Preventing Sea Sickness

[fridaysoff]

What is the best thing for controlling sea sickness that has the least side effects?  I know the effectiveness can differ between people, but what is the general consensus? 

[Capt Cefus]

If you're prone to motion sickness, well...you're probably not going to get true relief without some sort of medication --- the Patch, or other remedy from your doc.

Dramamine makes me goofy (well goof-ier  )   Bonine works pretty well for me.

Eating raw ginger can help too.   

I had a buddy who would get seasick in a bathtub.   He tried everything, including the patch.   He tried the wristbands with the pressure point on the wrist.  Didn't help the seasickness, and it hurt his wrist.  He tried the electro-shock watch band looking thing.  Very expensive, didn't work, and hurt his wrist, plus he was getting shocked about every 30 seconds.   The patch helped a little, but not enough to allow him to go out in anything but flat calm seas.

My best suggestion is to eat a light, healthy meal the night before.   A very light breakfast, so you at least have something on your stomach to prevent cramping.    Drink lots of fluids.  Keep away from the exhaust fumes.   Stay on the centerline of the boat when you can.   Don't lay down!!!   Don't read a book.   Look at the horizon, versus things close up (like a book)  And keep your mind occupied with something other than your potential seasickness.

Oh, and if you get a bad honey bun in the morning....and you feel nausea setting on in the afternoon.   You're not seasick.   You just got a bad honeybun.   Nothing to do but to 'get ride of it'...and then you'll feel better.    How do I know this?   From firsthand experience.   Some captains won't let bananas on their boats... I won't let honey buns on mine anymore.  LOL

 

[FredRog72]

Prevent getting sea sick.....

#1 - Don't catch any large Red Snapper out of season!
#2 - Don't catch any undersized Grouper!
#3 - When your Mother-in-law says she needs to take a bucket and a bag on the boat, leave her at the dock!

On a serious note - my girls take the chewable orange flavored Dramamine and claim they work great for them - one the night before and one the morning of is their method.

I have 3 things I never leave the dock without - Tums, peanut butter on the cheese crackers, and Coke! I know the Coke is a bit odd but if I start to feel pukie I eat a couple of crackers and chase with a few sips of Coke and get instant relief. Don't guzzle the Coke, trust me.

Like Captain said, plenty of fluids and try to stay cool. If you let yourself overheat out there you will probably get sick.

Last but not least, don't leave the bait at the dock - at $4.00 per gallon you will be sick regardless of the prevention!

[Capt Cefus]

Fred,

ALL good suggestions.!!!   Especially the bait one.

And you're right, catching large snapper out of season really makes me sick, no matter what kind of sea sick remedy I'm taking.    And still sicker watching porpoises come in and eat them when I have to put them back !!!   

[Capt Rick Hiott]

I will say this, If you are an older guy with prostate problems,,,DO NOT take Dramamine!!!!  It will lock you up like a vice! (Sorry ladies, Its true)

From what Ive seen on all my years on the ocean, Sea sickness is something your born with or born without. I have cleaned up puke from plenty of people back when I mated off shore in the 80's,,,It dont bother me at all.

But Ill admit, I'f Im on a 42' Sports fisher in 8' seas,,,I need to go lay down (And close my eyes) If not, I need to keep my mind occupied with something like rigging baits.

Ginger helps a lot!

[Capt Cefus]

We were filming the Key West Marlin Tournament in July 2010, when Tropical Storm Bonnie was bearing down on the keys.   And of course, these hard-core marlin guys are going to fish...hurricane or not.    The first day wasn't too bad...6 to 8 foot rollers with a little wind.    On a 60-plus foot Viking, you can deal with that.    Day 2 picked up a bit.   8 footers and better beyond the reefs.   Mostly swells, but some of them had frothy tops.    My stomach could handle it, but as soon as I looked through the camera viewfinder, all bets were off.  Trying to keep the horizon 'level' while swaying and trying to stay upright, was a task.  And it really affected my sense of 'balance'.

Day Three -- all but 4 boats stayed at the dock.   Of course, I was on one of the boats that went out.    The waves were solid 10 to 12's.   On a 65 Viking, we could run the trough's, and in the bottom of the trough you could literally see schools of big mahi -- all lit up -- right at eye level.    Then on top of the swell, nothing was higher than you were.    The rain was horizontal.    And visibility sometimes reduced to a boat length.   It was rockin' out there.   We did catch fish though.    However, not too much good footage.   Try to hold a tray of beer glasses steady on a roller coaster -- that's what trying to shoot the camera was like.    And yep, I had a couple 'moments' when I thought breakfast was coming up.   I kept my mind on my job... and staying upright... and that really helped keep me from going completely into sea-sick land.

[reeltime]

The absolute best advice I ever received on Sea sickness was from an older gentleman that I met at the dock one morning....Eat Bananas and lot's of em before getting on the boat (no bananas allowed on the boat)   His reasoning made great sense too.  Don't know if they'll keep you from getting sick....but they taste the same coming up as they did going down

[Capt Cefus]

LOL  !!!!