sea-sickness

[labaum]

All these ideas are great and I've tried most of them at one time or another.
I found what works best for me are the 3 ideas most often mentioned--a simple, light meal the night before, a good night's sleep, and a Bonine in the morning.
However, I've also found that my sickness got worse as my stress level went up once on the boat. The stress wasn't caused by any fear/concerns about the dive, but more by all the controlled (and not so controlled) chaos you often find on a dive boat; coming aboard, finding your spot, trying to stay out of everyone's way, loading, configuring and stowing gear, suiting up, etc, etc. For some reason, my stomach would always start to churn during all the mass activity.
My sea sickness really decreased when I started to practice Zen and the art of dive boats. The more I stay calm, focused, relaxed, prepared, and watched my breathing (of course, the exact things to remember once you're under) the better I feel.

 

[JillGadget]

Are we talking about the same "patch" http://www.transdermscop.com
I know everyone is different but this worked for me during a 3 day tuna fishing trip and the last 2 days the seas were 8' - 12', very rough. In fact I was 100% fine, able to eat, even read during down time.

yES, Transdermscop usually works; but the last 2 times in the keys it has not.
Bonine didn't either. I even stayed away from coffee/fruit juice and greasy and I dont drink sooo:shakehead Im going to try the ginger people talk about.... I guess y'all are gonna see me coming...... Im going to have ginger root in my hand, a patch on my ear a pretzel stick hanging out of my mouth AND and wristband jolting me with electricity. Talk about a billboard!
Jill:l:

 

[JillGadget]

My husband gets seasick if he doesn't get enough sleep the night before. He usually never has breakfast, so it's not something he ate.

Are you getting enough sleep?

On our last trip he discovered Triptone. You take it before bed, then you take another in the morning before the trip. It worked like a charm for him, and the seas were choppy on that trip, too.

Actually, we usually stay at the Ramada in Key Largo and it is the ONLY hotel I sleep like a baby. Im looking into triptone - Ive done a little reading on it and it may be promising. By the way, the trip itself doesnt bother me. It is when the boat is trying to hook up to the moaring line. Back and forth, back and forth - fumes etc... I could loose it here just thinking about it

 

[JillGadget]

I've also found that my sickness got worse as my stress level went up once on the boat. The stress wasn't caused by any fear/concerns about the dive, but more by all the controlled (and not so controlled) chaos you often find on a dive boat; coming aboard, finding your spot, trying to stay out of everyone's way, loading, configuring and stowing gear, suiting up, etc, etc. For some reason, my stomach would always start to churn during all the mass activity.

OHHHHH good thought... the last 2 times I took my trip to the keys and got sick were the same times someone died the morning of my dive... hmmm.. pattern? black cloud?

 

[J.R.]

Seasickness...

Per "Mythbusters": Seasickness cures: they tested various non-pharmaceutical remedies, a placebo, and an over-the-counter pharmaceutical drug and found that ginger pills were a plausible remedy. The pharmaceutical drug worked as well, but made them loopy.

Neat link: http://www.ecu.edu/diving/UAFoceanmotion.pd

Per ScienceDaily: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060815161745.htm

Per NASA: http://nasaexplores.nasa.gov/show2_912a.php?id=01-040&gl=912

Beyond that... I don't get the problem so anything I might say would be simply guesswork...

 

[lambsfarm 13]

hi, ive already put this up else where but its worth it again.i get sick a lot on boats, correction i used to. the answer for me was two fold. first get rid of that tight constrictive wet suit, move to a looser dry suit. second take two root ginger capsules 1 hour before diving. no sickness, diving is fun again!

 

[ClayJar]

Corrected link (original was missing the 'f' in 'pdf'):

Neat link: http://www.ecu.edu/diving/UAFoceanmotion.pdf

 

[IceIce]

JillGadget, I'm a seasickness customer too.
I have some advices to pass to you:

- Try to relax and don't do/move anything too drastic unless you really need too. Prepare everything before the boat start. Setting up your gear, putting up your things and even wearing your wetsuit, leave the upper part for later so you don't feel the heat/exhausted.

- Dramamine works for me, or anything with Dimenhydrate 50mg (hopefully I spell it right). On a good day I will take one in the morning, medium two in the morning and bad days two in the morning, one lunch top up and one more before night dive for rough seas.
For the first dose I usually take it during breakfast about half an hour before boarding the boat. It helps wonder for me.
I tried ginger before but it isn't not strong enough and I still end-up feeding the fish.

- Look at the horizon. Because horizon is static, so you don't feel your stomach rock as much.

- One of DM in the past told me it helps to put tobacco behind your ears. Never tried that before.

- Don't overeat, especialy with greasy food. Watch the amount also.

- If you need to sleep in the boat, try to sleep with your head higher than your leg. Sometimes you sleep horizontally, flat but if the boat rock in particular way, it might send you head lower than your feet and personally, I find my stomach works up very fast that way.

- Like many said, distract yourself. Engage in interesting and light conversation and activity.

- Avoid sitting in the direction of the engine to avoid the smell.

- Get in the water, fast!


Hope these help.
I know how unenjoyable is it to have seasickness when your favorite activities is connected with the sea... but hang in there!

 

[serambin]

I have posted this in another thread, but . . .
On a recent dive trip the dive shop's clerk, ask if I got seasick. After a moment of thought, I said yes. I told her that in my experience, under the right conditions, everyone gets seasick. I do not know if that caused a problem or not, but it is the truth. I lived aboard and sailed a 40 sloop as well as delivering boats from the Caribbean to Maine and I can tell you that if you sail enough, you will get seasick. My particular weakness is a condition of gray skies and water, (particularly if you do not get enough sleep, drink in excess, and the wind is slack and the smell of diesel surrounds you or some combination thereof,) as in misting rain in large seas.

In some 25,000 mile of ocean sailing, I have been actively seasick three times (but I remember each moment of those events), however, I have felt queasy more than a few times.

If you wish to use Bonine, I would say, the best way is in small increments and often. That is to say, cut the dosage in half, but start three days before the trip. Take 1/2 tablet twice a day and continue during the trip. There is a two-fold advantage to this strategy, you get a more even dosage, and you also do not feel as much 'stupidity' as you dive. I mean, you do want to remember what you saw.

Stan

 

[Gene_Hobbs]

THE BEHAVIORAL TOXICITY OF SUDAFED, BENADRYL, AND DRAMAMINE UNDER HYPERBARIC AIR.
Walsh and Burch, 1977
RRR ID: 4117
Note: This is an abstract, there is no article available.
More available at RRR ID: 4252 (Talked to Dr. Walsh last week and only real report of this work was in the UHMS workshop, listed below.)

Transdermal Scopolamine in the Hyperbaric Environment.
Schwartz and Curley, 1986
RRR ID: 3528

Interaction of Drugs in the Hyperbaric Environment.
Walsh (ed), 1979
RRR: 4252