May Be a Silly Question...but Liveaboards and Seasickness?

[AggieDiver]

I am the type that can get motion sickness fairly easily on your average dive boat, but if I take dramamine and watch what I eat, it is generally not a problem unless seas are pretty heavy. So with that said, what is it like on a liveaboard? For those who have had issues with seasickness, do you get over it after a day or so? How much do you notice the boat moving while you sleep?

I have always been interested in the concept of a liveaboard trip, but I have been hesitant to spend thousands of dolloars, not knowing if I would be sick the entire time. I would appreciate any info from folks that have been seasick on other boats and had either a good or bad experience on a liveaboard. It isn't very useful when people who never ever get seasick anywhere else say "I never have a problem on liveaboards"...

TIA for any stories good or bad...

 

[redacted]

In really rough seas, I have seen people sick for 2 or 3 days at the Flower Gardens. But most seem trips seem to have a few people not feeling well the first night immoderate seas but doing OK by the next morning. Remember, the Flower Gardens offers no sheltered water. Many other live-a-boards can seek out sites in somewhat sheltered waters.

 

[BabyDuck]

consider sending wookie a pm - he's a liveaboard captain.

i think that *most* people who are susceptible are pretty much ok by the second day with scop patches or the like, but he'd know averages and outliers and probably be able to reassure you.

 

[drl]

I get seasick, but I love liveaboards. I take Bonine for it, which works well for me. The only time I've gotten seasick on a liveaboard is when I skipped the Bonine because it had been calm, and then we hit a rough patch. As long as I take the stuff daily I'm fine. One rough overnight crossing I thought I'd be bounced out of bed but wasn't sick. There was another rough overnight crossing most of us spent on deck, wrapped in a blanket, because fresh air helped. but usually I sleep well on liveaboards.
Better living through chemistry!

 

[Wookie]

The 6 P's are definitely in effect here. First, try bonine at home. Does it make your tummy queasy? Then try Dramamine at home. Make you drowsy? If so, get a prescription for transderm scop. Does it blow a pupil? If it does, liveaboard diving may not be for you. If you had asked me last year, I would have said it goes away in everyone by day 2, but this year I had a guy on for 5 days who only made 1 dive. It was slick calm after the first day. I'd say maybe 2% of my guests get sick, but it's only for a short time. Maybe 5 people in 15 years were too sick to dive. I think your odds are pretty good. The motion of a liveaboard isn't the same as a day boat or a catamaran. Not always better, but I get sick on day boats too.

 

[BabyDuck]

thanks, frank. i love you.

 

[diversteve]

What you may want to look into is one of the big cats as they're often more stable. Like:
Liveaboard scuba diving in the Bahamas on the Aqua Cat
Scuba Diving Live-aboard in the British Virgin Islands

Also destination is important - and time of year. If I was prone to seasickness I wouldn't do the Utila Aggressor in the winter since conditions might be rougher between Utila and Roatan. Likewise the Cayman Aggressor in the fall - sometimes they don't even get to Little Cayman due to adverse conditions. All of the Socorros boats can see up to 24hrs. of rough conditions on the trip over. Afaik, the Cocos trips also.

 

[Darnold9999]

If you get sick on little boats you likely will get sick on a bigger boat in rough water - probably not in calm water. It is likely to pass after a day or two, but as Wookie said it might not. It does for me, but I have never spent a long period of time in rough water. I choose liveaboards that have islands to hide behind.

The crossing from Grand Cayman to Little Cayman was very rough - took sleeping pills and slept the whole way oblivious to the things falling out cupboards. No seasickness, but I took the drugs before we even left the dock. Did a longer crossing from Raja Ampat to Lembeh but this was after spending a week on the boat in Raja Ampat. A very smooth crossing that was fine, but would have made me sick if done at the beginning of the trip.

In my experience you can manage the seasickness on most liveaboards, but I would avoid the ones that go into open water for days at a time until you have a handle on how you personally react.

 

[shmuggy]

I have noticed that sometimes the people who have bought the more expensive cabins on the LOBs are often seasick when everyone else is not and I believe that is because these cabins are often a deck or two above the standard cabins. So I would also look into where your cabin will be located on the boat- the closer to the bottom and center, the better. Also, if your cabin has bunk beds, use the lower one. Stay outdoors as much as possible the rest of the time. Having done some LOBs with 24 hour crossings- it does seem that even the most seasick people acclimate within a day or day and a half at the most when the seas are rough. The captains will avoid going through rough seas when they can- I would give it a try.

 

[Shasta_man]

Follow the test process described by cookie prior to going. Onboard, I take bonine every morning before getting out of bed to make sure. I think it is also part mental, in that if you keep busy and not thinking about it and don't put yourself looking out the side to notice the motion, it's less likely to affect you. I wouldn't choose a 24 hour crossing type trip, and most boats only do short crossings between islands at night. You also tend to get your sealegs after a couple days. Many pacific locations tend to stay in a group of islands limiting your exposure. As mentioned don't put yourself at the end of the pendulum. Bigger boats also are better. We felt little motion on the 187 foot long Paradise Dancer.