How to anticipate (possible) seasickness?

[Noboundaries]

I hardly believe that anything could taste the same mixed with the acrid taste of stomach acid

Old tongue-in-cheek trick I used to tell my flight students before taking them out in the 45 minute constant yank-and-bank air-to-air gunnery pattern. It really didn't matter if it was true or not.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

If you plan to take seasickness meds with you (just in case), please make sure that you've already tested them on yourself while on land during a non-diving day. The side effects associated with these meds can range from mildly annoying (dry mouth) to downright intolerable (drowsiness, blurry vision). You don't want to give yourself a double whammy by first getting seasick...and then taking a drug that makes you feel even worse.

For many of the seasickness meds (the ones that you swallow or chew), the label recommends dosing 1 hr prior to engaging in the activity that causes motion sickness. Don't take the med and expect an immediate benefit. It will take up to an hour to achieve a working concentration in your bloodstream, which finally has an effect on the emetic centers in your brain.

I get seasick on dive boats...especially during the "gearing up" phase. There's something about being constricted by a drysuit neck seal on a rocking boat while assembling gear that makes me queasy. I experimented with Bonine and Dramamine. Dramamine made me feel less alert. I also didn't feel like I was thinking as clearly as I normally can. Fortunately for me, Bonine lacks these side effects and greatly diminishes my motion sickness.

Have fun on your trip to Catalina. I've never been to Avalon, but I was really impressed by the diving at Two Harbors.

 

[Kevrumbo]

Look at the horizon, see how it moves relative to the boat's motion and memorize that pattern, and then get a feeling for the rhythm of the swells and synchronize it with horizon's motion. Now when you go down belowdecks, just play it all back in your "mind's eye" as you begin to feel & anticipate the boat's apparent motion --or even imagine the boat belowdecks is transparent and you can actually see the horizon & swells in sync with the boat's apparent motion-- it's all just visualization without medication and it works!

In other words, you've gotta convince your mind/inner ear/vestibular and body kinesthetic connection that you are in dynamic motion. . .

 

[MeiLing]

One of the tricks that I use if I start getting quesy is to close my eyes for a while.

 

[xariatay]

the motion of a boat in swells can be different than the motion on a lake. I'm really not susceptible to sea sickness, but I always take ginger before a boat ride (even on a cruise ship). It works for a lot of people (for me as well as dramamine), cheap, and no side effects.

Please elaborate on how to take ginger?? In slices? TIA

 

[Aussie scuba chick]

Mythbusters...hmmm.

I've had quite a history of nasty seasickness and have found that there are a quite a few products on the market. If you do a bit of research, you'll find that there are single and multi-ingredient tables. The single ingredient tablets tend to make me drowsy, so I've stuck with the multi's which work with good effect and don't make me drowsy.

Also, I've noticed a weird side-effect when I've taken just one tablet in really rough weather - I vomit without feeling nauseous. Thus, I've learnt to take the maximum recommended dosage of two when it's rough weather. And I always take these tablets as a preventative because there's nothing worse than feeling sick before diving!

 

[Damselfish]

I would not take medication in anticipation of maybe being sick, if you do that you'll never know! I agree, if you have no indications so far you get motion sickness good chance you'll be fine. Not everyone gets seasick.

 

[robint]

Please elaborate on how to take ginger?? In slices? TIA

Ginger tablets for seasickness are sold at most dive shops, or you can get them at the local vitamin store. They are a capsul filled with a powder of concentrated ginger. Very very very effective in my opinion and NO side-effects! I used them several dive trips when I was concerned about seasickness and I think they helped me get used to being on a boat. Now I only take the package on the boat just in case.

 

[ClayJar]

Ginger is a well-known antiemetic. Plus, it tastes really good.

Oh, and as far as the whole "take something or don't take something" choice, I've been on each side of that line numerous times, and I've fed fish a few times. If you can take feeling hideous and still find a way to enjoy yourself, lean toward the take nothing (but ginger?) side. If feeding the fish would ruin your whole day, lean toward the take something just in case side.

Apparently, I'm rather entertaining in a surreal way when I occasionally get seasick. I look terrible, but I'm still happy as a clam. I've never been one to let a little fish-feeding bother me at all. (Sure, it's inconvenient, and it makes you feel quite unpleasant, but what's that got to do with enjoying your dives? The reg can take it. )

 

[Ber Rabbit]

I'm considering doing a diving trip to Catalina. Some of the websites say, "bring ... and seasickness tablets."

So: I've been boating on pretty large lakes (in some unpleasantly) choppy conditions my whole life without it bothering me, planes don't bother me, nor do roller coasters. But I haven't traveled by boat much in open waters, which I'm told is somewhat different than large lakes (different frequency of the waves)?

I'd hate to medicate just in case; but I don't know if its too late to medicate once you feel seasickness coming on. So I'm basically clueless as to whether I'm really subject to it or not.

Any advice as to what to do?

My husband is like you, boating all his life, fishing the Great Lakes, never needing seasick meds...just the thought of how easy he has it makes me sick

We went to Catalina in November, I stuck with my freshwater lake seasick protocol and was fine. He didn't take anything and was fine.

Ever done a fishing trip in 4 foot waves on a lake? Did you get sick? If not you'll probably be fine. The waves ARE different in the ocean, they aren't as close together so you do more of a ride up/glide down motion than the rocking horse on steroids slamming into a wall motion you find on the lakes.

If you don't feel comfortable medicating "just in case" don't. Instead, avoid greasy and acidic foods for breakfast (make sure you don't skip breakfast) and take along some saltine crackers. Eat a few before you get on the boat and a few as soon as you board. Eat some more when the boat gets under way. If your stomach even THINKS about feeling queasy eat some more crackers. A co-worker who spent quite a bit of time in the Navy gave me that tip.

Oh and if you're taking the Catalina Express do the Commodore Lounge upgrade. It's $10 each way and it was worth it!
Ber :lilbunny: