I posted in an earlier thread about a place to stay while redfishing in LA but I wanted to know from those of you that get sea sick like me when offshore. What is your go to remedy to keep the sickness away? I have used the patches but it absolutely makes me too sleepy. Thanks.
Offshore fishing and sea sickness
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I get sea sick REALLY easily. I simply gave up trying all the remedies. I've done it all. I even had some friends that were pilots stationed at CAFB and they gave me high-dose Bonine (sp) and AntiVert. It's what the military docs give prescribe. Both of those just made me drowsy and didn't help.
I've done:
patches behind the ear
dramamine
expensive shock bracelets
gone out on a full stomach
gone out on an empty stomach
gone out sober
gone out buzzed
gone out hammered
gensing
wore some gimmicky glasses that don't allow you to see down
focused on the horizon
eaten lots of bread
None of it has worked for me. It's a real heartbreaker because my dream is to catch some sort of bill fish. I'll never be able to do it.
I've done:
patches behind the ear
dramamine
expensive shock bracelets
gone out on a full stomach
gone out on an empty stomach
gone out sober
gone out buzzed
gone out hammered
gensing
wore some gimmicky glasses that don't allow you to see down
focused on the horizon
eaten lots of bread
None of it has worked for me. It's a real heartbreaker because my dream is to catch some sort of bill fish. I'll never be able to do it.
I never had a problem at all till about 10 years ago (I'm almost 60 now) I could go offshore no problem, ride any ride at an amusement park, fly in a plane, etc w/ no issues. Now, all of the above bother me to one extent or another. Crazy rides are out at the amusement parks. If flying, I can take a dramamine about an hour before the flight and its ok but not great. Offshore varies, w/ only light chop I'm ok but went out a couple years ago and we had 3'-4' seas and I was either reeling a snapper or puking the whole trip. We'd hook one and I'd reel it in and go throw up till the next one bit. I guess its age and equilibrium for me but it sucks.
The patch is the only thing that works for me.
Unfortunately the part that helps with the motion sickness is the part that makes you drowsy/dry mouth/etc. (anticholinergic effect)
I would rather be sleepy than nauseous. Drink more coffee and Coke Zero and then switch to water/beer for the dry mouth. Worth it to go offshore.
Unfortunately the part that helps with the motion sickness is the part that makes you drowsy/dry mouth/etc. (anticholinergic effect)
I would rather be sleepy than nauseous. Drink more coffee and Coke Zero and then switch to water/beer for the dry mouth. Worth it to go offshore.
Try taking the Dramamine or Bonine (I think Bonine makes you less drowsy) a couple days before ... one in the am, one in the afternoon, and one at night - It works much better if it's been in your system a couple of days before.
Once you're sick you can put on a life jacket and get in the water for a few minutes and the sickness will go away for a little while but come back in about 30 minutes .... repeat procedure ..... Caveat - you have to be in warm water. Offshore in La waters in the winter would be a little rough. I have had to take guys to an unmanned pumping station or an island before in order to keep from running in.
Believe me ... a billfish is worth the hassle
ETA - also try eating a greasy breakfast before heading out ... The only time I've been sick is when I skipped that
Once you're sick you can put on a life jacket and get in the water for a few minutes and the sickness will go away for a little while but come back in about 30 minutes .... repeat procedure ..... Caveat - you have to be in warm water. Offshore in La waters in the winter would be a little rough. I have had to take guys to an unmanned pumping station or an island before in order to keep from running in.
Believe me ... a billfish is worth the hassle
ETA - also try eating a greasy breakfast before heading out ... The only time I've been sick is when I skipped that
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I suffered the same ill effects while at sea as others on here for many years with no relief from any of over the counter remedies. I was dang near suicidal each trip I would get so sick. My doc prescribed me Scopolamine a few years ago when I was going on a cruise and the stuff is amazing. Been on probably 8-10 off shore trips using this stuff since and still haven’t been sick. Trick is to apply at minimum 4 hours before departure (I put on day before to be sure). Only downside is cost and inability to catch an alcohol induced buzz (drank 12 beers in a few hours first time I took it and didn’t feel anything so now i don’t bother drinking but better than the alternative of puking for hours on end). Good luck man.
Ah, the medical shotgun. Every family has one of those.**
Went deep sea fishing about 15 years ago. 11 of us used the patch. 1 didn’t. A smartass teenager. Guess who was the only one doubled over on the poop deck?
ETA: seems like we put on the patches the night before.
Have any of you tried those expensive bracelets that send electrical impulses through your wrists? I saw an ad for them and had my doubts.
I've never had it, but I've got tons of friends that have. I know a couple that went to the wristbands that literally shock you intermittently, so basically you're focused on the mild shock versus thinking about "Am I getting sick?". Apparently, the mind plays a big part in what leads you to getting sick. Power of persuasion I guess. Well this little thing supposedly keeps your mind on that shock, that comes without notice, and my buddies used it until they got a rod in their hands, because they started fishing and weren't thinking about it as much as when they were riding out. Just my 2 cents.
Former Coast Guardsman and Merchant Mariner and expert on sea sickness here. My first duty station was on an 82 foot CG patrol boat. In the CG these vessels had earned the nickname of 'vomit comets.' Very seaworthy vessels but also very rough riding. My tipping point was 6 ft. seas and above. I tried everything available back then, which was Dramamine and one other pill whose name I cannot remember. (mid to late 70's.) Patches came out around 79 or so and I never had a chance to try them out on that particular ship. In my limited experience with patches I have found it is best to apply the patch the night before.
What did work for me was weed. It cured my seasickness. Get yourself a vape or a couple of blunts.
