the heaviest items and take up most of the space in your vehicle.

4)      Shovels– Even four-wheel drive vehicles get stuck. Plus, you will need this to bury your poop. It’s a smart idea to dig a hole deep enough, so the coyotes wont dig it up again. Go the bathroom as far away from where others are camping as you safely can. It is sad when you drive all that way and see toilet paper scattered everywhere in the bushes behind camp.

5)      Lighting- Solar lights are the way to go. There is no shortage of sun in Baja. The company Luci makes a great light that compacts into almost nothing, but is quite bright as a canopy light. Make sure everyone in your camp has a good headlamp. It can be quite annoying to hold a flashlight while cooking.

6)      Shade- Having shade and battling the wind is a tough egg to crack. Pop up type tents are easily blown away, so bring lots of rope and stakes to hold them down. Be prepared for the wind to switch without warning. Baja is almost always windy.

Note: your shade structures also make a convenient place to hang a surf shirt or rashguard. The sun and sand are relentless and unless you are a scorpion or reptile you will shrivel up and go crazy if you can’t get out of the elements some way or another.

7)      Shoes- Bring a few pairs of sandals and some shoes or boots. Your feet will thank you. Make sure you put them out of reach of coyotes, they are known to go through your trash and take shoes in the night.

8)      Sun Protection–  Bring a good hat like a snapback and lots of sunscreen. I suggest bringing SOLRX. And bring an extra pair of sunglasses.

9)      Bug spray – For certain rare areas near fresh water. They are relentless.

10)  First aid- The basics, and know how to use them, and where the closest real hospitals are. Fin cuts are no joke down there. They are trip enders.

But far worse are stings from Sting Rays, which are relentless in Baja, so I suggest a portable sting ray kit as well.

11)  Insurance- Get good Mexican insurance for your vehicle, it is required and will get you out some serious trouble if you do crash or get pulled over. Note: You can easily purchase this insurance right before crossing the border.

I hope this list helps, as these are just a few items you should have in Baja, anytime of the year. Also, please know, that this list could go on and on, so remember to be prepared for everything and anything, including some of the most incredible morning sunrises over the ocean.

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What to do When Stung by a Stingray?

What to do When Stung by a Stingray?

If you haven’t then consider yourself very lucky. Stingrays inflict a whole world of pain on their unfortunate victims, and the only treatment is to endure the gut churning pain, while soaking the injured limb in borderline scalding water.

Stingrays are everywhere in the United States

There are twenty-two different species of stingrays in the United States waters. They span from coast to coast, in bays and oceans, in brackish to salty waters and the only way to prevent a stingray strike would be to wear steel lined combat boots while swimming. Sure the ‘stingray shuffle’ works for most but eventually you will be stung if you spend most of your days at the bays and beaches we love so much. It is estimated that over 2,500 people will be stung in the United States this year.

I have been a lifeguard in Southern California for over ten years, and in that time, I have treated countless stingray victims. No one is safe. I have seen victims at every location imaginable and stings to pretty much everybody part, so pretty much if there is salt in the water there is a chance of getting stung by one of these pesky critters.

At lifeguard stations throughout the country the standard treatment is to soak the foot in hot water typically about 112 degrees or as hot as you can stand without burning the skin. However, there is great risk involved when you are treated at the lifeguard station. Lifeguards reuse the buckets for stingrays and these bloody buckets are supposed to be cleaned and ‘sterilized’ after each treatment. This doesn’t always happen and there have been some cases where people are infected with a serious blood borne diseases like HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C following a treatment by lifeguards. The buckets you soak your feet in at the lifeguard station have seen hundreds of bloody feet and all it takes is a little mistake by the cleaner of the bucket to seriously change your life. The only way to completely avoid accidental infection by something much worse than a stingray sting is to use a sterile single use stingray bag. The bag should be free standing when water is poured in so you’re not stuck holding it up while enduring the excruciating pain. The stingray bags that are sold here… are both free standing and insulated so you just need to add hot water and head straight home or to the hospital.

Why you need a stingray kit

 Many remote beaches have no lifeguards and especially no access to hot water. At our lifeguard store we have patented a product for just that occasion. It is a safe chemical reaction kit that heats water on the go anywhere. Just add water.

