How to anticipate (possible) seasickness?

[Jandee]

I tend to get sea sick and puke at anything over 2 feet swells. I've tried scopalamine tablets and they work for me. you will need to get an Rx from your doctor. Check the marine forcast and take something before your are on the boat. To late when the nausea sets in. An ice cube on the adam's apple can help with very mild nausea but doesn't do anything once you start to throw up.

 

[H2odiving]

I got sick on my first dive out after getting certified this year. I had already anticipated this happening since I have gotten seasick before. I too (like another poster) though only get sick when a boat stops. We had 4 foot swells that day, but I was able to keep the nausea down to a minimum. I took some Dramamine that morning but unfortunately only a half dose since I was trying to cut down on side effects (fatigue, slight depression for about a day). I tried to stay as cool as possible, sitting in the shade of the boat and letting the wind hit me in the face. I tried to stare at the horizon whenever possible. By the second dive I was starting to feel queasy, but I knew I would feel better if I could just get underwater because floating on the surface makes me just as sick. When I did get underwater, I felt absolutely no nausea until I started to ascend and then take the safety stop. I had to hold on to the ascent line which was making me bob up and down with the boat. Fortunately I made it back to shore without feeding the fishes (I immediately started to feel better when the boat took off). What I learned is to take the right dosage of motion sickness medication and if not too nauseated to try and get under water as quickly as possible. If however I feel like I might barf then I don't think I would risk diving.

 

[Buoyant1]

I was caught off guard on a boat last November in choppy water, I tried focusing on the horizon, and it kept my lunch from exiting my pie hole! But it took about 5-10 minutes on the second dive to get things to where I was comfy, don't believe what they tell you that getting in to the water is an instant cure...it's not!

The rest of the trips I took Dramamine with no side affects, and had no problems at all!

 

[MeiLing]

don't believe what they tell you that getting in to the water is an instant cure...it's not!

The rest of the trips I took Dramamine with no side affects, and had no problems at all!

It works for a number of folks, like me. Seasickness affects each person differently and we all need to learn the tricks that work for us individually. I've known one person, the girlfriend of a boat captain and avid sailor, who'd get seasick just standing on the dock!:11: Dramamine also didn't do much good for her. Scopalmine patches worked better, but still weren't a miracle cure for her. For her the only prevention was to not get anywhere near a boat!

I would advise someone to get in the water, but not submerging unless they feel that it is making a difference for them. Spend five minutes or so and then make your decision. Some even get just as sick being in the water and bobbing in the waves, for some like me it makes it go away.

Don't anticipate seasickness as an inevitability, but if you're prone to it, do what you have to prevent it.

 

[Bob Vincent]

Bonine or non-drowsy Dramamine works very well and may save the day for you. Once seasickness occurs the only cure is to sit under a tree. You can take the medication the night before and it works just as well.

When you feel it, it's too late. Unless you know for sure yeld to caution.

I've been on a dive boat in 5 and 7 foot seas so that translates into 10 and 14 footers to most people. I've seen people so sick I swear if you handed them a gun they'd of shot themself. I haven't gotten sea sick but when you shallowed a little salt water helping people onto the ladder and get on the boat and people are hurling all around ... you know what they say when in rome ...

Just do it and be happy its not worth ruining a dive ... then once your out there you can judge if you can handle it next time or not.

 

[teddyg04]

I'm not prone to motion sickness either, but most of the DMs at my LDS advised me to take something anyway. Dramamine makes me drowsy, but you can get a 100-tablet bottle of generic meclizine at Target for around $5. I take it before every trip, and have no side effects. I really hate the feeling of nausea, and it'd probably ruin the day for me. I may try ginger next time, and see if it's also as effective.

Enjoy your Catalina trip; the diving there is fabulous!!

 

[1_T_Submariner]

You might want to try some before your trip just to make sure you are not going to have any side affects from whatever you pick while you are on the boat for the first time. Ginger Root would be my reccomendation and stay on deck out of the sun and away from Diesel exhaust.