How To Combat Seasickness?

[stairman]

Skip the traditional breakfast and eat fruit instead.Saltine crackers are also good at absorbing fluids sloshing around in your stomach.Get your fluid from the fruit,its more stable in the stomach.Try to not think about it,and stay out of the diesel fumes.I was a deckhand for two years so I have experience with this.The drugs work for some not all.Ive seen people throw up with the patch and on dramamine.Getting in the water will help.You can puke in your reg and blow it through the exhaust tees if you have tof course never remove your reg underwater to throwup or you could have an involuntary short spasm of inhalation.

 

[do it easy]

I usually take half a tab of meclizine the night before and a full tab in the morning. It works great for me on the boat, but I still get insanely drowsy- I literally feel drugged. If I am doing multiple days of boat diving, I only take 1 tab in the morning of subsequent days.

When I'm diving, I usually eat a greasy spoon breakfast- two eggs over easy, wheat toast, homefries, bacon and some coffee to wash it all down.

I've also noticed some distorted vision, especially underwater. The underwater world looked like it was wrapped on a cylinder that rotated when I turned my head. It was only momentary.

Without medication, it helps to stay in fresh air and look at the horizon. Below decks and near exhaust fumes aren't good places to be.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I have an anti nausea med my doc prescribes for me called promethazine. It works GOOD! Plus since it's prescribed my insurance covers it! Does not make me drowsy. He gave it to me for a bout of the trots I had after some bad food. The nausea was so bad I was constantly puking. The other end was bad to. That he would do nothing for- gotta get it out. Stay hydrated and light foods. Problem was the nausea nearly prevented that. So he gave me the stuff for nausea and damn if it don't work great for seasickness as well. ALso the advice about staying above deck and constantly looking at the horizon in different directions helps alot. Reading in a car messes me up. I can't imagine doing it on a small boat. I don't even like to ride in the back seat.

 

[diver 85]

good luck---no one ever " gets rid of seasickness"......

 

[Diver Lori]

good luck---no one ever " gets rid of seasickness"......

You got that right! I was discharged from the Coast Guard because I couldn't get rid of it either. And believe me, they tried everything before they discharged me!!

I've tried everything...... you just have to experiment and do what works best for you.

 

[dpbishop]

You have to understand what sea sickness is, which is difficult because nobody really understands it. The inner ear is the organ that controls balance. On a boat, the fluid in the inner ear sloshes about, telling the brain that you are in motion. The eyes, which focus on the boat, tell you brain that you are stable with your environment. Your brain says "What the *****?" and orders your stomach to jettison your breakfast.

If you stay on deck and focus on the horizon, you may be able to sync the message that the inner ear and the eyes are sending. Some people can, some can't. Those that can't use drugs. Unless you have a lot more money and free time then most of us, you probably don't do enough boat trips to worry about adverse effects from long term use, so just experiment with different drugs until you find one that doesn't have unpleasent side effects.

By all means try the patch, for 90% of users it has no side effects, and it works great. While I don't normally get seasick, I used the patch once when I was doing a sailboat delivery from Hawaii to the mainland, which involves heading north for several days into big steep square waves. Crew mates who hadn't used the patch were chumming within hours, I was cooking bacon with no ill effects. About an hour after putting the patch on they were OK.

 

[coreypenrose]

+1 for the patch.

Prevent motion sickness with clinically proven motion sickness patches, Transderm Scōp

 

[bejeweled]

You have to understand what sea sickness is, which is difficult because nobody really understands it. The inner ear is the organ that controls balance. On a boat, the fluid in the inner ear sloshes about, telling the brain that you are in motion. The eyes, which focus on the boat, tell you brain that you are stable with your environment. Your brain says "What the *****?" and orders your stomach to jettison your breakfast.

If you stay on deck and focus on the horizon, you may be able to sync the message that the inner ear and the eyes are sending. Some people can, some can't. Those that can't use drugs. Unless you have a lot more money and free time then most of us, you probably don't do enough boat trips to worry about adverse effects from long term use, so just experiment with different drugs until you find one that doesn't have unpleasent side effects.

By all means try the patch, for 90% of users it has no side effects, and it works great. While I don't normally get seasick, I used the patch once when I was doing a sailboat delivery from Hawaii to the mainland, which involves heading north for several days into big steep square waves. Crew mates who hadn't used the patch were chumming within hours, I was cooking bacon with no ill effects. About an hour after putting the patch on they were OK.

It seems as though most people didn't actually read my post... oh well. I will be on a boat for hours every day for over a month, so I am looking for alternatives to drugs.

 

[ZenDiver.3D]

OKAY! When this old Arab man told my friend to do this, we just laughed and laughed. He told her to put one, yes JUST ONE earplug in one of her ears. Now, Danielle, gets violently seasick even on large boats. Each and Every time. Sometimes, standing on a rocking floating dock makes her sick. So, we tried it on a sailboat. She took no medication. AND IT WORKED. I mean perfectly. We sailed in strong winds for over 2 & 1/2 hours. I was amazed. Now, she just pops it in anytime she climbs the ladder or steps on board. No more seasickness and no drugs.
This Arab man was a pearl diver when he was young but always seasick. His family had been using this one homemade wax earplug idea for generations.
Who knew, and it worked. Can't hurt to try on a quick test run.

 

[Diver Lori]

It seems as though most people didn't actually read my post... oh well. I will be on a boat for hours every day for over a month, so I am looking for alternatives to drugs.

Dear, you asked for what worked for people and that's what you are getting. Let's not chastize people who are trying to help you. Did it occur to you that you aren't getting many "non-medication" responses, so therefore not many "non-medication" responses truly work???

I was discharged from the Coast Guard for seasickness. Believe me, I've tried them all and have been through all the scenarios before they let me go. You are simply going to have to experiment, and find what works for you. I'm a MSDT with PADI and I did my DM, IDC, and IE land based because I knew that was the only way I would succeed with my little seasickness problem. And I know to this day, I stay land-based for my teaching because no one can count on me when I'm on a boat....it's a crap shoot.

You have a decision to make that we cannot make for you.