Saltwater issue

[PerroneFord]

After my second saltwater dives of the season, I've noticed a disturbing trend, and I am unsure what to do about it.

When I dive saltwater, if I do a reg exchange, or anything else where I get saltwater into my mouth, I get very queasy later. I have not tried this from a shore dive, only from a boat. I do not get motion sickness easily, and the boat movement didn't seem to make things any worse. I drank cold water and gatorade (rain) and started to feel better in a couple of hours.

This issue threatens to disrupt my wreck diving in the southeast, and while I am not a huge fan of saltwater in the first place, I would like to be able to dive it without significant issue.

I'd welcome comments on how to keep my stomach in check when doing these dives.


Thanks.

 

[Wildcard]

I sounds like you may be swallowing some sea water. I can think of no other reason.

 

[Diver Dennis]

I agree with WC. It has to be more than a salt little water in the mouth to cause you to get queasy.

 

[PerroneFord]

No,

Actually it's not. I am not swallowing seawater. In fact, on my first saltwater dive of the season, I was actually ok with everything until we started back in, and the saltspray started hitting me. I was certainly not swallowing it, but the smell and salty taste around my mouth made me nauseous.

Maybe my body has a natural aversion to seawater.

 

[texdiveguy]

No,

Actually it's not. I am not swallowing seawater. In fact, on my first saltwater dive of the season, I was actually ok with everything until we started back in, and the saltspray started hitting me. I was certainly not swallowing it, but the smell and salty taste around my mouth made me nauseous.

Maybe my body has a natural aversion to seawater.

Are these your first dives in saltwater conditions,,,,or just sorta something new this season with your saltwater diving?

 

[PerroneFord]

Are these your first dives in saltwater conditions,,,,or just sorta something new this season with your saltwater diving?

I am very new to saltwater diving. I did my OW cert many years ago in saltwater, but had done no other saltwater dives until this summer.

 

[texdiveguy]

I am very new to saltwater diving. I did my OW cert many years ago in saltwater, but had done no other saltwater dives until this summer.

Everyone of us handle o/w saltwater diving differntly and one trip you may be fine and the next you might have this sea-sickness type issue. I have only heard a few folks mention that the saltwater even in min. amounts caused the ill feelings. Hmmm I would think that the saltwater and boat motion are playing together on you in some part. I can tell you that ussually the more you do o/w boat runs the better you will get over time to becoming acclimated to it. Hope others have some insights that might lend assistance to you. *Alot to be said for fresh water diving!!!

 

[PerroneFord]

The curious thing, is that on the ride in this weekend, which was 22 miles... the boat was making 26 knots in 3-4ft seas. this was a 27ft boat. He was hustling, and we had wing making whitecaps. I felt GREAT! In sitting in the boat sipping fluids for 3 hours, I felt fine. It was just the 30-60 minutes after the dive that I felt queasy. Enough for me to pass on the second dive of the day.

My hydration was good. Electolytes were in order, I had good sleep for both trips, etc. I will try to do a shore dive later in the month to see if the boat + salt is in fact the culprit, but I suspect it isn't.

Thanks for everyone's thoughts thus far.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Blasting through waves may be exciting and might keep you too occupied to get sea sick. Doing a dive and then laying around on a boat at anchor can easily get you sick.

 

[PerroneFord]

Blasting through waves may be exciting and might keep you too occupied to get sea sick. Doing a dive and then laying around on a boat at anchor can easily get you sick.

I felt queasy before I got off the ladder... After sipping fluids and taking a light nap, I felt better. We were at anchor for over 3 hours without me feeling sick afterwards.