Need some good tricks for dealing with sea sickness.

[Jbell8289]

Ive recently learned (w/in the last 3 years) that im prone to sea sickness in anything greater than 2' seas. I also love diving and have just gotten a spot on a research diving team at a university which requires frequent 1.5 hr trips out to reefs with fairly unpredictable seas. on my first trip a few days ago i knew seasickness was a possibility so i tried dramamine and took it a few days before the trip as well to help it build in my system. it worked kind of.... 4' seas and lots of chop but i didnt puke but was barely able to get my gear together. once i was in the water i was great and the dive went fine, however as soon as it was over and we got back on the boat the dreaded feeling crept up again and the process repeated itself for the next dive....never has changing a tank been so hard...please help !!!

[SlicerDicer]

Aim for distance hit nearby boats laugh about it and get past it

Failing that I have no idea I have never had motion sickness even in the worst of seas? I do not understand it at all but I hear those bracelets they use for paragliding work really well.

[Kevrumbo]

sea sickness!!

Motion sickness

[Kryssa]

Call your doctor and get a prescription for Scopalomine. It comes in pill form (Scopace) and patch form (Trans-Scop). I prefer the pill form but most people seem to prefer the patch form. Either way, it's the only thing that worked for my husband and he tried dramamine, bonine, ginger, ect. I very rarely get seasick but when I do, I've also found it to work better than the OTC alternatives. While it is a prescription, our doctor prescribed it without a visit.

[k ellis]

I have found too and note this is only personal experience that not eating a hefty meal before departure tends to be the best option for me. Also attempt to locate something fixed like Land or maybe a cloud or something that does not move with the waves and focus on that. Sea sickness tends to most often be associated with not having a fixation on something to adjust distance and height too.

If you notice once in the water and below the chop you can look at the bottom and it tends to stay put so to speak and this eliminates the constant moving feeling. But + 1 for the calling your doctor. Anything medical needs a doctors inspection to be on the safe side!.

[fab50diver]

The only thing that has worked for me has been the patch. I tried the pill form (Scopace) on my last trip and was sick between dives. Take care when adjusting, clearing, removing your mask that you don't dislodge the patch.

[DivemasterDennis]

I will leave the pharmaceutical advice to others and offer moral support. As a dive professional with hundreds of dives, I confess that on dive bosts I get sick. I puke. This happens most often if I am near engine fumes. It happens more on smaller boats, , and usually when they are stopped in the water. If the boat is moving I'm ok. Don't be ashamed of puking. Just puke over the side of the boat, not on the boat, and not in the camera wash. Avoid puking on other divers. Also, be subtle (all tips from "The Scuba Snobs Guide to Diving Etiquette") To help a little with your situation, you should: 1) wipe salt water off your face after each dive- it can be nausea-inducing; 2) stay amid ships when possible; 3) stay on the main deck rather than on an upper level sun deck; 4)drink water and eat non-citrus fruit between dives- an apple, grapes, etc. 5) do not be embarassed. All the best divers (you and me) puke from time to time, or lots of times.
DivemasterDennis

[BluewaterSail]

I may not be a very experienced diver, but motion sickness is something which I am well aquainted with! I am someone who can't look at a map when I am a passenger in a moving car, but I managed to cross oceans in a little sailboat. All by the miracle of the Transderm-Scope patch. Nothing else really worked for me. And the advantage of the patch as compared with oral medication is that if you do get sick anyhow, the medication is still being administered.

You can reduce your tendency to get motion sickness by understanding the cause. You get sick because what you are looking at is not moving the same as the motion that you feel. For example, if you look at your feet or the deck, it looks like there is no motion, because they are moving the same as your head is. But your system certainly feels motion. Either close your eyes when you don't need to be looking at something, or look at the horizon, or something else thats at some distance outside of the boat. On sailboats, the classic cure for casual queasiness is to have that person steer the boat. Then they are forced to look into the distance, and what they see matches the motion that they feel.

The two foods that I found easiest to get down when queasy were apples and salted pretzels. I don't know why though.

If you feel like you want to puke, go ahead and do it. It will make you feel better to get it out of your system. If there is a wind however, go to the leeward side. It may come right back at you if you try puking into the wind!

They say that when you are seasick, first you feel like you're gonna die, then you wish you would die! Been there, done that, use the patch.

[giles45shop]

For me, the chewable Orange Dramamine have worked well. They don't leave me sleepy or seem to have any other affect on my diving. I used them recently on a trip to California's channel islands, where we headed out in 8'10' seas for a 2 day live-aboard. One the night before and a steady diet of them kept me feeling okay.

John

[LeadTurn_SD]

Ex-Merchant Marine and USN officer who (don't laugh) gets seasick, and always has....

1.) Scopalomine. Begin using the transderm patch at least 12 hours before you get on the boat. This wonderful patch allowed me sail as Mate on deep sea tugs from Hawaii to Vancoucer, BC in the winter.... stormy, nasty weather, and tugs with a barge in tow are worse than most other vessels ("corkscrew" type of pitch and roll, the smell of diesel whenever indoors, etc.).

2.) Chewable Bonine, started 24 hours in advance is what I use these day for "recreational" boating when I think the weather will be "bumpy" (>4-5 foot wind waves).

3.) Ginger candy while on the boat will help soothe any mild nausea. And stay hydrated (water is best). Saltine crackers can help.

4.) Watch the horizon, and try (if possible) to setup your scuba gear while at the dock (looking down into the boat while it is rocking and rolling is a recipe for seasickness). Stay above deck. Do NOT (unless absolutely necessary) go below to the "head".... the enclosed space will REALLY make you feel bad.

5.) Eat non-spicy foods as your pre-boating meal. Bland is your friend.... and is less likely to "burn" on the way up if you do get sick

6.) "It is better out than in...." No reason to suffer for an hour if you know your going to get sick anyway..... just warn those around you, and make sure you are "hurling" down wind You'll feel better (for a little while).

The more frequently you go out boating, the more tolerance you'll develop for seasickness (with luck). Hang in there.

Best wishes.