Sea sick at surface interval

[Jim Lapenta]

I use prescription anti nausea med called phenergan 25 mg and I think the generic is promethazine. The other thing that works is a COLD bottle of ginger ale or ginger snap cookies. Couped with keeping my eyes on the horizon and not looking down. Reading on a boat or in a car as a passenger will get me feeling queasy in seconds. Try to avoid that. Also make sure my gear is set up before leaving the dock. Trying to do it on the way to the site doesn't work at all.

 

[HowardE]

What is some remedys for getting seasick at surface intervals , and have no side effects when diving.

Never been seasick myself... But some good tips for people who do would be:

1) Try having some ginger snaps and/or ginger ale (ginger settles the stomach)
2) Stay outside - going inside makes it worse... look at the horizon, and breathe deeply.
3) take your wetsuit off partially, so you can breathe easily... sometimes wetsuits make people a little claustrophobic, and they don't even realize it.
4) If you're going to hurl... just do it. That might make you better.

For most people... getting back in the water quickly is the fix. Being on the bottom is calming, and less motion. You can always puke in your regulator (while you're diving) if you feel the need for that as well.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Good solutions here but one thing worthy of mentioning is that if you do tend toward sea sickness, make sure you hydrate before and after so you do not dehydrate yourself.

 

[Peter_C]

Many consider most anything with ginger in it to be an asset for not getting sea sick. Someone in a past thread had mentioned candies they found with ginger in them. You can also buy ginger extract at places like Oliver's, Whole Food's, and other earthy type stores.

All of the sea sick meds will affect you in some form or another, typically by causing drowsiness.

What you eat before and during your boat trip will have an effect too. No bacon, or other types of greasy food, plus acidic stuff like orange juice. Also make sure to keep food in your stomach. Getting hungry can lead to nausia.

 

[joel smith]

Thanks everyone for suggestions.

 

[nimoh]

I was on a day boat in Australia that had a bowl of ginger pills (individually packaged). I had a few during the course of the day, and I think it helped since others on the boat were seasick, while I wasn't (and I'm pretty sure I would have been). I think it would be nice if this caught on

 

[DivemasterDennis]

I enjoyed the suggestions from everyone, even though I was not the one who posed the question. My contribution to the list is "don't worry about it." I have been diving for a long time, been a profession more than 10 years, and I would say that on boats between dives , I chum the waters as often as not. If I am near engine fumes on an idling boat that is rocking,... thar she blows! If the boat is moving I am less likely to lose my stomach contents. My wife has never gotten motion sickness on a boat, not even when we spent a day in 12 foot seas on a 37 footer and she was 5 moths pregnant! I chuck between dives, and have not ever remedied it. What is important is to know the proper etiquette if you are going to be sick on the boat, so herewith, one of the rules from our book, The Scuba Snobs Guide to Diving Etiquette.

PUKE ONLY WHERE APPROPRIATE
Never puke on another diver. Never puke on the boat. Don’t puke in the camera bucket either. Puke over the side of the boat. That’s about all there is to it. Fish love puke, other divers do not. Also, try not to be too obvious when you puke. Dennis quite often pukes at the end of a dive. But he can be so subtle that on occasion even Debbie, who is sitting and gearing up right next to him, has to ask if he in fact puked. It’s a gift.
--------------------------------
I should have added that if you are a puker, you should have a big water bottle for rinsing, and mark it well so others don't inadvertently drink from it!
DivemasterDennis

 

[RonFrank]

I have never been seasick and it's not from lack of time on boats. I like live aboard trips if that is a clue!

If you get seasick (you know who you are!) drink plenty of water before the trip, and eat a good breakfast as you may not feel like eating or drinking on board. Try to drink water, or anything that tastes good to you. That is what it is all about, what may work for You. Ginger, soda water, 7up, saltines are all things people say help.

I have friends who all swear by different medications.

1. Dramamine

2. Meclizine

3. Bonine

Your doctor is also a good source as they talk with people all the time who get motion sickness, and they know your history and what drugs are safe, and what are the side effects. I tend to like raw fish and crab, but I don't get seasick!

Here is a site this lists drugs that may help.

Motion Sickness Medication | Drugs.com

 

[beanojones]

Tips that help divers apparently
(Hawaii is unique in causing seasickness apparently, even from people with lots of ocean experience.)

1. Make sure your exposure protection is away from your neck at minimum, and off your upper body ideally.

2. As DivemasterDennis says some people just expect to have to puke once, and then gladly move on. If that is you, just set up to puke overboard and then move on.

3. Look out at the horizon from an unobstucted as possible viewpoint. Sometimes the boat will frame the horizon and not allow you to reset your stability because it is rocking. Get your view clear of that framing of the horizon.

4. Stay away from exhaust, and smokers.

5. Sit as far back in the boat as you can, keeping 3. and 4. in mind. Or sit next to the captain as long as he is not on the second height deck, which can be the absolute worst.

6. On the way to the boat, drive, rather than ride as a passenger. If you cannot drive, sit as far forward in the vehicle as possible, and don't ride in the back seat of a passenger vehicle. The people in the back of the van are often the most likely to get seasick because motion sickness is accumulated from the van ride on.

(5. and 6. seem contradictory but that;s because boat are steered from the rear and car are steered from front. Being nearer the center of rotation helps.)

7. Put a can of 'as cold as possible' soda on the back of your neck and have someone hold it there.

For medicines, whatever works for you works. The regular Hawaii pukers start ginger a few days before, and continue it during their whole stay, and make sure to never ride in the back of vehicles during their whole stay.

 

[highdesert]

If this is something you know you're going to face on a regular basis, go to any health food type store and get some ginger capsules or chewable ginger tablets, and take them before you get on the boat. No chemical side effects, effective for most people, and you're not out a bunch of $$ if you want to try something else.