Seasickness

[Bryan Swinford]

Yeah my trick is taking a bonine as im going to sleep the night before going out. Then one when I wake up, then one when I'm on the boat before departure. Some ginger candy can come in handy if the wave periods are short, so it always helps to have some with you. I can get seasick but havn't since I began this technique years ago. One other trick I use, stay focused on the rod tips while trolling. Once a fish is on seasickness won't even be on your mind.

[TOP SHOT]

one poster above has made reference to what, from my experience/info, is clearly the best choice, at least for many -- scopace, which is simply scopalamine but in pill form vs a patch. same thing i've been told (but never confirmed) that NASA uses. i seldom get sick but in very rough conditions, esp at night, can get a bit queasy. or used to -- spent several days fishing the 3 kings off n zealand, one of the world's more turbulent areas, with no really calm anchorage at night yet never missed a meal (or a chance to fish) thanks to scopace. patch can be problematic; the pill doesn't seem to be. also i've found it can be taken offshore in the swells and still help (customarily common wisdom says if not taken ahead of time most remedies don't help). note: must be prescribed by physician. curious to hear if more out there have had similarly positive experiences with the stuff. mal de mer truly sucks!

[Nonong]

Love suds? Don't drink beer (or any other alcoholic drink) just before you go out. Do not drink on the boat.... period. Alcohol in the blood causes boat fatigue. Your reflex motor action time is off; you get nausea, your judgement is impaired and in most cases..... seasickness gets worse! Avoid a MOB scenario.

Eat moderately on the boat. A heavy meal before going out is not good. Even a light chop can cause it. Barfing over the side is no option. Barf material acts as chum for sharks. Have barf bags aboard.

A good Physical Training (PT) regimen is a preventive. Jogging with 360 degrees boxer spins increases your body's resistance to dizziness and disorientation. Don't fix your stare on the waves. Look at the sky, the horizon and even landscapes or ships.

Some guys swear that using a roller coaster killer loop ride or an octopus spin ride in an amusement park prevents seasickness.

Have never used medication. Consult a doctor on the best medication that does not cause side effects.

[peabody]

If you are going on a friends boat, ask to drive. When in control it takes your mind off of getting sick. It has worked for several people that I have taken out on my boat. Also Bonine will make some people sleepy so I would take one the night before and one in the middle of the day, not the morinig like the directions say!!!

[spadefish.jellyball]

I am a firm believer in ginger. You can buy ginger pills at most health and drug stores, I recommend anyone going out with me that has had problems in the past to take one before leaving the dock. Have found no side effects. Also I take some ginger snaps and a few 6 oz cans of ginger ale with me. If someone gets to feeling bad one pill, a couple of snaps and wash it down with a can of ginger ale and instant cure. Hasn't failed me yet.

[jonathanmorris8]

Get some of those arm bands. They sell them in tackle shops as well as drug stores for pregnant women. My wife swears by them.

Jon

MarlinWear.com

[tarpon4me]

I use to never get sea sick until this season. And, even now, it's more of a queezy feeling than anything else. I started taking dremamine the night before, and that does the job. Nothing fancy, just over the counter stuff the night before. Remember, the stuff is 24 hours.

On that note, i've seen comments about no beer, no greasy foods, etc... That doesn't apply to everyone, and is situationally based. I was stationed on Anderson AFB for a few years on Guam. Anyone that's fished the South Pacific knows how sporty it can get, in a hurry. I always fished with the same crew, a guy from my unit and two retired navy chiefs. The first beer was cracked at 0600, before we ever left the bay. Beer was consumed all day. No one ever got sick, no one ever took a motion sickness pill. We ate all day, including slicing open freshly caught wahoo for boatside sashimi. (we always brough wasabi and soy with us) Some debate that beer actually settle the stomach, not upsets it. I won't enter that arguement, because I have no idea, I just know it doesn't effect me. Ginger does work, and I always keep ginger snap cookies with me when I remember to buy them.

The perfect boat snack, that won't mess you up: Vienna Weenies and beef jerkey. Don't leave home with out it. If you're not sick, but feel queezy, chomp down on those things and it will settle your stomach, unless you have a pansey stomach, and you might puke.

[Rotten40851]

Vienna Sausages, Beff Jerkey and Beer would equal INSTANT Seasickness for me! I am a firm believer in operating the vessel to keep sea sickness at bay, However when you start fishing thats another story. Ive never tried ginger but have tried just about everything else with NO favorable results. I guess I am just going to get sick every time in rough seas. I just keep going back because I just love to Fish

[tarpon4me]

Vienna Sausages, Beff Jerkey and Beer would equal INSTANT Seasickness for me! I am a firm believer in operating the vessel to keep sea sickness at bay, However when you start fishing thats another story. Ive never tried ginger but have tried just about everything else with NO favorable results. I guess I am just going to get sick every time in rough seas. I just keep going back because I just love to Fish

Rotten,

Try taking a motion sickness pill the night before. It will help you sleep, and it should take care of any sickness the next day. I actually asked my VA doctor about this. I tried taking a motion sickness pill the morning of, you know, like the instructions say; 30 minutes prior to the activity. The results we're not favorable. When I took the pill the night before, it worked.

The reason I was provided was that some people's bodies metabolize the medication at different rates. Some people, it may begin taking effect with in the 30 minute timeframe. For others, it may take a few hours for it to hit. In alot of cases, a few hours is a few hours too late. Once the symptoms hit you, the best the meds will do is lesson the effects of the sickness. But, if the meds have taken effect prior to begining the activity, chances are you won't get sick at all.

Try it and let me know how it works.

[Rotten40851]

Thanks Tarpon4me,

I have tried to take it the night before, tried the patch, nothing works for me, Im 43 years old and have been fishing my whole life, My father had a cast iron stomach and never got seasick a day in his life. But my sister and I are VERY PRONE to motion sickness ( I guess I get it from my mom ) Sea, Air and Car sick if I dont look out the windshield or sit in the front seat or if I try to read while a passenger, I will get sick. I cant sit in the back of vans either. Any time I go somewhere I have to sit in the front seat, noone believes me until I tell them that if you dont let me sit in the front, Whwn I barf, it will be all over you, That usually works. The only thing I havent tried are the bands and Ginger. I'll try them the next time I go Offshore