Nauseated during dive

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I have a friend who is an avid diver and he's sick on every single dive. He's never overcome it in 30 years.

Myself, I don't get seasick and enjoy surge. I've even been on a rolling dive boat during high wave conditions where most everyone but the crew were barfing. I knew that it could be contagious and so looked away. Easier said than done when the man next to me barfed into his towel. I swallowed hard and looked further away.

Oddly, the only time that I feel a very slight nausea is standing on a dock or a boat that is not discernably moving.

Always the extreme exceptions. Maybe I should have said it gets better for most of the people who continue on.

I have to give it to to your buddy....not sure if I would still be getting on a boat after a while. Being seasick is no fun. I use Scolpamine patches, I'm sure he's tried everything? With those I can eat, laugh, use the head downstairs all while rocking back and forth.
 
Early on you mentioned that it was a long walk to the water after suiting up. Getting overheated before going out won't be the sole cause but doesn't help either.

Many people jump in the water and then get suited up, but that's not available to you, either leave your suit open/off to the waist until you get to the water or simply pour some cold water on your head to cool it down. You don't have to drench your head, just some cool water will help you feel cooler. Do that just before you start suiting up and just before the walk so you start at a cooler point before the walk. Pour some of it in the body too because hydration is a good thing to feel better overall.

Incidentally I use Bonine for liveaboard diving until I have my sealegs but also find seasickness itself is somewhat mental. If you distract yourself by doing something and not think about it, you are LESS prone to start feeling it. No sure prevention but I have used that to stave it off a few times when the boat started bobbing once forward headway stops.
 
Always the extreme exceptions. Maybe I should have said it gets better for most of the people who continue on.

I have to give it to to your buddy....not sure if I would still be getting on a boat after a while. Being seasick is no fun. I use Scolpamine patches, I'm sure he's tried everything? With those I can eat, laugh, use the head downstairs all while rocking back and forth.

He told me that he just considers it part of his dive. Smh
 
I did two shore dives for certification, and got really nauseous under water. Like, almost-puking-into-my-regulator nauseous. I think it was either the salt water I swallowed, the back and forth current, or both. Has anyone else experienced this? What did you do?

Fortunately, our final two certification dives are in a reservoir so I imagine I won't have this problem again. But it sucks if, every time I dive in the ocean, I get sick once I'm under.
I did two shore dives for certification, and got really nauseous under water. Like, almost-puking-into-my-regulator nauseous. I think it was either the salt water I swallowed, the back and forth current, or both. Has anyone else experienced this? What did you do?

Fortunately, our final two certification dives are in a reservoir so I imagine I won't have this problem again. But it sucks if, every time I dive in the ocean, I get sick once I'm under.

Hi, Duckman:

I can definitely empathize. I get motion sick very easily. My very first day of blue water diving, after only a very short boat ride into only slightly choppy seas, I threw up 9 times (literally--I kept count). I started to get nauseous at the surface as we were waiting to descend--my system did not like bobbing like a cork. Then I had a little trouble equalizing as we first descended, which meant that I was still near the surface, experiencing the surge. Blergh. The vomiting started soon thereafter, even dosed up on Dramamine. The next day was better, because the seas were calmer, but a I still threw up multiple times, and a multi-hour boat ride on that trip to watch whale sharks was a real vomit-fest.

The good news is that I learned a few things that help. First, I don't eat any solid food before the morning dive. And then I only eat minimally if we're taking a surface interval. Second, staying well-hydrated seems to help. Third, and hallelujah, I got turned onto scopolamine patches! Some people don't like it because they experience some of the possible side effects. But for me, it works very well without any noticeable side effects. The second summer of blue water diving was *so much* better.

i hope this helps!
 
Hi, Duckman:

I can definitely empathize. I get motion sick very easily. My very first day of blue water diving, after only a very short boat ride into only slightly choppy seas, I threw up 9 times (literally--I kept count). I started to get nauseous at the surface as we were waiting to descend--my system did not like bobbing like a cork. Then I had a little trouble equalizing as we first descended, which meant that I was still near the surface, experiencing the surge. Blergh. The vomiting started soon thereafter, even dosed up on Dramamine. The next day was better, because the seas were calmer, but a I still threw up multiple times, and a multi-hour boat ride on that trip to watch whale sharks was a real vomit-fest.

The good news is that I learned a few things that help. First, I don't eat any solid food before the morning dive. And then I only eat minimally if we're taking a surface interval. Second, staying well-hydrated seems to help. Third, and hallelujah, I got turned onto scopolamine patches! Some people don't like it because they experience some of the possible side effects. But for me, it works very well without any noticeable side effects. The second summer of blue water diving was *so much* better.

i hope this helps!

I agree about the patches, disagree about eating. I wouldn't say I eat a ton, but me and most of the people that I know do better when eating a small meal before going out. Something small, maybe scrambled eggs and toast. It's counterintuitive, but it works for me. Something light at the SI also.
 
I agree about the patches, disagree about eating. I wouldn't say I eat a ton, but me and most of the people that I know do better when eating a small meal before going out. Something small, maybe scrambled eggs and toast. It's counterintuitive, but it works for me. Something light at the SI also.

Absolutely--I meant that fasting or eating very lightly works *for me.* I've also found that, over time, I can eat a little without tossing my cookies. At some point, you do have to eat, of course! FWIW, the staff in my boat recommended avoiding fatty foods, including dairy, but I think you just have to test out what does and does not work for you individually.
 
If you eat, make sure to thoroughly chew your food.
 
And that's only partly a joke: if you have to puke, the better you chewed the better you will get that through your regulator.
Never remove it before feeding the fish, just accept that you have to and do it with "enthusiasm" so that you get as much out as possible in one go.
Once the business is done, purge your reg and if you fancy rince your mouth with a little bit of water, don't swallow.
Have your octopus in one hand ready in case something obstruct your main supply.
You may also put the tip of your tongue up against your throat to avoid getting water (or somethingelse) in your throad.
Do i report personal experience and practice here? maybe...
:D:confused:
 
I get sea sick and motionsickness fairly easy. Doing it a lot helps desensitized the stressor for me. I tend to have the issue more out of water... I also noticed that if I slow down my ascent rate to 3ft/min it is greatly reduced.
 
I get sea sick and motionsickness fairly easy. Doing it a lot helps desensitized the stressor for me. I tend to have the issue more out of water... I also noticed that if I slow down my ascent rate to 3ft/min it is greatly reduced.

From the safety stop, you mean or?
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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