# Sea Sickness



## Carolina Rebel

I've put a fair amount of time on the boat ocean fishing, and no matter what I've tried I'm always at least a little queasy. If I don't use a whole scopolamine (sp?) patch, and get that on at least 12 hours before we hit the water, odds are great I'll be chumming the first time the boat stops. Even with those patches if its more than 1-3ft., I'm just queasy enough to be miserable the whole day. I love fishing from a boat, and especially bottom fishing, so my question:
Anyone here suffered like this, and if so is there anything else I could try to fix it? It's not an 'all in my head' thing, I've been sick on a kayak just past the breaking waves in 3-5' swells. I've tried the bracelets (no luck), dramamine (no luck, I was sleepy and puking), and the ear patches work some but no completely. Also tried eating peanut butter and red and blue jello, while it does in fact taste OK coming up and look pretty in the water, it didn't help matters too much. Any suggestions, dietary or otherwise, for alleviating this?


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## jeep2obx

drink a beer,but you cant beat free chum.


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## magic mike

you have to keep looking out at the horizon, eventually you'll get your sea legs. And calm down


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## blakester

Here's what you do. Night befor is when you take the draminine not that morning. Eat a light dinner, pop the pill, go to bed. When you wake up , they have this stuff called motion ease, its like liquid ginger, a dab of that behind each ear, with some peanuts , or crackers for breakfast and your good to go. Eyes on the horizon will only take you so far, Getting your head in the game will make for a much more better day. If all fails above ginger will calm your stomach....like ginger ale .. Tale the fish Blake sent ya......


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## SkunkApe

Bonine works just as good as Dramamine in my opinion but doesn't make you as drowsy. Walgreens sells a genaric brand for a few bucks cheaper than the Bonine label. Like Blakster said, two pills the night before, but another one in the morning can't hurt. Had the land lubber family from Colorado out offshore in Hatteras, and everyone seemed fine with that method. Off course you can just get sh*t faced if you're not driving. Your equilibrium is wacked from the sauce, so your body doesn't care about the rockin & rollin'. 

Good Luck!! 










Skunk


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## Smittroc

Just like Blakester said, ginger. I've used the actual ginger pills and they seemed to work fine. I was a merchant seaman and I was always the first man down lol. I got the idea from mythbusters lol. Works great though.


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## Thrifty Angler

I'm over 50 and haven't gotten my sea legs yet. 
Used Bonine and Dramamine over the years. Not very effective. 
Started having vertigo episodes and doc prescribed me Meclizine. Don't have to use it every day but I do make sure I start taking it the day before as well as the day I go on a boat. Haven't had an issue with sea sickness since. Don't know if a doc will prescribe it for motion sickness alone though. Not too expensive. Use to be in the $4 category. Went up to around $15. Even cheaper if you have prescription drug coverage.


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## Finger_Mullet

I am with you. I get sick about half the time. I seam to get worse when the seas are 1-3 feet. I went out Saturday for a short time and the seas was 3-6 feet. Or 2-5 whatever they called it. I called it way to big to fish. I did not get sick Saturday. On Monday we headed out and fished. Seas 1-2 feet. I fished for about an hour before I got weak as water and queezy. I never chummed but I sure wanted to. I did not eat anything and I feel sure that was the cause. I tried a couple of beers and water but it did not help. Everyone in the boat got sick but my bro-in-law. We headed in and trolled for Spanish for a while. I was fine once we got to moving. The other 3 sick onese did not feel better until we got back to the dock. 

I have always took meds but the last few times I have gone out I have not taken them and I did not get sick. I think I will start back. 

Darin


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## RuddeDogg

I got sea sick one time when I was a young pup. I made the mistaje of eating an Italian hogie with vinegar and oil and couple of cans of rootbeer soda. BIG MISTAKE!!!!. Since then, I heven't got sick BUT...when I know I'm goin on a trip, I take two dramamine, one an hour before I head out then one a 1/2 hour before I go out. Haven't had a problem since. Call it what ya want, but it works for me.


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## boomer

Take dramamine the night before, light supper and a light breakfast, nothing real greasy etc, I like to eat honeybun or doughnuts for breakfast. Leave the beer at the docks. I like to drink it but I generally stay away from it on the boat. Once on the boat ,chew chewing gum. I had a great uncle that served in the navy and he said that hard candy or gum will help take your mind of the waves etc. Put some ginger ale in the cooler and sip it if you start feeling bad, nibble on some pretezals or crackers to help settle stomach.


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## YakAttack

I have the same problem. I've heard a lot of people who don't get seasick say it's just nerves or it's in people's head. That's absolute nonsense.

I, too have tried everything. If I could find a real cure I'd just about hock the house to get it. I love fishing - especially in the salt - especially from a kayak. But about 30 mins to an hour past the breakers is about all I can handle and that's after taking ginger tablets. It SUCKS. I absolutely hate it.

I've heard it has something to do with the inner ear, so vertigo meds helping is interesting. The idea of taking enough alcohol to lose your equillibrium is interesting too. Although that's not an option for kayaking, it might work on a head boat if just a few beers would do the trick. Not sure more than that is a good idea out on the water anyway... Now that I think about it the one time I went bottom fishing and did not get sick I had a few cold ones in the cooler when I left and none when I returned ...

