Lack of sea legs

[miles]

Hiya

Various people react differently to the same medication. Some friends swear by Avomine/Sturgeron/Mitel/etc, whilst they're hopelessly in-effective for others!! Best bet is to try all the available ones, until you've found which one works best for you.

Some tips when feeling a bout of mal-de-mer:
Don't look down. Focus on a fixed object on land, like a tree or mountain. Stay well clear from the motors of the boat. The fumes will just speed up the process!!! Stay hydrated, drink plenty of water!!

Most importantly, STAY POSITIVE!!! And you WILL beat it!!

Regards
miles

[covert]

I can vouch for DT's remedi, I have been fishing since i was just a puppy, and out of my whole family I am the only one lucky enough to get seasick. A pleasure not so devine. Even though doctors swear that it has to do with balance / middle ear etc. I have tried everything, sea sick pills, plasters behind the ears ginger etc etc etc. And I have always found that my seasickness starts with a queezy feeling in the stomach, followed by small burps and then geooooooooooorge over the side of the boat if im quick enough. So i figured what if I expel the air in my stomach ie. having a biiig breakfast before getting on the boat, and then eating imediatly while on the boat. And pooof seasickness gone.

Just one small problem, diving on a full stomach sucks, so what to do. Sachet of eno's before i get on the boat, and a sachet while cruising to diving location does the trick. Your experiance might be different but do give it a try, and it does taste better than the salt water / ginger taste.

[Jon]

I'll second Bill's suggstion of Marazine. It's the best "pill" that I have found. Ginger soda helps once it hits, though I never had much luck with the Ginger pills. Avoiding greasy food before getting on the boat trip- but it always tastes so good after a rough trip. Also try and stay above deck and try to get some fresh air- I've seen people go below to sleep when they are getting sick and that only makes things worse.

In the end, I find time on the water makes the biggest difference. When I lived a block off of Lake Michigan I got to go out and dive off the boat at least once a week in the middle of winter and 4-5 days a week the rest of the year. Sea sickness just wasn't an issue for me. Now that I live 90 miles away I don't get out nearly as much as I used to and I feel it on those days when I do get out and it's rough.

Jon

[Polystigma]

Diving on a full stomach can have its benefits. You have already brought the chum with you. I have vomited several times while freediving only to have schools of fish charge me and eat the remnants.

[Amphibious]

sugared ginger is what i give my students that get green on boat trips. glad i've never been seasick

[Fondueset]

Chew raw ginger - for sure. I had horrible motion sickness. After 5 hours on a plane I would be sick for two days. Chewing raw ginger the moment I feel the least bit takes care of it completely. Not ginger pills, not candied ginger, ginger ale or anything else - just raw ginger.I also agree with not going on boats on an empty stomach.

[deckhand mike]

Always eat before getting on a boat if you get seasick, the only thing worse than puking is dry heaving! Then again avoid foods you wouldn't want to taste twice.

[Mr. X]

Great thread. I too get seasick readily - often spearfishing in a swell/chop is enough to set me off. I lived on a yacht for 4 days once. We had a rough time in choppy seas under sail (rather than engine power) one day, always had gales when crossing the channel (both ways) -- the chunnel is a great improvement in that regard - and had a pretty horrible fast catamaran ferry trip to Vancouver Island (very bumpy). Calm seas aren't a problem.

I've recently started eating bacon and eggs (not too many trimmings/extras though - don't overeat) rather than Weetabix before spearing. I think it helps - although only encountered one situation that would likely have triggered it. However there may be other benefits, I find I am able to stay in the water longer without feeling drained/hungry & my catches have improved (perhaps fish like bacon too!). I think milk might be a bad thing for nausea.

Once this year I puked while spearing w/o warning in a swell. I came straight into shore after that, as I usually start to feel unwell immediately after. Slow deep breathing can help control a sudden attack, if you get some warning. Yoga technique. It has a calming effect. Can help with travel sickness & pain control too - saw a small child have stitches in the forehead using this technique when numbing didn't work & they couldn't use more. A similar but slightly different technique is used in Buteko to halt an asthma attack (seen this work several times).

Sounds like lots of good advice above. I like the apple peal trick & will give that a try. Podge's advice, avoid boats (and heavy/choppy seas) works well . I used to drink whiskey & American Dry (ginger ale) on planes (British airlines carry American Dry, US airlines carry Canada Dry ) - might be worth a try, perhaps without the whisky.

I take some comfort in the stories of Admiral Nelson's seasickness (he is reputed to have stayed in his room puking for the first few days of a voyage). From Wikipedia:

"Shortly after reporting aboard, Nelson was appointed a midshipman and began officer training. Nelson found that he suffered from seasickness, a chronic complaint that dogged him for the rest of his life.[6]"

- Lucky they didn't have a Careers Advisor talk him out of joining up!

[ocean_314]

I also used to get very seasick no matter how calm the ocean was. Finally i found a real cure that works. Its called Bonnie and its over the counter. I havent been seasick since i started taking it no matter how rough the ocean was...and i live in Northern California where a rough ocean is the norm.

[Pastor]

I'm fine on a boat but the chop and swell cause untold havoc with me in the water. I have tried just about everything but to no avail. I resort to biting my snorkel on the surface to the extent that I bite off the teeth grips Watching the kelp swing one way and then the other on the bottom can be a nightmare Just have to grin and bare it and wait for the calmer days

[Almostafish]

Spaniard.. You Puff!

Come for a winter month in the north sea driving one of my Daughter craft.. That will cure you for good! Failing barfing yourself back to your birth weight try hydrobromine oral or.. Up the shoot! Lots of liquids, no reading, fresh air and a viable horizon will help but in the end most of its in your mind.

Think sick be sick.

[settingsteel]

Originally Posted by miles

...Don't look down. Focus on a fixed object on land, like a tree or mountain. Stay well clear from the motors of the boat. The fumes will just speed up the process!!! Stay hydrated, drink plenty of water!!...

Perfect advice, also eating pickled ginger, with the juice it comes in works wonders- and if you like sushi/sashimi...your set

[Captain J]

A very effective method is to simply keep your eye on the horizon.

I taken countless friends out on boat trips and many have said that they were starting to feel a bit green, this simple advice has sorted them quite quickly.

It a balance thing at the end of the day, keeping your eye on the horizon gives your brain a fixed point, it can then make sense of what all the motion is about.

The method is also used for ice scaters doing there spins, you notice that they try and focus on a point ahead to prevent them from going dizzy and losing their balance.

[Spiderman]

Originally Posted by Captain J

A very effective method is to simply keep your eye on the horizon.

I taken countless friends out on boat trips and many have said that they were starting to feel a bit green, this simple advice has sorted them quite quickly.

It a balance thing at the end of the day, keeping your eye on the horizon gives your brain a fixed point, it can then make sense of what all the motion is about.

The method is also used for ice scaters doing there spins, you notice that they try and focus on a point ahead to prevent them from going dizzy and losing their balance.

Works quite well in a boat.

Not much help when diving in a swell with poor viz

[Mr. X]

Originally Posted by Captain J

A very effective method is to simply keep your eye on the horizon.

I've tried that (on ferry, yacht & while diving) but sadly it never worked for me. When the sea is churning, looking at the horizon offers very little comfort ... for me anyway.