Motion sickness ???

[MrBigfins]

I have rather strong motion sickness and thankfully scopolamine doesnt adversely affect me. Not much help but best of luck in your search

 

[Damselfish]

Ok Ive been diving for years and I love the ocean but it doesnt like me... I have much success using the scopolamine patch but the side effects are dreadful....give me alternatives that actually work for you without putting you in a different demention.......GO......

My husband, and several other people I know, cut the patches in half to avoid side effects. (Which the instructions say not to do, but it doesn't seem to be a problem for them and I've never heard an actual reason they say that.)

 

[Charles Graves]

My wife tried Bonine and it worked ridiculously well. She had no problems.

You just need to take it 1) the night before, and 2) like an hour or so before you get on the boat.

 

[Esprise Me]

Have you tried those accupressure wrist bands? Can't vouch for them myself; I use scopolamine with no adverse effects. But they're cheap and might help. Also +1 on the ginger.

 

[thatmark]

@Thook

I’ve tried ginger and it didn’t really seem to help me, but I’ve had good results with Meclazine (generic Bonine, bought at Costco). Like one person mentioned above, I start it the night before I’m heading out and then take a dose between 5-6am on my way to the boat so it has time to start working. Also, since I’m a larger guy (6’/ 225#) I take an extra half. I continue taking it evening and morning for the duration of my trip. I’m not a doctor, YMMV, use this comment at your own risk.

Three other things that I’ve found really helpful are:

• Make sure all of your gear is put together before you leave the dock so you aren’t trying to do fine tasks and focus on something close to you while the boat is rocking at anchor.
• If things are rough on the surface and it’s safe to do so within your profile, training, experience, ability to swim, etc... Make your last stop 20ft instead of 15ft or 10ft then take 3 min to drift up/ swim to the back of the boat but don’t spend that time bouncing up and down on the line.
• When you surface (if things are rough) and you are headed back to the boat, once you’ve OK’d the boat, swim/ follow the line with your head down rather than watching the boat bounce one way when you are bouncing the other. This has been a huge one for me and greatly improved my enjoyment of dive #2 each day.

I hope something in this is helpful to you and others.

Mark

 

[Dan]

+1 for meclizine

Meclizine - Wikipedia

 

[DanSinks]

I've had various boats for the last 30 years, here are a few ideas but each person needs to find what works for them.

Non Pill/Patch Things to try:
- avoid boats with poor ventilation behind the cockpit. Sometimes the diesel stink gets sucked into the negative draft, that's a killer.
- Stand in a place where the fresh air hits you in the face
- Do not sit down or even worse lay down, some people feel a little queezy and think they need to sit down, for me that's the worst thing to do
- Tell the captain as soon as the boat stops you want to get into the water, but they might not want to accommodate you because they have a plan they want to follow with setting the anchor etc
- Do last minute trips only on days that the marine forecast is for flat seas
- If the predominant wind is west, then choose a trip that will dive on the "LEE SIDE" of an inland(the east side)

 

[Thook]

Scopalimine patch side effects for me .. I put one on the night before my first dive. Within 3 hours i get very dizzy...like im drunk. For the first 18 hours or so EXTREME cotton mouth. Most times the patch falls off by the second day so I have to put another one on and go through the whole initial side effect thing again. I do take two ginger caps twice a day... This routine works well for me... just tired of the side effects. One would think I would have this figured out in 44 years of diving....

 

[Wingy]

@DanSinks makes some really good points. I don't crew on dive boats but have crewed on many vessels taking tourists out and rest assured, we do feel for you. Letting "the captain" or one of the staff know (beforehand is good) that you are inclined to sea sickness is a good idea - I always appreciate a heads up so I can try and distract, chat to, get a person out in the fresh air and stop them lying down below decks before I need to start cleaning fish food of you and the boat and often others aboard. Staffs measure of performance is making sure you have a good experience.

My personal go to for those that do suffer sea sickness is ginger tea brewed with fresh ginger, not ginger capsules or candied ginger. Few reasons for this but being an infusion in water also assists with keeping you hydrated which is of upmost importance for divers especially.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

My husband, and several other people I know, cut the patches in half to avoid side effects. (Which the instructions say not to do, but it doesn't seem to be a problem for them and I've never heard an actual reason they say that.)

Cutting them in half can change the rate of medication delivery.

Best regards,
DDM