Who's Been Sea Sick?

[neveronsunday]

[red][size 3]I was supposed to go deep-sea fishing over the weekend but the charter was rescheduled due to high wind warnings. The folks that were out when it kicked up all came back tied to the gunwale rack so they wouldn't fall over with their violent chumming. It appeared they didn't get much fishing in other than that. I looked around the Internet a little bit about how to prevent seasickness but thought I'd ask around to the experts here. Any good stories? Any good cures? [/size][/red]
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[#ff0000][size 3]I've never been out on the ocean before and so the closest I have done is some big swells out in the middle of the Gorge and thought that was fun. I enjoy being out on the water but these green Hawaiian Shirt tourist types made me a little uneasy just looking at them. [/size][/#ff0000]
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[Stickhorse]

There is a pill out that was prescription until a year or so ago and now is over the counter. Its called Meclizine and it worked real good for us when we went fishing in Oregon.
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[pleasantmisery]

For me it was all in my head. My first time out for Halibut in Alaska I was scared of getting sick and pretty soon I was feeling funny. I soon got my mind off of it and I was fine.

The deck had told us that Jolly Ranchers, or other hard candy to suck on, helps. One of the guys on the boat wasn't feeling to good and actually turned green when offered some candy.

I never really seen anybody turn green like that before that. I thought it was kind of funny.

I have been told that Bonine is the one to take. Take a dose the night before and then another dose in the morning. That way it has a way of taking affect instead of spewing the pills before they have done any good.
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[Kent]

After graduating from college I first moved to Longview, Washington. I immediately suggested to our church group that we charter a boat and go salmon fishing. Of course I got volunteered to make all of the arrangements. It was amazing, the water was quite rough and about 1/2 of the fishermen/women got sea sick in the first 100 yards from the dock and were sick the entire trip. One guy was constantly eating all kinds of junk food with no ill effects. Every time the boat would move to a new location he would announce for everyone to come up on deck and do more chumming. I was fine until I watched several others who were sick and I almost lost it, but I was fortunate to keep everything down. It was a tough day of fishing with being required to keep one hand on the railing at all times to keep from being bounced around.
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[CBR]

Worst time of my life was on a slow ferry to Catalina Island, the rocking made me upchuck the entire way,
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[Gumbo]

I do a bit of sailing and I usually have a tough time at first. I try to limit my time below deck in big swells. I also drink ginger ale and eat ginger cookies. Ginger really helps. Some use the wrist pressure point bracelets, but I've never tried those or drammamine.

The big key is prevention. As TD said, stay topside, away from the bouncing bow. Drive the boat if possible. Or if not act like you're driving, anticipating waves, etc.

I'm planning on moving a sailboat from San Fran to LA next month for a friend. I'll have to be careful the first day, but after that I'll be fine.
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[wiperhunter2]

Good to see your still around Gumbo, have you been to Deer creek this year? We should try and get out on Willard again, maybe we will have better luck this time.
Neveronsunday, of the three times I've been out on the ocean(a mile or more), I've been sick every time. Even when I could see the shoreline or have taken drammamine or have had a good meal. I've been OK twice when the boat has been close to shore(less than a mile), and waves have been small. I hope you have better luck than I have with sea sickness and I hope the catching is good for you. WH2
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[Fishhound]

Hey Gumbo,

Good advice on pretending to pilot the boat - that's one we used to use with new folks to sailing or those that tend to get sick. Also, it helps to postition yourself amidships(hang on to the main sail if you can) it's the spot on the boat with the best ride(if there is a best). Otherwise, Tubedude has given you some good advice as well. Prepare before hand with a good (mild) meal and get a little excersize before shoving off. I've never had to take dramamine as I don't ever get sea sick anymore - it only happened once when I was about 6 years old and my brother puked in my lap - at that point, my dad held my head over the railing so I could chum. I got over it after wretching a few fish attractants to the delight of my father and grandfather who were still fishing - I never saw them get sea-sick and I never have since even while in the middle of the Pacific or in the Roaring 40's where it's almost always heavy seas and robust weather.

I have heard from other experienced off shore sailors that a hard lemon candy helps and ginger snaps or chewing ginger root can also be a benefit. But, I have no personal experience with them.
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[Mc_Lennon]

I've never been sea sick in my life. Luckily. My brother and dad do, sometimes, and I know its hard on them. We go out every year in oregon. I've been out up to 52 miles chasing Halibut. On both Halibut trips in May the seas were about 10 feet. Quite large, especially by Oregon standards. The one trip the wind kicked up and most everybody except myself and the captain were sick. I gotta go sit up in the cabin with him to avoid the others who were chumming big time. That trip it took us 3 hours to get out and 6 to get back in.