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Must Haves for Beach Safety? A Lifeguard Speaks About the Essentials You Need

Must Haves for Beach Safety? A Lifeguard Speaks About the Essentials You Need

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Here is a list of beach and safety essentials put together by a professional lifeguard.  To date, most of the “What to take to the beach?” lists say the same thing, that is why our lifeguards have come up with a comprehensive list we guarantee, you never thought of. And for your convenience, everything is easily found within our lifeguard store.

 

Prepare for Everything

1)       Sting Rays

Every family needs to carry a Stingray Kit with them to the beach, which can be purchases at our lifeguard store. Lifeguards report hundreds of stingray stings all along the coast, thus are warning swimmers to beware of the stingrays when entering the water. Though sting rays are not aggressive, beachgoers are stung by accident more often than you can imagine. Stingray stings are one of the most common dive and beach-related injuries.  And if you have ever experienced the sting, you know it needs to be taken care of immediately. The excruciating pain if left unattended will put down even the toughest individual for 6-8 hours.

What should you expect if stung?

The person feels an immediate, sharp, excruciating pain that peaks in 1-2 hours. The wound bleeds. The wounded area may become swollen and may turn blue or red. Lymph nodes may become swollen.

Serious symptoms:jo8

Nausea

Vomiting

Fever

Chills

muscle cramps

tremors

paralysis

fainting

seizures

elevated heart rate

decreased blood pressure

Death may even occur, so fast action is needed. By using a Portable Ray RX Stingray Kit from our lifeguard store, you can stop symptoms before they start.

2)       Drowning

Lifeguards always say, “Don’t drown your kids with standard heavy cotton t-shirts”, these tend to become heavy and bothersome while swimming. Instead we recommend Rashguards (Surf Shirts), they are light weight and breathable. Rashguards are used by lifeguards and the public against rashes caused by abrasions and nasty sunburns from extended exposure to the sun. Rashguards can be worn by themselves, or under a wetsuit.

3)       Rashes

Combining sand, sun, and salt water with surfboards, life vests, or wetsuits create the perfect environment for beastly beach rash. Again, in the lifeguard store our Rashguards or surf shirts provide a barrier between the rash causing elements.

Our lifeguard store also has lower body rashguards. You can wear them under boardshorts, wetsuits or by themselves. At Original Watermen, we created the watermen short (our version of compressions shorts), where we offer a rash-free guarantee, as it is made with antimicrobial odor eliminating fabric.

 

4)       Jelly Fish

Lifeguards deal with jelly fish stings daily. Jelly fish are unseen in the approaching wave; therefore, stings are a common. The tentacles trailing from the jellyfish body inject you with venom from small barbed stingers. Jellyfish stings vary greatly in severity. Getting stung results in immediate pain and red marks on the skin. Some jellyfish stings may cause illness and in rare cases jellyfish stings can cause death. Protection can be improved by putting on a rashguard life the ones we carry at our lifeguard store.

Jelly fish sting

First and foremost, seek emergency medical help if you feel you are having a severe allergic reaction, if the sting is from a box jellyfish or if the sting covers more than half an arm or leg.

What should you do once stung?

Get out of the water

Remove all tentacles by scraping the affected area with a credit card

Immerse the affected arm or leg immediately in hot water for at least twenty minutes

 

This is another instance where the sting ray kit from our lifeguard store can help, as it contains a self-contained heating system.

Rinse the area with vinegar for at least 30 seconds (If vinegar is not available make a paste of baking soda and water, and apply over the affected area)

5)       Sun Danger

Of course, you need sun protection in and out of the water. At the lifeguard store we offer Solrx sunscreen. Solrx was voted best in its class, and lasts 8 hours with one single application, plus it stays on in the water. Solrx sunscreen is recommended by dermatologists and is both hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic.

Don’t forget your hats

We have a wide variety of hats in our lifeguard store. Not only do hats protect your face from the bad (UV) rays of the sun, but a hat also protects your eyes, ears and the top of your head from disease and skin cancer. Extended exposure to the sun’s UV rays has been linked to eye damage, including cataracts and macular degeneration.

