Preventing and Fighting Seasickness
Being severely seasick is one of the worst feelings there is. I still vividly remember the first time I got really sick. My parents got me on a shared charter to fish for marlin for my 18th birthday. It wasn't that rough, but I was almost praying for death for 8 straight hours. I remember telling God that if it was my time to go, it would be ok for Him to take me. I really meant it at the time too.
It took me a little while to want to go out on a boat again, but if you want to catch big fish sooner or later you have to get in a boat and go out in the ocean. I just kept going out and over time I got less and less sick as I learned more ways to prevent sickness. It's been a few years now since I've thrown up on a boat and I've been in some very rough conditions in some very small boats. I still take precautions, but I rarely feel queasy at all. I would like to share some things I've found helpful over the years. Hopefully you will find some of them work for you. Scroll all the way down for links to some products that help prevent seasickness.
Tip No. 1
Medicate
There are a number of good over the counter medications to combat seasickness. My personal favorite is Bonine, which comes in small chewable tablets. Although the instructions say to take it at least an hour before travel, I like to take it the night before going on a boat. I feel like it works better that way as it has more time to get in my system. I then take another one right before going on the boat. It makes me a little drowsy but not nearly as much as Dramamine.
Another good option is scopalomine, which comes in both pill form and in a patch that you stick behind your ear. I have never gotten sick while using the patch. Unfortunately you need a prescription for this one, at least in the US. The only side effect for me is a weird taste in my mouth for a day or two after using it.
Tip No. 2
Keep a positive mindset
While there is undoubtedly a significant physical component to seasickness, there is also a mental component. I have definitely gotten more sick from psyching myself out too much about it. Get a good night's rest and go in thinking you are going to have a great day on the water. If you start to feel queasy, you need to mentally fight it rather than giving in because once you give into it there is often no recovery until you get back to land.
Part of why you feel sick is that your brain is getting mixed signals from your body and is distressed. Sometimes just telling yourself that the movement is nothing to worry about can help with that.
Tip No. 3
Minimize head movement and get fresh air
If I start to feel queasy, I immediately go out on deck to get fresh air. I go to the middle of the back of the boat since that part moves the least. I try to bend my knees in time with the swells so that my head moves as little as possible and I focus on a non-moving object such as the horizon. That works wonders.
Tip No. 4
Things to put in your stomach
It's important not to go out on an empty stomach because that in and of itself can make you feel bad and it also means you will have less energy to combat seasickness (and fish!). Before going out on a boat you should have something in your stomach, but avoid rich or spicy foods that could give you indigestion. If I'm worried about how rough it is I might just eat soda crackers ahead of time so that I have something bland in my stomach.
Candied ginger, ginger gum, or ginger ale can all be helpful in calming your stomach if it feels uneasy. I find it helpful to gulp a bunch of ginger ale and then belch; something about that seems to reset my equilibrium.
Tip No. 5
Watch the marine forecast
The weather conditions at sea are often very different from the weather on land, so look at the marine forecast and not the regular weather forecast. Those don't tend to be super accurate until a day or so before (and even then are often wrong), so I don't usually look until two days before at the earliest. Generally speaking, the two most important things to look at for fishing are wind and wave period. Large swells that are very far apart are generally not bad, but medium swells very close together can make you feel like you are in a washing machine. As a rule of thumb, if the wave period (measured in seconds between waves) is 2x or more of the wave height (measured in feet), then it should be comfortable. However, if it is much less than that (5 foot waves 5 seconds apart, for instance) then you might think about staying home if you are prone to getting sick.
It took me a little while to want to go out on a boat again, but if you want to catch big fish sooner or later you have to get in a boat and go out in the ocean. I just kept going out and over time I got less and less sick as I learned more ways to prevent sickness. It's been a few years now since I've thrown up on a boat and I've been in some very rough conditions in some very small boats. I still take precautions, but I rarely feel queasy at all. I would like to share some things I've found helpful over the years. Hopefully you will find some of them work for you. Scroll all the way down for links to some products that help prevent seasickness.
Tip No. 1
Medicate
There are a number of good over the counter medications to combat seasickness. My personal favorite is Bonine, which comes in small chewable tablets. Although the instructions say to take it at least an hour before travel, I like to take it the night before going on a boat. I feel like it works better that way as it has more time to get in my system. I then take another one right before going on the boat. It makes me a little drowsy but not nearly as much as Dramamine.
Another good option is scopalomine, which comes in both pill form and in a patch that you stick behind your ear. I have never gotten sick while using the patch. Unfortunately you need a prescription for this one, at least in the US. The only side effect for me is a weird taste in my mouth for a day or two after using it.
Tip No. 2
Keep a positive mindset
While there is undoubtedly a significant physical component to seasickness, there is also a mental component. I have definitely gotten more sick from psyching myself out too much about it. Get a good night's rest and go in thinking you are going to have a great day on the water. If you start to feel queasy, you need to mentally fight it rather than giving in because once you give into it there is often no recovery until you get back to land.
Part of why you feel sick is that your brain is getting mixed signals from your body and is distressed. Sometimes just telling yourself that the movement is nothing to worry about can help with that.
Tip No. 3
Minimize head movement and get fresh air
If I start to feel queasy, I immediately go out on deck to get fresh air. I go to the middle of the back of the boat since that part moves the least. I try to bend my knees in time with the swells so that my head moves as little as possible and I focus on a non-moving object such as the horizon. That works wonders.
Tip No. 4
Things to put in your stomach
It's important not to go out on an empty stomach because that in and of itself can make you feel bad and it also means you will have less energy to combat seasickness (and fish!). Before going out on a boat you should have something in your stomach, but avoid rich or spicy foods that could give you indigestion. If I'm worried about how rough it is I might just eat soda crackers ahead of time so that I have something bland in my stomach.
Candied ginger, ginger gum, or ginger ale can all be helpful in calming your stomach if it feels uneasy. I find it helpful to gulp a bunch of ginger ale and then belch; something about that seems to reset my equilibrium.
Tip No. 5
Watch the marine forecast
The weather conditions at sea are often very different from the weather on land, so look at the marine forecast and not the regular weather forecast. Those don't tend to be super accurate until a day or so before (and even then are often wrong), so I don't usually look until two days before at the earliest. Generally speaking, the two most important things to look at for fishing are wind and wave period. Large swells that are very far apart are generally not bad, but medium swells very close together can make you feel like you are in a washing machine. As a rule of thumb, if the wave period (measured in seconds between waves) is 2x or more of the wave height (measured in feet), then it should be comfortable. However, if it is much less than that (5 foot waves 5 seconds apart, for instance) then you might think about staying home if you are prone to getting sick.