I can recomend a couple things. First off, talk to your doctor about a patch. My brother gets sick every time out without one, but with it he's fine. You just put it behind your ear the night before and you're good to go. Plus, one patch lasts up to 3 days, if I remember right. Second, eat normally. My brother's told me that it's worse to have the dry heaves and have nothing come up than to just throw up. Third, don't be around any alcohol or gassoline/desel fumes. They just greatly exagerate the problems of sea sickness.
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[RipNLips]

I do not get motion sickness anywhere but on the ocean. I've tried about everything and had variable results. The last time I went out I finally realized that, with me anyway, it begins with a serious case of acid reflux. The next time I go out I'll take some Pepcid and probably some motion sickness stuff ahead of time, take some antacids with me, and see what happens. I tried the [url "http://www.bartleby.com/65/sc/scopolam.html"]scopolamine[/url] patches once and they got me quite high. Unfortunately it wasn't a good high and I still got sea sick.
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[polokid]

Last Thanksgiving, the "now" wife, my family and I went to Cancun for a vacation. We had booked our charter for Monday, but Natalie and I made a huge mistake. That was making friends with the Mexican bartender on Sunday night. For anyone looking to go deep sea fishing, "dont drink the night before".

Also. I used dramamine, I learned there are better sea sickness pills and methods. Dramamine just made me sleepy and the others who took it were very drowsy. I am trying to remember the name of the other similar pills that dont have the drowsy side affects.
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[ocean]

Hey i been there done that.Different things work for different people.First time i went out we encountered 12 foot seas![pirate] The captain warned me and my brother about it but i thought i could handle it.NOT! [] A towell wrapped in ice has worked magic for me and some people.Also go to the back center of the boat and as TD said dont lean over the rail.That helps to .Lesss motion there.Once you get the chum going theres nothing you can do about it![sly] First timers shouldnt do seas over 4 feet. And 4 feet is pushing it a little.
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[finsfan]

Last year I made the trip north to alaska. We had 10 to 15 ft. seas. there is a pill called bonine(the spelling may be wrong but ask the pharmisist he should know it) worked with no drowsy side affects.
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[ALAN]

I've been fishing off of Westport Washington for close to 30 years. I've always taken dramimine. A few years ago I finally decided that was silly cuz I never got close to being sick. I'll never go with out in again. My niece caught lots of fish because of my chumming. I was in such misery but still laughting at myself because of my situation. Al
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[garbageman]

I grew up in Washington, and spent my summers on the pacific coast. I have never been sea sick. I don't know if that is because I am lucky, or that I was exposed to aerobatics in a small plane when I was young. After hurling my lunch all over the instruments a time or two, nothing else seems to really get to me.
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[Da_Bomb]

First of all you aren't planning on going on sunday are ya? It's funny you should ask. Just got home from a 5 day cruise. Sea's were semi-calm. At 15 decks above water I felt like a drunk. But neither I nor the wife ever had a problem with sea sickness. The key for us was GINGER ROOT CAPSULES bought at any health food store. Take two. two hours before you board and then two every four hours there after. You don't have to wake up in the night to take it just start again the next morning. There are also health benefits to taking ginger root. Good Luck! Catch a BIG ONE!!!!!
PIKEMAN
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[tubeN2]

I have never been sea sick but I have been able to sympathize with hundreds of people over the last few years.

The boats that I ride every week will always have someone whom decides to chum in the area where there are no fish or where we are moving too fast for the chum to be effective.

For those that have been on the Catalina boat in the past, they have better boats now with auto stabilizers. You can go through 12 foot swells and hardly feel it.

My son used to get sick until I would give him wintergreen lifesavers to savor in his mouth.

Wintergreen is the little flavor and "Only" ingredient in Pepto Bismol that helps for nausea.

It has many other ingredients in it but they are for other symptoms.[cool]
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[iconoclasticPaul]

I grew up in Redondo Beach right near the King Harbor Marina, where I've been going out on the ocean all the time and never have gotten sea sick.

I did notice one thing about the people who get sea sick, they usually do one thing before going on on the boats is to drink alcohol to the point of being drunk for the sakes of a good ole time catching big fish on the boat... but what the alcohol does is to swirl around in your stomach, making you feel the point of being dizziness, and the motion of the waves making that alcohol go back and forth in your stomach usually does a successful job of chumming...

But the other factor Tubedude brought up is about right, it's the embrillium thing, the balancing act in your brain that affects the ears, once that gets upset, watch out for the hurlin' chuckin' bait...[crazy]

I've heard about Dramamine, and Mezcline approach before, but have always wondered about whether that stuff is actually good for you in the long term run.
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[Fishry]

Someone else mentioned 'Bonnie' sea sick medicine (I think Bonnie is the brand name). It works very well! I don't get sea sick as long as I stay away from people that are sea sick (peer pressure I guess). My wife on the other hand almost always gets sea sick, but has not been sick for the last three trips since she started using the 'Bonnie' medicine. The real trick is to take the sea sick medicine the night before the trip and again in the morning before the boat leaves the harbor.
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[tubeN2]

The actual spelling is "Bonine". You were close enough though.

I have heard of some poeple taking it the night before and also just before boarding.

Although the package directions suggest 1hr before boarding and as soon as you board. Results may vary based upon experience.

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