Also the old quote "It ain't the size of the ship but the motion of the ocean" is only partially correct. I have ridden bigger ships (400') in much rougher seas, coming out of the Antarctic peninsula to the tip of South America (Ushuaia, Argentina) and never once got seasick or even close. And this was in seas of consistent 20 feet and above, wind at 60 knots. Have been in the Bering Sea under similar conditions and not got sick nor did I have to use any form of seasickness medicine on either occasion. If you're going out in a small boat and it gets rough, get ready to barf.
What did work for me was weed. It cured my seasickness. Get yourself a vape or a couple of blunts.
Also the old quote "It ain't the size of the ship but the motion of the ocean" is only partially correct. I have ridden bigger ships (400') in much rougher seas, coming out of the Antarctic peninsula to the tip of South America (Ushuaia, Argentina) and never once got seasick or even close. And this was in seas of consistent 20 feet and above, wind at 60 knots. Have been in the Bering Sea under similar conditions and not got sick nor did I have to use any form of seasickness medicine on either occasion. If you're going out in a small boat and it gets rough, get ready to barf.
For me, I have only gotten seasick once, when lying down to go to sleep on a fishing trip. After that I started taking non-drowsy Dramamine. Generic name Meclizine. It was given to me by a very nice lady who works for the Dauphin Island Sea Lab and is out on this boat at least once a week. It did the trick, and now I take it every time just in case.
You've never met a charter captain that fished Cook Inlet or the Gulf of Alaska. Ha.
I agree with Mobile Bay...Meclizine has worked well for me. It's not perfect or a miracle pill, but it's been good enough for me to enjoy the day on pretty rough water. I was on a trip out of Seward once and I was so tired of dry heaving that I came extremely close to just throwing myself off the back of the boat - I was just about ready to end it all.
A friend had one of those. Looked like a watch but the face was on the underside of his wrist. He got bad motion sickness in cars. With that thing he had no issues, including on boats.
Good for him. I was an EM. (electrician's mate) Those new WMSL cutters look pretty sleek. I imagine they have better living conditions than their predecessors the old 378' WHECs. I was on Polar Star (WAGB-10) when it was only 2 years old. Great ship then. Tell your son if he gets a chance to get on either the Polar Star or the Healy to jump on it and see the world. The new polar icebreakers are about 4 years down the road. If he's still in that would be a great duty station.
Ahh, Alaska, where you look up at the water.***
Never been there. But it might be an option if things don't start opening up by summer for international travel.
You should go. Everyone should go and see the beauty that is Alaska. Just don't go in the winter. Winter is rough, even on a big boat.
If we are going past the barrier islands, I keep the same routine.
Wake up, take a dump, shower, coffee and mcdonalds biscuit on way to harbor, tums and dramamine at harbor, beer leaving the harbor. Seems to work.
Not much you can do in rough seas except turn around an go home though. We were heading out snapper fishing, got past the islands and said 17 it before even get to the hole. That's when you head to horn and drink beer/trout fish the lagoons. It's awesome how much protection the islands provide from a south wind.
Wake up, take a dump, shower, coffee and mcdonalds biscuit on way to harbor, tums and dramamine at harbor, beer leaving the harbor. Seems to work.
Not much you can do in rough seas except turn around an go home though. We were heading out snapper fishing, got past the islands and said 17 it before even get to the hole. That's when you head to horn and drink beer/trout fish the lagoons. It's awesome how much protection the islands provide from a south wind.
If I was that bad... I’d schedule an appointment with a really good ENT and see if I had some inner ear problems.
What worked for me...
My whole life I've never been motion sick in cars, roller coasters, on lakes, or even on a cruise off Florida.
Twice in college went with my family fishing off the Florida Keys and got BAD seasick both times.
20 years later I went with fishing my brothers off Venice, LA. Went to Bourbon Street the night before and drank too many street hurricanes and threw up (for the first time since college from alcohol). Next day, fishing in the Gulf, I was hungover but didn't get seasick. So that must be the way to do it.
My whole life I've never been motion sick in cars, roller coasters, on lakes, or even on a cruise off Florida.
Twice in college went with my family fishing off the Florida Keys and got BAD seasick both times.
20 years later I went with fishing my brothers off Venice, LA. Went to Bourbon Street the night before and drank too many street hurricanes and threw up (for the first time since college from alcohol). Next day, fishing in the Gulf, I was hungover but didn't get seasick. So that must be the way to do it.
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I have fished both for Halibut and Rockfish but land is always in sight there - that makes a big difference for a lot of folks that suffer from sea sickness ... Also, I love Seward for Silvers
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lol ... been there and done the same thing ... One day we were on the lee side of Petit-Bois because the hole looked pretty rough and saw a much smaller boat plow through it and head on Southward ... After dusting off our pride we decided to at least make the Triple Rig. A 15 minute pounding later I saluted the smaller craft and turned around and headed back to the island and settled in for some shark fishing and Budweiser
That petit bois pass can be a real mf'er.
Requiem For a Dawg and I ran to Orange Beach one day. Got east of Petit Bois and the damn coast guard was training. Knew we were in for a long ride, but a stop for lunch/beer at dauphin island and one broken speaker later in the bay and we were smooth sailing.
Requiem For a Dawg and I ran to Orange Beach one day. Got east of Petit Bois and the damn coast guard was training. Knew we were in for a long ride, but a stop for lunch/beer at dauphin island and one broken speaker later in the bay and we were smooth sailing.
It all starts in your head! I always eat normally and focus on something on the horizon/sky that is stationary. 2 in my family have no issues and 2 always got sea sick. Luckily I’ve never had an issue. Good luck!
If you have had some nasty smacks on the head, you could have some benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. That can be helped. b
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