New "Advanced Diver" sea sick the whole time!

[spectre184]

I have same problems when under the water and amusement park rides (Disney World sucked that year). I don't get sick on boat but underneath I get buffeted by waves and that gets me when I come up and I start chumming the fish. I also have ringing in the ears which contributes to the problem. Another diver told me about Prevent Motion Sickness - Transderm Sc?p® - Clinically Proven Motion Sickness Patches which works for me. It's by prescription and 1 patch last for 3 days. Last year I dove Thunder Bay in Lake Huron and 1st dive I felt great and 2nd dive I was a little queasy but I didn't hurl. Last years Disney trip I could ride all the rides no problem. Were leaving for Disney next week then going to dive in key Largo after that. "Hopefully" I wont have any issues. Though I didn't know about the greasy foods before hand so thanks for that tip.

 

[maniago]

My wife is hyper sensitive to sea sickness. Though she uses the wrist pressure bands/bracelets on airplanes with good effect, on the boat its the patch (doctor prescribed ones) or she's toast. No ifs ands or buts.

For me, I'll pop an over the counter Dramamine an hour before we launch - I don't get sick much, but with $150 on the line, I'll be damned if I'm gonna sit a dive out. And I make sure I eat a load for breakfast - eggs bacon coffee hot sauce - yup the works. If I'm gonna get sick, I want something substantial to pitch - the dry heaves for me are absolute hell - if I don't heave it, well, it was a great breakfast!

 

[Doc Harry]

I know that most people would disagree with me, but... after 10 years in the Navy on ships and 10 years of flying....

I prevent sea sickness and air sickness by eating a hearty meal beforehand. Going out on an empty stomach is a sure way to end up vomiting.

 

[kafkaland]

... with $150 on the line, I'll be damned if I'm gonna sit a dive out...!

This just sounds like a recipe for disaster, or at least major unhappiness. I try to forget about what I paid for something as soon as the check is written, or card is charged. And then make the decision on what is right at the moment. If I don't feel right, I won't dive. And that doesn't. Just apply to diving. Would you hold a stock when all indications are 'sell' just because of what you paid for it way back when you bought it? Probably not - and I treat diving the same way. All I bought is an option to dive, not an obligation.

 

[k_im]

I prevent sea sickness and air sickness by eating a hearty meal beforehand. Going out on an empty stomach is a sure way to end up vomiting.

Interesting point. I thought I was being proactive by not eating anything before going out on my first open ocean fishing trip. 90 minutes of pounding later I was dry heaving over the windward side. It's definitely worth a try before I surrender to medication.

 

[danvolker]

This weekend I just completed the 5 dives required to attain the rank of PADI advanced OW diver. Our first dive was an intro to peak performance buoyancy, in which all we did was mess with how much weight we needed and then dove 30 ft in very poor visibility and lots of surge (shore dive), swam back and forth a bit and came back up. I learned nothing about improving my buoyancy, but more importantly, as we came up I got really seasick in the waves.

During my OW certification training I got sick on day 1 but dramamine with breakfast after that took care of things and I had a great time. This time, I had two more dives after my first dive on day one, then two more the next day, and never kicked the seasickness until the day after (MOSTLY recovered today). I feel like I should've earned special honors on my new c-card for enduring the sickness the whole time. My question though, is how the heck can you shake this sickness once it starts? Google and forum searches come back with results about preventing it in the first place...well, i messed that part up by not taking some dramamine before dive 1. What then? Why would it linger so long?

Thanks for any special insights anyone can offer. I'm hoping to be in the water again in a week or two and I'm sure I'll be psyched, but right now I can't even think about it because my stomach and head still turn at the thought.

I used to get sea sick whenever the seas were over 5 or 6 feet.....and choice of charter boat is an issue as we'll--the boats that have lots of diesel fumes, get me sea sick in 3 foot seas....so I avoid dive boats that have lots of diesel fumes, and try to find boat with no smell at all--Like Wet temptation in Palm Beach--a new Newton that has the newer and better exhaust technologies.... Also..to the diesel issue---a year ago or so I met someone with some herbal or ayuvedic or whatever tincture, that when you take it on getting on a boat with diesel smell--it prevents the diesel smell from making you ill....I wish I remember what that stuff was

Also...Bonine versus Dramamine----I think this varies from person to person--for me, if I take Bonine, it will actually MAKE me seasick, almost on land--so Dramamine is way better for me--though Triptone was exponentially better for me than Dramamine ever was....


And...Nasal Irrigation for a few days prior to diving, and the day of, can clean out your sinus and remove so much middle ear swelling, that for some people, myself included this can end se-sickness on all but the very worst/roughest days.

 

[Water Boy76]

1. Take 1 Bonine first thing in AM when I wake up; many hours before I'm ready to board boat
2. Eat a large non greasy breakfast and drink a lot of water
3. Drink more water, then gingerale as the day goes on
4. Take another Bonine or Kwells when I'm boarding if I know it's going to be rough. Otherwise, wait until needed - But don't wait too long. It does no good to take a pill and throw it up ten minutes later.
5. If I have to blow chunks don't hold back. Best to do when your buddies are safety stopping so they can see show from below.

 

[Goodtime Adventures]

It sounds like the site chosen for your buoyancy training dive could have been better, those conditions sounded a little difficult.

Seasickness is never fun but preparation really is the key. There are some things you can do to help try to minimize your discomfort. Unfortunately short term, in our experience, it's almost impossible to reverse symptoms when they start until you are back on land.

Make sure you have no alcohol the day before and drink lots of water the night before / morning of your dives
Eat something simple and light for breakfast (not fatty & greasy / dairy / acidic)
Take a pill at least 1 hour before you get on the water and keep taking the recommended dose throughout the trip.

Finally if all else fails, you know it will get better as soon as you get under the water to dive!

Best wishes for seasick-free dives in the future!

 

[CT-Rich]

get off the surface and to the bottom. Deeper you are the less wave action, less being pushed by the surge. It won't cure it, but it will reduce it.

 

[Jerry_]

I usually don't get sea/motion sick, so I am less in the preventive camp (even so I agree that if you are sensitive to getting sea sick, preventive medicine is a way to go). Unfortunately, occasionally it also happens to me to get seasick. My experience is that the best way is then to "feed the fish" as formulated by gmanstan, because otherwise you will have all the time in mind not to vomite which just increases you feeling bad. Once having fed the fish I will just eat or drink something in order to feel better again.
Obviously this requires you to accept to feed the fish, but definitely it helps if you feel already sick.