do sea sickness bands really work?

Both my wife and I get really sea sick so we usually take some medication (triptone, bonine, dramamine) which works like miracle. Problem is, I see OTHER people get really sick, particularly new OW divers. We usually carry the medication but it's too late once we're on the boat.

If the bands really do work, they'd be great since they claim to work even AFTER a person gets sick. Also, I can get them back after the boat ride is over.

Problem is, I just don't have the guts to try one of these babies without taking medication because if they don't work, I'm gonna be REALLY sick. But I've heard a shop owner say that a doctor had shown him the product and insisted he carry it. Is that just sales talk? I dunno.. Has any one experimented?

I tried using the bands, as well as just using the same pressure points in a pinch - they do offer "some" relief, but I found it to be temporary. The best I've found so far is taking a dose of bonine the night before, then another dose an hour or so before I board the boat.

My LDS now has a stick that you smell to relieve nausea - they say it works, so I might try it as I really don't like taking medication before diving.

Aloha, Tim

I think some people are also just really susceptible to sea sickness. I won't get sick on an a typical boat trip. But I've seen others barf up their meager lunch at the mere site of a wave. I'm not immune, but the rocking has to be substantial and I have to be held down inside. As long as I'm outside I'm fine. My brain needs a frame of reference.
I think those bands are snake oil. Anyone who has taken a college level physiology course (and understood it, not made up their own opinions) can figure put that there's no scientific reason why they should work. I think that it's all psychological. But then again, my degrees are in Psychology so I think everything is psychological

I also believe that there's a strong will power component. Mind over matter does work to a certain extent. So, since the bands won't kill or injure anyone, what the heck. Try them and see and make sure you sound convincing when you lend them out

I have motion sick issues and tried sea bands. At best they absorbed the sweat that was accumulating on my wrists as I fought the vomit urge. I now use the patch and find that works the best for me. The only side effect I get is a slight dry mouth, but other than that, I'm good to go.

We have a friend that always gets sick on the boat, heck she even gets sick on the floating pier, but anyway one day I asked her to give me her wrists when I saw her feeling really bad on the boat and I pressed the two pressure points with my thumbs without telling her what to expect. She immediately felt better until I released the pressure when she went back to feeling bad again.
For her they work.
Other people report no effect of applying the pressure.

hmm... well, interesting reports. I knew there was something about the bands that didn't sit well with me.. So I guess it leaves me with ginger candies or other things that have to be ingested, or oils?

Problem with edible things is that people tend to not want to eat things that are handed to them by a stranger, and also, if you're already having a review of what you had for lunch, the last thing you'd want to do is to put something in your mouth.

Oils? Well, like the pressure points, I'm not sure if they'd act quickly enough with adequate effectivity. Extremely close to a "snake oil" treatment to me, although I use and study aroma therapy on land.. So I know it works, but alot of aroma therapy is for psychological treatment. A little effective substance is taken in from the nose and skin.. not very drastic tho.

it's hard.. like I said, since people don't want to ingest just anything... I guess I can get a bunch of these "snake oil" remedies and experiment on the sick people.. they're not too expensive anyway, and if it fails, things won't get worse then it already is. (and atleast I won't be the one puking, lol)

I am highly susceptible to motion sickness and have tried SeaBands, ginger, peppermint, Scop patches, Bonine, Dramamine, watching the horizon, special diets, etc etc etc and the ONLY thing that has helped significantly is the Relief Band which is worn like a watch and produces a mild electrical current at your wrist.

You can find then online for $75-85...

cyklon_300:

I am highly susceptible to motion sickness and have tried SeaBands, ginger, peppermint, Scop patches, Bonine, Dramamine, watching the horizon, special diets, etc etc etc and the ONLY thing that has helped significantly is the Relief Band which is worn like a watch and produces a mild electrical current at your wrist.

You can find then online for $75-85...

Click to expand...

Well I looked at the site
http://www.reliefband.com/whatisit.html
and it says you can use it any place, any time but I bet you it stops working if you dive with it.

They work very well wiping the vomit off your chin. Best bet is to watch the horizon, stay in the center of the boat out of the cabin and bring some ginger-ale. Also try your best to stay away from the exhaust. Good Luck, its tuff. I have a friend who wouldn't dive anymore because of sea-sickness. As for medicine, take 1 the night before and 1 an hour before the trip.

Personally, I've found them a pitiful waste of money.

If you are worried about seasickness during dive trips, go and see your doctor. There are some medications that won't make you drowsy but are only available through prescription.

Otherwise, distraction is very good for fighting seasickness. Concentrate on the dive ahead rather than on the rocking of the boat.