I was finishing up my dive at the aquarium and waving goodbye to the crowd. I must have spooked a big rockfish. He stuck me with three dorsal spines right thru my kevlar glove in the right hand. Rockfish are slighty poisonious and have venom glands that inject the poison. It was a big guy that got me around two feet long. The spine stuck me in the meaty base of the thumb. Nothing exciting to see, looks like a bee sting but if you have ever stuck yourself with a small philips screwdriver you get the idea. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

It hurts <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/baby.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/baby.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/baby.gif" alt="" /> The first aid was to hold my hand under scalding hot water for as long as I could bear. The heat neutralizes the venom somewhat. I feel a little feverish. My hands were pretty numb from the cold water so when it warmed up under the hot water the pain hit me. I'm good after taking motrin. Overall I would rate it around the same pain level as a yellowjacket sting combined with sticking yourself with a screwdriver. Then achy fever after effects.

And yes I'm covered under workmans compensation if anything bad happens <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/efc/living_species/default.asp?hOri=1&inhab=167