In a little less than a week and a half, I will be off for a week of sun and sand in beautiful Fiji. Yay! I’m excited, but recently remembered something: I get super, super sea sick.
Normally, it’s not really all that difficult for me to avoid boat activities, even in tropical locales, but one of the key things I want to do this trip involves a few hours on a boat (I want to take a day cruise out to a desert island and sprawl around. Yay!).
So, what are some tips and tricks I can do so I don’t die? I’ve read about everything from those little wrist bracelets to ginger, but different sources say different things. I’m not opposed to medicine either, but I just don’t want to be a zombie. What works best for you, Dopers?
Actually, I’d avoid the deck if you can. Get as low and close to the center of the boat as you can, where you’ll be subject to a lot less motion. The higher and closer to the “edges” you get, the more you’ll feel the rocking.
Ginger can be good for settling an upset stomach. Just don’t get crappy ginger ale – get the real deal that has actual ginger in it (like ginger beer).
Do you really want to avoid the Deck? I was born and raised on the ocean and we had a little bowl of “tricks” for out-of-towners who got sea sick. Here they are, choose the appropriate one for you, or bring all of them and try each out - they are labeled in order of “most effective is #1”. Wrist Bands - get them at any Walgreens or CVS Bonine Motion Sickness Patch - placed behind the ear.
Have Fun!
I’ve had good luck getting a prescription for Transderm Scōp® patches. They run around $11 per patch, which is worth it to me. They’ve proven effective in all but the worst incidents (2 hours of 6-ft chop in a 100ft catamaran and Star Tours in Disneyland…:p)
I don’t know about getting below decks. I’m not a victim to seasickness (so far, anyway), but the closest I’ve come was on a large boat/ferry from Melbourne to Tasmania. Was fine the whole time, until bedtime. I took the steerage/hostel fare, so I was staying down below in a large (but nicely appointed) hostel room. I got into my bunk, and if I hadn’t fallen asleep and had to deal with that rocking without seeing its cause much longer, I’da been sunk.
I think that if the boat is smaller, the rocking would be more magnified. And I think in a windowless place, that could suck a great deal.
It’s not the motion that makes you seasick. It’s the disconnect between the motion and what you are seeing that makes you sick. Get out on deck, upwind of the engine exhaust. Enjoy the view. If you do end up hurling over the rail, you’ll feel better afterwards anyway.
I suffer from Vertigo, but have only come close to seasickness once when I was out on a deep sea fishing expedition. When that happened, I sat with my back to the wall of the cabin, my feet propped up on the rail, and just closed my eyes and I was fine. By being able to brace myself even though the boat was rocking, I was able to ride with the waves instead of being jostled around by them. Seemed to make a big difference for me - ymmv.
Part of the appeal of the cruises is watching the scenery and beautiful islands pass by. I mean, it almost seems not worth it if I’ve got to lock myself deep on the boat, ya know?
And I’ll try to find ginger ale. . .but whether that is available widely in Fiji is going to be a whole different issue.
Hmm, I just read yesterday that studies show the wrist band doesn’t work. In your experience, they do? I have a friend who used one for her pregnancy sickness, after trying every other remedy, and she swears they are the only thing to work, too.
I’m fine paying for that if they work. They don’t make you sleepy or anything?
The patches did not make me sleepy–I’ve used them on long airline flights to combat motion sickness with hopes that they would double as a sleep aid. The thing I noticed was a dry mouth, but I’m sure the side effects vary from person to person.
They worked for my wife as well for morning sickness, and when people came over to the house and we all went out on the boat it was by far one of the best things.
IIRC, it tricks your bring to detecting two pressure points on either side of your body - both wrists, and for some reason tricks your brain to thinking you are … level … for lack of a better word.
Yeah, I totally get wanting to be on the deck, and if it works for other people, it could very well work for you. My husband gets pretty seasick even on short boat trips, and that’s what works for him.
Dramamine or other anti-seasickness medicine. Take it well before you get on the boat. Once you’re seasick, you stay seasick.
