What is Sea Sickness?
Sea sickness is a vestibular malfunction resulting in gastric dysrhythmia. This is also known as motion sickness, This sickness is caused by repeated rhythmic stimulation of the inner ear. Symptoms may include, fatigue, nausea, vertigo, sweating, and vomiting.
Jim's 13 tips for avoiding Sea Sickness, without taking medication.
1) The night before a big day on the water, it is best to get plenty of rest. Late nights and early boarding calls do not mix. A good day of wind, water, waves, and fish catching will wear one out fast. Lack of sleep will aid in feeling lousy on the deep blue.
2) Always stay away from fried foods the day before a big trip on the water. Try to eat light, broiled or baked dishes that are low in Sodium. Heavy Sodium will cause body fluid to retain aiding to bloating, which is something you do not want to have while on the rolling sea.
3) Do not drink Alcohol the night before a trip. Remember, a tired, hung over, bloated fisherman with a belly full of fried Chicken, will most likely get sick. There are a lot of people who are not affected by these things, however if you are prone to sea sickness, it is not a good idea to drink Alcoholic beverages the day before a trip.
4) Prepare a good lunch to take aboard the vessel. Meals like Turkey Subs are great for several reasons. They are low in fat, the bread will help settle your Stomach, and they are easy to digest. It is very important to take along some snacks that will you will surely need by mid morning. The best thing to do if you start to feel queasy, is to eat something. Pretzels are a great snack, they are quick, easy on your system, and usually everyone on board will eat pretzels, Stay away from snacks like Potato Chips, or anything that is very high fat and salty. Fruit is also good to snack on. One of the best foods you can ever take on a boat for an upset Stomach is Bananas. The only problem with Bananas is that there is a myth that most captains believe in, that Bananas are bad luck for fishing. I can not tell you how many times I have been on a charter, only to see my lovely Bananas thrown overboard by the captain or first mate. They have thrown them from the stern, the bow, one captain even made a special trip to throw them off of the Flybridge.
When I fish by myself, I take bananas, I still catch fish, and never get sea sick.
5) The center of any boat will be the least effected by a sideways roll. Try to stay in the center and in the back of the boat, and that will be the area of least motion. Planting yourself in the back of a boat sitting on a fighting chair looking back at the horizon, is probably the most calm place to be on a fishing boat.
6) Getting plenty of fresh air is very important. A lot of sea sick folks will climb up into the Vee Berth because they start to feel bad. This is the WORST place to be. No moving air and the area of the boat that has one of the greatest degrees of motion. Should that fresh air contain a lot of Diesel fumes, find somewhere else to stand.
7) Stay away from the Flybridge, and if you are on a large head boat with a second level, do not get on it. The lower your center of gravity is on a boat, the less you will feel the effects of motion. Try standing on the far side of a Flybridge in rough weather, then stand centered in the stern. You will quickly realize which location has a higher degree of motion.
8) Things that have been known to settle a churning Stomach include Ginger Ale and Coke. (not together) Sometimes eating things that contain Ginger can help as well, such as Ginger Cookies.
9) Do not do things on board that will conflict with your visual and body perception. Otherwords, do not read a book or magazine while underway. If you do, your eyes tell your brain you are at rest, while your body tells you there is a lot of motion going on around here. Conflicting visual and body perception will confuse the brain. This, along with the up and down stimulation of the inner ear, can result in motion sickness..
10) EAT BREAKFAST!! Breads like Bagels are great. Fruit that is not to acidic, and drink plenty of water.
11) Rolaids neutralize stomach acid, and that is a good thing to do when leaving the dock in the morning. Taking one before you head out is not a bad idea, and keep plenty on hand. I like Cherry.
12) Have some cold beer on hand. While this is usually not a problem for a lot of fisherman, it can be a problem if the boat operator is under the influence. Do not drink and drive! For the passengers, beer can be a great way to settle a churning Stomach. I have seen many times that just one beer, followed by some light snacks, has cured what would be a rather sick fisherman.
13) Stay away from a lot of Caffeine. A pot of Coffee is not something you want on your Stomach before heading out to sea.
Following these basic guidelines will go a long way in preventing sea sickness. However there are those cases----well, I will go on. In case you are wondering, in the past 16 years. All but one of my camera men have gotten drastically sick while at sea. I am talking projectile vomiting to not getting the head out of the toilet for five hours.
Once I was on a fishing trip when my wife started to get sick, we actually threw her overboard with a life jacket and a rope tied to the boat. We caught a lot of fish, and she felt better once she was in the water. Why? Because the motion effect was reduced. Think about it, how often do you get sea sick swimming at the beach? -Never. (Note: I am not suggesting anyone try this, but it worked for us)
There are a lot of medications available on the market for sea sickness. I would try the ones that say "no drowsiness".
Should you be very prone to sea sickness, consult your physican before heading out to sea. You will do everyone else on the boat a big favor, as well as the carpet.
JB
