gr8jab
Contributor
Desensitize yourself beforehand: http://medind.nic.in/iab/t07/s1/iabt07s1p37.pdf
Seasick on first liveaboard?
- Thread starter ofra
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Kevrumbo and others have a lot of good suggestions, and I can add a couple of thing that might help you.
1. Try to avoid putting your head down or leaning over for any length of time while the boat is rocking. I have owned a ski boat for 30+ years and I find I am most susceptible to motion sickness when I am bending over getting the skis in or out of the storage area when the boat is rocking left and right with the engine off.
2. When you move your head, do it more slowly than you would on land. That will reduce the likelihood of vertigo as the fluid moves in your inner ear canal
3. Stay mentally and somewhat active during down time to cut down on the time spent thinking about getting sea sick, and force yourself to focus on thinking about something else.
4. Ask the Captain if you can watch him work. Maybe he will even let you steer the boat for a short time if safe to do so to get the feel of what the boat is doing in relationship to the waves, and as Kevrumbo said, you are less likely to get sick if you have some sense of being in control, even if for just a short period of time.
5. Use your legs like pistons or stabilizers to help reduce your head from moving side to side.
6. When you go to bed, try to think about rocking in a hammock (if that does not make you sick).
7. Start early and keep up with the meds. Bonine or store brand equivalent works best for me, and if I start to sense any head congestion, I get on Sudafed immediately.
8. Plan any liveaboard to maximize your chances of smooth seas.
1. Try to avoid putting your head down or leaning over for any length of time while the boat is rocking. I have owned a ski boat for 30+ years and I find I am most susceptible to motion sickness when I am bending over getting the skis in or out of the storage area when the boat is rocking left and right with the engine off.
2. When you move your head, do it more slowly than you would on land. That will reduce the likelihood of vertigo as the fluid moves in your inner ear canal
3. Stay mentally and somewhat active during down time to cut down on the time spent thinking about getting sea sick, and force yourself to focus on thinking about something else.
4. Ask the Captain if you can watch him work. Maybe he will even let you steer the boat for a short time if safe to do so to get the feel of what the boat is doing in relationship to the waves, and as Kevrumbo said, you are less likely to get sick if you have some sense of being in control, even if for just a short period of time.
5. Use your legs like pistons or stabilizers to help reduce your head from moving side to side.
6. When you go to bed, try to think about rocking in a hammock (if that does not make you sick).
7. Start early and keep up with the meds. Bonine or store brand equivalent works best for me, and if I start to sense any head congestion, I get on Sudafed immediately.
8. Plan any liveaboard to maximize your chances of smooth seas.
Hoag
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I don't normally get seasick, so to be honest, I don't know if my advice will be helpful or not.
A little over a year ago, I did a dive trip to a resort called Bohio on Grand Turk. The boat rides out to the dive sites were very short (5-10 minutes) and were so short in fact that we got into our wetsuits before we got on the boat because there wasn't time once we were on the boat. We came back to the resort for the surface interval (and spent it on dry land) and then back on to the boats for another 5 minute trip out to the next dive site.
Very little time was actually spent on the boats.
A little over a year ago, I did a dive trip to a resort called Bohio on Grand Turk. The boat rides out to the dive sites were very short (5-10 minutes) and were so short in fact that we got into our wetsuits before we got on the boat because there wasn't time once we were on the boat. We came back to the resort for the surface interval (and spent it on dry land) and then back on to the boats for another 5 minute trip out to the next dive site.
Very little time was actually spent on the boats.
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WrmBluH2O
Contributor
Thanks Kevrumbo and Altamira. Not sure why kevrumbo's suggestions, which I've seen before in other threads, aren't getting more likes.
Prior to becoming a diver, I had spent time on both small powerboats and sailboats. No issue. However, if I am in a movie theater watching a film meant to simulate motion or playing a first-person shooter video game (which I almost never do because I'm awful at them),
I will turn green (nausea and headache). My first 3-D movie experience, Avatar, made me sick as a dog.
I can drive, ride roller coasters, and be on small boats without issue (though I haven't yet been tested on a small boat with serious swells.) That said, on my one and only liveaboard, I did have intermittent slight to moderate queasiness and looked forward to being "done" and back on land. I wish that weren't the case but it's true.
My husband dive buddy and I will be doing another liveaboard this December (Cayman Aggressor). So, the unpleasantness is not enough to ruin the joy of diving. However, anything positive I might be able to do to help improve the experience would be great. So, thanks to all of you that have contributed tips in this and past threads on the subject.
Good luck Ofra!
Prior to becoming a diver, I had spent time on both small powerboats and sailboats. No issue. However, if I am in a movie theater watching a film meant to simulate motion or playing a first-person shooter video game (which I almost never do because I'm awful at them),
I will turn green (nausea and headache). My first 3-D movie experience, Avatar, made me sick as a dog.I can drive, ride roller coasters, and be on small boats without issue (though I haven't yet been tested on a small boat with serious swells.) That said, on my one and only liveaboard, I did have intermittent slight to moderate queasiness and looked forward to being "done" and back on land. I wish that weren't the case but it's true.
My husband dive buddy and I will be doing another liveaboard this December (Cayman Aggressor). So, the unpleasantness is not enough to ruin the joy of diving. However, anything positive I might be able to do to help improve the experience would be great. So, thanks to all of you that have contributed tips in this and past threads on the subject.
Good luck Ofra!
Damselfish
Contributor
Maybe the timing of this won't work out for you if you're already committed to a liveaboard to Komodo/Palau this summer. But starting with a stable liveaboard that's closer to home might have been an idea, so at least you're skipping so much travel time and expense. The Aquacat in the Bahamas always comes to mind, and that's one where you dive from the main boat.