I've tried most of the other suggestions here without much help. Looking at the horizon does nothing for me. Dramamine turns me into a zombie but at least if I feel too bad I can sleep through some of it. 

The diesel exhaust from the boats seems to make it worse too...

For those who do not get seasick consider yourselves BLESSED! It's a curse for the rest of us. Keep the suggestions coming! I hope to be launching off the beach in a couple of weeks and will do some experimenting


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## Talapia

I get can get seasick but the patch works great for me
as does Mcclezine (spelling?) which is used for vertigo.


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## ONESHOT

Trip Tone has always worked for me, 1 an hour before geting onboard, another just before boarding. john


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## Bocefus

*sea sickness.....*

I have tried them all as well, but I have an easy solution that has worked for me for several years with no issues. 
Buy a 6 pack of Canada Dry Ginger Ale.
Drink one after supper and before bed. (To get in system)
Drink one in morning with breakfast.
Take the others with you on trip/boat to drink during the day. (1 every 2 hours)
There is enough Ginger in these to help with sickness.
Sounds crazy, but will work. I had a retired Navy Man put me on this.


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## rattler

learn to dance. cured me in 74.


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## wdbrand

*Go to a local Goodwill store,*

buy a couple of the blue porcelin roasting pans, fill them with sand and carry them aboard. When you feel it coming on, jerk your shoes and socks off and step into pans. Sand between the toes is the only surefire cure for chummin.


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## HStew

Pitch,roll,yaw. Two of those in any combination will get you sick! Your doctor may prescribe a dose of something that will help. I like what the flight doctors prescribed during WW11 which allowed pilots more head moves without getting sick.


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## Fishwander

Ginger Snap cookies - settles the stomach, no prescription, cheap $$$! 

Also , flat ginger ale soda (loose the carbonation)in a cool/iced thermos.

Fishwander


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## 2000Chevys104x4

well to ensure that you wont be sea sick all your life you gotta start young.. but since you're past that step, i suggest you take charge of the wheel.. confidence. then, dont close your eyes, stare into the belly of the beast and take on your surrounding environment head on.. aggressiveness. then, fish like crazy, if there is something going down it will take your mind off it. distraction.. just make sure you know you're safe... lock your feet under railing in the side.. and realize if you fall out, you're gonna float and be fine, someone will scoop you out of the water. assurance.. im telling ya. its curable if you can mentally block it..


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## Pennman101

The nite befor get a good nites sleep. the nite befor is not the best time for a big beach party and thn getn up at 430 for a charter trust me lol . Eat lite non greasy foods fruits are good . Whn I helpd my friends dad do charters I got sick to but after two summers of it, even high swells dnt bother me any more. So spend as much time as u can on the water and try to build a tolerance to it. good luck


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## chriscustom

*sea sick*

I dont get sea sick but was close once and that was enough for me. I am not going to spend a weeks worht of my pay to get sick on the fishing grounds so I take a dramimine befor bed then when I wake up I take one then every 4 hours I take one. Have'nt messed up a trip yet.


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## AFARR

*I got seasick once...*

I was out in the pacific (about 25+ years ago) on a headboat. Off the Stern...nice diesel fumes to help matters....took a nap on one of the benches and felt better afterwards...

Now:

It IS all in your head...the balance/position sensors in your inner ear (fine hairs that move with fluid) are what effects the sense of balance....but that doesn't help when you are puking up last month's meals...


And...to the OP:

That jello and PB work as chum? Any report on what was biting?


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## SoFlBoating

I too get sea sick on the ocean in 2-4 ft waves if the boat is still and I am in the bow. Oddly I am in South Florida and no matter how rough the intracoastal is, I won't get sick.

But what I found that helps me out is this.

About 2-3 hrs before I go out I eat 2 slices of bread with peanut butter to coat the stomach and help keep acid out. 

Then 1 hr before I take 1 ginger pill. Many people drink ginger ale but it is avail in pill form and works great. You can take it with you and if your feeling sick, pop the pill and eat some crackers or prezel. Its been 3 years and still no sea legs.


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## Ralph

SoFlBoating said:


> I too get sea sick on the ocean in 2-4 ft waves if the boat is still and I am in the bow. Oddly I am in South Florida and no matter how rough the intracoastal is, I won't get sick.
> 
> But what I found that helps me out is this.
> 
> About 2-3 hrs before I go out I eat 2 slices of bread with peanut butter to coat the stomach and help keep acid out.
> 
> Then 1 hr before I take 1 ginger pill. Many people drink ginger ale but it is avail in pill form and works great. You can take it with you and if your feeling sick, pop the pill and eat some crackers or prezel. Its been 3 years and still no sea legs.


SOFL, those are exactly my symptoms too. in ROUGH intercoastal waters i'm fine. 2-4 ft waves in blue water, not so good. i'd like to conquer this sea sickness thing during this life time, so i'm anxious to try the ginger remedy. 
BUT its been my personal experience if you find yourself captured 2-3 hours offshore experiencing sea sickness symptoms, simply lay down (if possible) and close your eyes. the reason you get sick in the first place is because your brain is trying to over compensate (trying to keep you level) from the movement of the boat. by closing your eyes you can't see the ebb and the flow of the water. this may help to get you through SOME the misery. IMHO


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## Bocefus

*sea sickness....*

98% of all people will never get sea sick as long as they can see land. Once you are surrounded by water, then thats when people get sick.


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