Bahamas Liveaboards and Sea Sickness

[NickNYC]

Hi,

I believe I was 12 the last time I was in the Bahamas, so a decade has left me without much memory of the place... how choppy are the oceans at this time of year? Heading out on Explorer I this weekend and am not sure if I need to pick up any medication. I'm generally fine unless there is lots of movement for long periods of time.

If you guys recommend I should get something, what would it be? I have absolutely no idea what's even out there let alone what works!

Thanks!

 

[ahava]

Leaving on Cat Ppalu at the end of this month, cant wait. Did Blackbeards same time last year and the seas were great. We even went further south then normal because the conditions were so good. I think the Explorer leaves from Georgetown not Freeport like Blackbeards, so I dont know for sure but from my understanding this time of the year it is usually good. Always take meds. just in case.

 

[NickNYC]

Any recommendations for meds? I seriously have no clue whatsoever...

 

[Papa_Bear]

Meclazine (sp) is one of the best and it is cheap! That boat doesn't move too much! But this time of year it can be windy and choppy! The dam wind can blow out of the East hard until sometime in May! Hope it works out for you weather wise...... Good luck

 

[yakivet]

Scopolamine is available as a transdermal gel or skin patch but is a prescription product. Works pretty well for my wife, just be sure to apply an hour or so prior to hitting the water. Ken :42:

 

[tstormdiver]

Having been on 2 live aboards & planning on 2 more this year, I haven't yet had too much trouble with "Mal de Mer". On Blackbeard's we only hit moderately rough (about 6- 10ft) seas while out, but I think with the size of the boat I was able to see the motion on the boat in accordance with the waves, so no sea sickness. When on the CEXI we hit some VERY rough seas (15- 20ft). I became a bit queasy & had to go below decks & lay down for a while. Once we got to calmer waters, I was OK again. A couple of others also had to rest during the transit. I have been on large cruise ships & tend feel much worse on rough seas with them than the smaller boats & I guess that's because of the effect of being able to see the motion that's going on. On the cruise ships everything is on such a big scale that you can lose perspective on it. I will admit though, I did a 12 pack boat off Panama City Beach a couple of weeks ago in very rough seas & to put it rather delicately,... I fed the fish quite well the whole trip. I have to date (except for the day boat), never been that sea sick ever before & hope I never am again. If I am afraid of getting sea sick, I usually use the Scopolamine patches, which like stated above, are prescription. They are just soooo much more convenient than the tablets. wit being in & out of the water though, it sometimes can be difficult to keep those patches on (just a possible heads up). But, with the tablets (dramamine or such) you have to take them every 6- 8hrs.

 

[robint]

some people use the "patch" you can get from your doctor with great success. I personally don't like meds as they make me groggy or strung out! I use ginger tablets if my stomach feels at all queasy (I haven't had any issues for several years though).

The best remedies are to stay up on deck in fresh air, watch horizon, get busy talk to people and distract your mind from the "feeling". Remember sea sickness is just your brain and body having a conflict. Once you get your body accustomed to the feeling of being on a boat, most people get over it. I have heard of some people actually being sick the first few days and then fine the rest of a liveaboard trip. Others just take the meds from day 1 just in case.

Since you don't know how you will react, take some medication with you. YOu may not need them though. Have a great trip!

robin

 

[Diveral]

Suffered from motion sickness on my last Blackbeards trip and my last 6-pack trip in the Gulf last summer. I use the transderm scop patch and it works great. I like it better than the dramamine. Dramamine makes me drowsy. The patch gives me dry mouth and I believe makes me more susceptible to narcosis. I usually take it off before a diive and put it on my dive log cover. After the dive I dry the area behind my ear and re-apply the patch.

AL

 

[cappyjon431]

I worked on a liveaboard in the Bahamas and lots of our guests used the patch. Many of my dive buddies who suffer sea sickness swear that Bonine is much more effective than Dramamine, but I have no experience with either, so it's just word of mouth.

Ginger tablets are an interesting idea. I've seen people bring fresh ginger, ginger snaps, and ginger beer and most of these health nuts swear by these remedies.

Being out in the open (fresh air) and looking at the horizon are often helpful. An ice pack applied to the back of the neck and/or the wrist has also been suggested if you can apply them at the very onset of the queasiness.

I'm lucky. I lived on a boat for almost ten years and motored through 20 foot+ seas and never got seasick, but cleaning out a marine head or emptying a garbage locker--that can make me hurl in a heartbeat!

 

[cinder4320]

I agree Bonine (or Triptone) are better than Dramamine and have less of a drowsy effect. Both can be found in dive shops or Walgreens. Ginger pills are a great idea too.

I took a pill each morning on my liveaboard to kind of "trick" myself into not getting sick. Of course it had worn off by the end of the day but I felt great even in the evenings on Blackbeards doing that. Now rough seas in the Keys on a small boat and I am not so lucky!!

Miranda