One other thought is that if you decide to do a liveaboard in Komodo or Palau, you might want to give yourself three or four full down days of no diving at your destination debarkation point prior to shoving off on the liveaboard. Your profile shows you from NY, and those locations are a very long way from home, requiring exhausting flights, lousy airport/airplane food, recycled aircraft cabin air, dehydration, and a very messed up circadian rhythm. Any and all of those can contribute to increased sensitivity to motion sickness, not to mention making you feel really run down by the time you get to the other side of the world. Damselfish gave you an excellent suggestion--start with a liveaboard closer to home so you can give you body its best chance to help you enjoy the experience.
Darnold9999
Contributor
I get seasick. Kevrumbo is giving good advice. If I am driving the boat I can handle any seas. If I am below decks and can't see out or focused on something inside the boat any movement will start me up.
I find going up on deck and pretending I am driving. - focus on the horizon and how the boat is reacting to the water works. Closing my eyes and trying to sleep in a bunk is the worst thing I can do. For long crossings in open water I just take sleeping pills and knock myself out.
The bigger the boat the better, but bad weather can turn any boat into a roller coaster and get the weather coming from the wrong direction and you are really in trouble
When choosing I would stay away from any repositioning type trips. Komodo when I went was flat calm and protected enough that even if there was some weather you would be OK most of the time
I do find that the longer I stay on a boat the less likely I am to get sick
Good luck
I find going up on deck and pretending I am driving. - focus on the horizon and how the boat is reacting to the water works. Closing my eyes and trying to sleep in a bunk is the worst thing I can do. For long crossings in open water I just take sleeping pills and knock myself out.
The bigger the boat the better, but bad weather can turn any boat into a roller coaster and get the weather coming from the wrong direction and you are really in trouble
When choosing I would stay away from any repositioning type trips. Komodo when I went was flat calm and protected enough that even if there was some weather you would be OK most of the time
I do find that the longer I stay on a boat the less likely I am to get sick
Good luck
I am prone to seasickness and I have taken more than a dozen liveaboard trips and loved them. I am more likely to get sick if the boat does a deep water crossing (like Florida to the Bahamas) right after leaving the harbor because of the rolling wave action. If we stay near the island, traveling along the coast, I am less likely to get sick.
I have gotten very sick at the start of some liveaboard trips but my experiences have been that I am only sick for one night and then I start to acclimate, and after a day I will be just fine. I have even been through some bad storms at sea and didn't get seasick after I became acclimated. When you are diving land-based dives, you are on/off the boats and you never really get acclimated, but when you are on a liveaboard your body has time to adjust to the new reality. It just takes some of us a little longer than others!
Here are my techniques for reducing the risk of seasickness on a liveaboard. I don't eat much on the day of departure or drink any alcohol. I take the seasickness medication at least an hour before I board the boat. When we get on board my husband and I split up to try and get ourselves situated before we leave port. He heads to the dive deck to set up and stow our equipment. I head to the cabin to unpack our belongings and then to the salon to complete any paperwork. Try not to linger indoors, get out in the air.
After we depart, I stay up on deck with the cool air blowing on my face and I watch the horizon to help my eyes and brain adjust to the motion. If I can tolerate it, I try to sip water to stay hydrated. I have been known to spend the first night sleeping in a lounge chair on the upper deck and I am usually not alone.
Sometimes the precautions work and I just feel queasy and headachy, but I have also had some miserable first nights with violent vomiting, even when there is nothing left to throw up! But again by noon the next day I feel fine and then I stay that way throughout the trip.
Everyone is different but the only way to find out is to try. Just a precaution, be careful not to overdue the seasickness meds, or mix them with anti-histamines because you may increase your risk of side-effects. If you are wearing the patch check the paperwork that comes with it to see if there are any precautions about taking other products. Good luck!
I have gotten very sick at the start of some liveaboard trips but my experiences have been that I am only sick for one night and then I start to acclimate, and after a day I will be just fine. I have even been through some bad storms at sea and didn't get seasick after I became acclimated. When you are diving land-based dives, you are on/off the boats and you never really get acclimated, but when you are on a liveaboard your body has time to adjust to the new reality. It just takes some of us a little longer than others!
Here are my techniques for reducing the risk of seasickness on a liveaboard. I don't eat much on the day of departure or drink any alcohol. I take the seasickness medication at least an hour before I board the boat. When we get on board my husband and I split up to try and get ourselves situated before we leave port. He heads to the dive deck to set up and stow our equipment. I head to the cabin to unpack our belongings and then to the salon to complete any paperwork. Try not to linger indoors, get out in the air.
After we depart, I stay up on deck with the cool air blowing on my face and I watch the horizon to help my eyes and brain adjust to the motion. If I can tolerate it, I try to sip water to stay hydrated. I have been known to spend the first night sleeping in a lounge chair on the upper deck and I am usually not alone.
Sometimes the precautions work and I just feel queasy and headachy, but I have also had some miserable first nights with violent vomiting, even when there is nothing left to throw up! But again by noon the next day I feel fine and then I stay that way throughout the trip.
Everyone is different but the only way to find out is to try. Just a precaution, be careful not to overdue the seasickness meds, or mix them with anti-histamines because you may increase your risk of side-effects. If you are wearing the patch check the paperwork that comes with it to see if there are any precautions about taking other products. Good luck!
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Ofra, if you end up heading to Palau, I'd highly recommend one of the Aggressor boats. They're both catamarans. I was on the Palau Aggressor II in November, and it was by far the most stable liveaboard I've been on. Perhaps we also got lucky with the weather, but most of the time it was hard to know we were even on a boat.
James
James
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