A Conversation with Mark Dyer (aka Captain Stingblade)
Not long ago, we shared the story of how Stingblade first came to life, a simple idea born from years of frustrating jellyfish stings while swimming in the sea. What started as a personal problem gradually became a mission to find a better way for people to deal with jellyfish stings when they happen.
To learn more about how Stingblade was created and the thinking behind the product, we sat down with founder and inventor Mark Dyer, better known as Mr Stingblade.
Can you explain what Stingblade is in simple terms?
Stingblade is a product that helps when you’ve been stung by a jellyfish. It removes the poisonous barbs from your skin, which is really the root of the problem.
What inspired you to create Stingblade?
I was stung horrendously time and time again during long swims. For years I followed all the old housewives’ tales: vinegar, scraping things across the skin, but none of it really worked. In fact, sometimes it made things worse and caused secondary injuries. Eventually it started putting me off swimming altogether, which is when I realised there must be a better way to deal with it.
How long did it take to go from idea to the final product?
From the original idea to where we are now was about five years. But once we properly committed to building it, the development process itself took around fourteen months.
What were the biggest challenges in developing the product?
There were many different ideas about how Stingblade could work and how it could be made.
The real challenge was making it something that’s very user-friendly. When someone is stung at the beach, they need something simple, quick and easy to use.
Why is removing the barbs so important?
Because the poison is sitting on your skin inside those barbs.
When you remove them, you’re removing the source of the problem. Once that’s done, the situation is already improving.
People often use vinegar for jellyfish stings. How does Stingblade differ?
Vinegar can sometimes disable some of the micro-barbs on the skin.
But the problem is that those barbs are still there. Stingblade removes them from the skin, so you’re not relying on vinegar alone and hoping it works.
Who is Stingblade designed for?
Anyone who spends time by the sea, swimmers, surfers, yacht owners, beachgoers, or people running shoreside establishments. Jellyfish stings are incredibly common, with estimates suggesting between 500 and 750 million people are stung every year worldwide.
So having something nearby that helps deal with it is very important.
What feedback have you received from early users?
One memorable example was someone who had been stung in the Red Sea. They contacted us after scanning the QR code on the Stingblade packaging, and one of the team talked them through how to use it.
We never heard back, which hopefully means it worked perfectly!
How do you see Stingblade changing beach safety?
I think it will take a little time for people to fully appreciate its benefits.
But more and more people are hearing about it, and I believe it will become an important safety item anywhere people are swimming.
What advice would you give someone who gets stung by a jellyfish?
Don’t panic. Don’t rub the sting or touch it unnecessarily. Leave the water as soon as possible, and remove the barbs properly, ideally with a Stingblade.
Once the barbs are removed, you’ve dealt with the core problem.
Finally, what is your long-term vision for Stingblade?
I’d like Stingblade to become the product people automatically reach for if someone is stung by a jellyfish.
There are certain products people associate with solving specific problems. My hope is that Stingblade becomes that product for jellyfish stings.
As awareness around jellyfish stings continues to grow, Stingblade aims to give swimmers, beachgoers and water-lovers a simple tool to deal with them quickly and effectively, helping people get back to enjoying the sea with confidence.
If you’d like to know more about Stingblade, follow us on our socials.