Ginger is supposed to be good. Pick up some candied ginger before you leave.
Stay on deck. I know I’m generally pretty good as long as I’m on deck. Below deck, it takes seconds to start feeling queasy.
Generally, I prefer sailboats – the wind on the sail has a stabilizing effect. Up until the wind dies, in which case you just have a bunch of weight up top making the pitching and rolling worse.
Try to avoid looking at anything on board the boat that moves or sways, like ropes or curtains. It seems to add an extra layer to the disorientation. The one time I recall feeling seasick was in a room with long theater curtains that kept rippling slightly out of sync with the actual motion of the ship.
Fiji exports ginger, I believe, so I would think you ought to be able to find plenty of ginger products. Candied ginger might be better than ginger beer, as it’s more portable (and very tasty).
Dramamine is more appealing than the patch because I don’t have insurance. So, while I have no issue paying out of pocket for the prescription, it’s sort of a pain in the ass to acquire said prescription, you know? Now, what I’ve read about Dramamine is that it makes you very, very sleepy- people take it as a sleep aid. Can anyone comment on that? I mean, I’m not sure that I’d choose being a zombie over barfing over the side rail the whole time :p.
And definitely ginger candy and ginger pills would be FAR easier for me to stow away with me when I go.
Thank you everyone for all the tips! Keep 'em coming!
First off, congrats on heading to Fiji ! I was there on a dive trip in February, and it is wonderful.
Being a long-time diver, here is the best, well worn advice I can give on sea-sickness (has worked for me everytime, and I am very prone to seasickness): “non-drowsy” dramamine (over the counter - no prescription needed).
But here’s the trick: take one the night before your boat trip, and one no later (sooner ?) than 2 hours before you board.
Even the “non-drowsy” dramamine may make you a bit sleepy - depends on your constitution. But the key is it seems it takes some “sink in” time - hence the “night before” dose.
As I said, this formula has worked extremely well for me (keeping in mind many dive boats are quite small, so rocking and rolling is even greater than larger, sightseeing boats).
Scubadiver here. Lots of time spent on small boats in the middle of the ocean. Most of the best tips have already been provided by UncleRojelio, but here are my tried and true tips:
Avoid milk products, greasy foods (like eggs or bacon) oh, and coffee beforehand.
The first two came straight from my dive instructor. I learned the hard way about coffee all by myself - and I only had a half cup of it. The oils in both don’t mix well with stomach secretions and choppy seas. I didn’t throw up, but i came close.
Do not drink alcohol to excess the night before. It can lead to dehydration, which will add to any motion sickness issues, to put it delicately. No, not me. One of the morons on one of my dive trips decided it was a good idea to get himself utterly hammered the night before our first dive. He spent the entire day at sea yakking over the side and annoying the rest of us from time to time. He did not dive. He did not have much fun.
Thank you for the dosing advice! Also, thanks for the heads up that they make a non drowsy version- I had no idea!
Can I hijack my own thread? Any tips for Fiji? We’re flying into Nadi and staying in Sigatoka. Neither of us are divers, but we definitely want to do some snorkeling and other fun activities. The one thing I’ve learned in all my Fiji research is that, well, it’s kind of hard to get a firm answer on the best things to do in Fiji :D, so any advice will help! Restaurants, shopping, snorkeling, tours, etc etc.
And Scubaqueen, thanks for the excellent reminders on food. Once, as a child, I went on a whale watching trip, but prior to going ate a big omelette. Worst. Choice. Ever. So, don’t booze it up too hard the day before (:() and stay hydrated- I can do that. The cruises all have unlimited drinks, but I suppose I’ll have to not be an alcoholic.
Seconding (or thirding or whatever) Dramamine. At least 30 minutes before you hit the boat. And it will make you a little sleepy - that will probably be offset by the beautiful scenery, but just expect it.
One of the morons on one of my dive trips decided it was a good idea to get himself utterly hammered the night before our first dive. He spent the entire day at sea yakking over the side and annoying the rest of us from time to time. He did not dive. He did not have much fun.