sea-sickness

[JillGadget]

Don't know the best place to post this, so here it goes...
I get sea sick.. Im fine during the summer (calm) months in the keys just using the patch. It's DURING THE WINTER (ROUGH) months that I am having a terrible problem. It comes on almost instantly once I put the wetsuit on. Almost as if I can't handle the closeness around my neck. The patch (during the rough - 5-6ft seas) doesnt work, nor does Bonine. My Dive shop in the Keys (horizon) knows and its awesome as they will get me suited an right off the boat immediately and I meet them at the moaring line down below.. just got to get off the surface. I can only get 1 dive in during a 2 tank dive. Once I come up.. bam... feed the fish. Again, it is only during the rough winter months. I found a 3 mil wetsuit that may help with the neck constricking issue but I am hoping everyone can input on some other preventive measures.. someone mentioned ginger a week prior along with bonine or patch. Will try.... What is NOT an option is don't dive... I love it too much.

Thanks,
signed, puke girl... ( a little nick-name Ive been given... can you feel the love?)

 

[Guba]

I can sympathize. I'm prone to sea-sickness as well, yet I love to get out in the Gulf. One of the first things I learned was that the patch does absolutely nothing for me. However, after spending most of a night, er..."calling the buffalo" I took the darned thing off and took Dramamine. I was eating a muffin and having some juice within two hours, just in time for the morning dive! I stayed on a regimen of Dramamine for the duration of the trip and experienced no more problems.
As for your rather unusual dilemma of getting sick upon donning your websuit...I haven't a clue and can offer no suggestions.

 

[b1draper]

A old sea captian's trick is to just use Ginger instead of Bonine. Ginger natually helps sooth sea sickness. A key thing to remember is not to over do the ginger or bonine or dramamine because it will temporarly lose it's effectivness. Also I tend not to dive on days where it's 5-6' seas. 4 foot seas are usually my max, unless it's a huge boat but you still have the hassle of getting back on the boat.

The key to using bonine or dramamine or even ginger is to take it early. I'd give it an hour or two to take effect before jumping on a boat, also drink water/poweraid and bring a snack. Also, remember to bring more dramamine with you to take before the first dose wares off.

 

[Technology_Shark]

I am very prone to this, even worse than you. I will turn green even in two foot seas which we never see in the atlantic where I live. I have never found a cure for myself but one thing I can tell you is different things work for different people. The patch, Ginger, dry toast, dramamine, triptone etc... Try them all, perhaps your find your magic cure amongst them.
As for your wetsuit problem, if the constriction around your neck is what triggers it, finda suit which will zip up the front. Leave the last few inches unzipped until you jump off the boat. By eliminating the trigger perhaps you can avoid the problem all together.
Best of luck to you, but take pride in knowing that us seasick divers are the most dedicated. How many people do you know that are willing to turn their stomach inside out for three hours to enjoy a single hour of what they love to do? Of course, that's nots to say we would'nt avoid it if we could.

 

[DandyDon]

I'm lucky to almost never have a problem with this, but it is pretty common - often discussed by newbies, even tho I know of divers with over 1,000 logged that still suffer.

There is a lot more info available here, mostly on Dive Medicine fourm. Try running a search on motion and on sea* sickness as the V-search feature does not work with three letter words.

 

[mynamehere]

my dive buddy is such a puker. always. everytime. on the boat, at fifteen feet during the safety stop (thru her reg), on the surface...

i have heard of a watch type thing that releases electric pulses - it is said to get you from puking to eating in minutes. but it has a hefty price tag, so we havent bought one yet. a hundred bucks or so, and its not guaranteed to work for everyone.

then there is another bracelet kind of thing that you wear on your wrist and a bead or soemthing applies pressure - its supposed to work well for some.

hope you find your solution.

 

[fisherdvm]

Take up Judo. After a few weeks, you couldn't care less if it was 6 foot waves or not. Repetitive rolling and throwing make you get used to it. Unfortunately, I have a friend who continue to get dizziness with Judo, and he has to take a dramamine before his classes.

 

[MargaretCostello]

You may not be sea sick. If the standard sea sick remedies do not work for you might have a diesel fuel allergy. The symptoms are exactly the same. I used to think I was prone to sea sickness because I would puke on every dive boat. I never puke on beach dives no matter how bad the surge. Then I got trapped behind a stuck door on a friend’s boat while the motor was running. The cabin filled with diesel fumes and I was puking sick in no time. The boat was moored. Diesel fuel allergy might be why you get sick in the winter more than the summer. You are inside the cabin in the winter and on the windy deck in the summer. While diving you breath the nice clean tank air. When you come up you are floating at the dirty diesel end of the boat breathing fumes while you wait to come up the ladder.

 

[Divrdug]

JillGadget,
I have exactly the same condition too and have even mastered the taking of my reg from my mouth to puke under water. I Probably should teach a Padi course on the proper technique but no one has signed up for the class yet. I will only go to the South FL for diving in the Summer now because of this. What seems to help me the most is to take, in my case, bodnine THE NIGHT BEFORE so as to give it plenty of time to get into my system

I have gotten so sick over the years that I believe I have actually conditioned myself to be sick, even when conditions on the water wouldn't be bad enough to normally cause it. Too much intake of saltwater during the dive can lead to it too. IE practicing buddy breathing.

You can also meet me in Ft Lauderdale in May and we can puke together. Misery loves company

Good Luck,
Doug

 

[lmorin]

Re "diesel fuel allergy." Vomiting in response to fuel exhaust inhalation is a result of activating the same mechanisms activated by the eye/equilibrium motion detection system. However, a given individual may be more or less sensitive to the triggering influence of fuel exhaust and one whiff, particularly combined with a bit of undesired equilibrium upset, can initiate almost instantaneous vomitting. If this is part of the problem, sit in a very well ventilated location (not forward in the cabin or anywhere fumes can accumulate). The worst time is usually as the engine is starting and before the boat is underway. Then, exhaust fumes often go all over the boat, facilitating vomiting in combination with water-induced boat motion. I speak from personal experience, unfortunately.