We are planning a trip to the Great Barrier Reef next October/November. I know that the best sites can only be accessed by liveaboards and am worried as I suffer from sea sickness. Can anyone tell me how rough the water is at that time of year? and has anyone else done a liveaboard at the GBR who suffers from sea sickness and survived! I'd love to hear your experiences.
Liveaboards & sea sickness - Great Barrier Reef
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Not sure about that time of year specifically, however it can be a lucky dip any time really with the weather you will get.
My trip in November was good weather, and Im going to townsville 1st Dec for a 10 day livaboard so fingers crossed.
On a Cairns liveaboard, your not often exposed to the open ocean. Mainly heading out to the ribbon reefs and coming back you are (first and last day).
Generally any other time you will be protected by the reef. At night for example the ship will usually hold up in a protected area, so even if its 40 knot winds, the ship will be steady.
If your going out to Osprey there is another time your at the mercy of the ocean, though Ive had two great trips out previously.
I take travel calm with me, and use as necessary. Especially for the trip out and back when you're exposed.
I also take ear plugs to help me sleep while the boat is travelling.
Happy travels
My trip in November was good weather, and Im going to townsville 1st Dec for a 10 day livaboard so fingers crossed.
On a Cairns liveaboard, your not often exposed to the open ocean. Mainly heading out to the ribbon reefs and coming back you are (first and last day).
Generally any other time you will be protected by the reef. At night for example the ship will usually hold up in a protected area, so even if its 40 knot winds, the ship will be steady.
If your going out to Osprey there is another time your at the mercy of the ocean, though Ive had two great trips out previously.
I take travel calm with me, and use as necessary. Especially for the trip out and back when you're exposed.
I also take ear plugs to help me sleep while the boat is travelling.
Happy travels
jake11
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We did not do a LOB there but we did go out to Osprey reef on a day boat. We have done around 25 lob trips and I use a patch because I do get sea sick. I had a patch on when we went out to the Osprey and I still got VERY sick. It was pretty bad. If someone had offered us a free return trip out to dive for a second time on the GBR I would have said no. It was miserable!!! Sorry!
Darnold9999
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Did a Mike Ball trip to Lizard island and back to Cains (4 days) in December. Was protected for all but the last night. By that time I was acclimated. First couple of hours of the first day was also a bit rough so I spent most of it outside standing watching the horizon.
Shasta_man
Contributor
What's "travel calm"?
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Its a motion sickness medication. Another brand we have here is "Kwells"
I get motion sickness in seas over 2m. I have never been ill after taking these. They can make you drowsy, and give you a dry mouth though.
The trick is to take them an hour before getting on the water. The people who suffer badly usually take one the night before at bedtime then one in the morning before departing (1 hour before).
PS. the ginger variety is not recommended. Get the "Original"
Travel Calm has the same active ingredient (Dimenhydrinate) as Dramamine in the US. It only works for me on moderate boat rocking. If it is hard to walk straight on the boat, I will puke, pretty much guaranteed, even if I double the dose hours before going out. I would love to hear of a real alternative.
I have had better luck with Bonine which has Meclizine as the active ingredient when the seas were really rough. 29ft seas heading towards the Magellan Straits and not even a burp!
Freddy Smith
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October is my favourite month of the year in Cairns, it can start to get quite hot at that time of the year.
Once you hit december the Monsoon trough can start to form over Northern Australia, which can bring some rougher weather (and even cyclones), so the earlier the better for you.
Once you hit december the Monsoon trough can start to form over Northern Australia, which can bring some rougher weather (and even cyclones), so the earlier the better for you.
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