How does the sun affect you?

UV rays radiate from the sun and come from many directions and are reflected from the ground, water, snow, sand and other bright surfaces. Sun damage to eyes occurs even on cloudy days as the sun’s rays pass through haze and thin clouds. Protect your eyes from UV rays by wearing a hat and sunglasses. In our lifeguard store, we have a quiver of hats, which offer you an array of options, for any day and any condition.

Now you have a complete list of essential equipment needed for a safe day at the beach, and all can be quickly found on our Original Watermen website and lifeguard store.

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How Bad is a Stingray Sting?

How Bad is a Stingray Sting?

Humans spend billions of hours in the water, specifically the ocean. One of everyone’s biggest fear is to be attacked by a shark. Yet in 2016 there were only 4 fatalities resulting from unprovoked shark attacks worldwide and 0 fatalities in the United States. Stingrays, a cousin of the shark, on the other hand, have reeked more havoc in just two days, then sharks have in the past 10 years. Lifeguards have had their hands full supplying string ray kits to the victims.

Background on Sting Rays

Stingrays are found in warmer coastal tropical and subtropical waters throughout the world. They are docile creatures and only attack in self defense. Beachgoers of all ages accidentally step on the stingray partially buried in the sand and the frightened fish flips up its tails and stabs the unaware victim. Contact with the stinger causes local trauma, the cut itself causes pain, the venom causes swelling and muscle cramps. Infection from bacteria or fungi may happen later.

 

Facts on Deaths and Injuries by String Rays

Only 17 people have ever been killed by stingray since 1890. The most mainstream attack was to Steve Irwin known as a Crocodile Hunter on Discovery Channel in 2006. The barb penetrated his thoracic wall causing massive trauma resulting in his tragic death.

Experts assisted by lifeguard’s statements report there are 1500 sting ray injuries every year in the USA. Southern California already had hundreds of stingray attacks this past weekend alone. Sadly, three people were sent to the hospital, because they were having trouble breathing after being stabbed by the ray’s barbed tails. These stingrays might be small, but their barbs pack a punch.

 

Number of String Rays in Southern California is Growing

Southern California has been saturated with recent stingray injuries. The lifeguard units from Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, La Jolla and Coronado have been reporting a highly unusual surge of stingray injuries, and a growing number of shark sightings in their areas. Lt. Claude Hannah’s of Huntington Beach Marina Safety says, “There must be hundreds of thousands of stingrays out there.” According to different sources, the unusual numbers of stingrays and sharks in this area is a very strange phenomenon, though they disagree on why they are out there in such huge quantities. Regardless of the reason, it is vital to point out that lifeguards are doing a great job warning people by using signage, and reaching out via social media with warnings of when to stay out of the water.

 

What to Expect if Stung?

Though most stingray injuries aren’t serious, there is always the potential of a severe allergic reactions. That said, always use discretion when going into the water, and as any good lifeguard will tell you, always shuffle your feet in the sand. Stingrays are hard to spot because they cover themselves with sand. Low tide in the afternoon is the worst time of day to be playing in the shallow water at the beach.

90% of the people that are stung by a string ray are stung on the legs or the foot. The stingray’s barb is whipped into the unsuspecting victim, producing a deep puncture wound. The barb usually breaks off in the wound and infects it. So, it is important to have the injury checked out by a lifeguard immediately after it happens. Sometimes surgery may be required to remove the barb fragments. If you get hit, immediately see a lifeguard and get a sting ray kit. Time is of the essence. The injury is very painful but is seldom life-threatening unless the stinger pierces a vital area. Always follow up with a doctor.

 

Sting Ray Kits

What can you do if you aren’t in the location of a lifeguard? At Original Watermen, we sell Lifeguard approved Sting Ray Kits that you can carry with you to the beach. Don’t get caught unprepared! Get your foot immediately into hot water before the toxins kick in with full potency. If you don’t catch it in time, you or your child will have 4 to 6 hours of searing pain as the sting runs its course. This can all be avoided by caring stingray kits for each person in your family. And if you don’t have a kit remember to immediately locate the nearest lifeguard or lifeguard station for help.

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