If you’ve never been seasick, you are among a lucky minority of people who have traveled by boat for one reason or another. While there are many factors which can contribute to seasickness and other forms of motion sickness, being on a moving vessel is one factor which never changes. Whether you succumb to motion sickness only on certain occasions, or if it is so severe that it prevents you from enjoying trips to dive sites far from shore, you’ll find the following information may help you to prevent it so you can enjoy the journey – and diving – more than ever.
Understanding Seasickness
At its most basic, seasickness is the name for the feelings of nausea and dizziness that happen when you’re subjected to the pitching and rolling of a boat that is traveling across water. In the most severe cases, these feelings can arise when the sufferer simply steps off dry land and onto a floating dock or the deck of a boat; in the least severe cases, these feelings occur only during bad weather. Though there has been extensive research on the subject, no one has been able to pinpoint the exact reason why our bodies react to constant motion in the ways that they do.
Symptoms and Causes of Seasickness
Many experts believe that it is the brain’s inability to understand the mixed signals it gets while traveling on a boat that actually cause seasickness. The sensory organs in the inner ear are stimulated by angular acceleration; in turn, they send the brain signals about the motion that is taking place. If you’re in a compartment on a boat, or if you cannot see a horizon, the eyes tell the brain that no motion should be occurring, and this causes a consistent stream of internal conflict. According to this theory, it is this chaotic process that causes subconscious confusion and leads to seasickness.
Other experts believe that seasickness is caused by the coriolis force which contributes to the earth’s rotation, shifting cerebrospinal fluid, or simple psychological upset.
Whatever the exact cause of seasickness may be, its symptoms are the same. Motion sickness typically begins with paleness and yawning, after which a headache occurs. After this, nausea happens, and in many cases, vomiting occurs as well. Extensive research suggests that the more a vessel pitches vertically, the greater the likelihood that individuals aboard will succumb to seasickness. In choppy water such as is typically encountered in bays and harbors, small vessels are less stable than larger ships are; the smaller the boat you are in, the greater your likelihood of suffering seasickness is.
Some unlucky divers are also subject to underwater seasickness; this phenomenon most likely happens because the brain is receiving mixed signals. When low visibility, special disorientation, and visual restriction come into play, the brain’s ability to receive normal cues is compromised. In the worst cases, vomiting can occur; if this happens, it is a good idea to remove your regulator, expel vomit, breathe carefully, and continue until the vomiting ends. While some believe it’s best to vomit with the regulator in place, that increases the potential for inhaling a foreign object.
Besides the uncomfortable physical sensations encountered during seasickness, anxiety can occur, and along with it, an increased chance of a panic attack. If you are suffering from severe seasickness, it’s best to stay out of the water to avoid the likelihood that you will also suffer underwater seasickness and a potentially deadly accident.
Dealing With Seasickness
Although no one has determined a single, exact cause of seasickness, there are a few good ways to deal with the problem. You can choose natural methods, over the counter meds, or even prescription medication.
There are a number of methods for preventing seasickness the natural way. These include:
- Being well-rested before diving
- Maintaining physical fitness
- Abstaining from alcohol for at least 24 hours prior to boat travel or diving
- Avoiding fuel fumes and breathing fresh air
- Using acupressure at the neiguan point, which is located between two tendons near your wrist. Applying pressure to this point is often effective in combating nausea and vomiting. You can purchase a sea band which applies pressure to this point; many people find this method works very well for them, particularly when combined with other methods.
- Ginger is an excellent herbal remedy for nausea and sometimes helps to prevent seasickness.
- Eating dry biscuits can help quell nausea
- Avoiding fatty foods can help keep stomach acid down
If you’d like to try using over the counter medications to combat seasickness, you’ll find that there are quite a few types available. These include:
- Dramamine (dimenhydrinate)
- Bonine (meclizine)
- Benadryl (diphenhydramine)
- Marezine (Cyclizine)
If you do decide to try these remedies, you should know that they do come with some side effects; most can cause drowsiness, which can in turn cause you to become impaired and unable to dive safely. Consider trying these remedies well in advance of travel to see how they affect your body – that way, if they don’t work as desired, you can keep trying remedies until you come up with one that works the way you want it to.
Finally, you can obtain a prescription for motion sickness medication, but you won’t be able to dive if you end up needing it.
Phenergen (promethazine) can be injected intramuscularly in the worst cases, however there is no way one could dive safely after an injection. This medication may also be taken orally; it acts as a tranquilizer and causes extreme drowsiness, meaning it is also unsafe to ingest prior to diving. Alcohol and narcotic drugs enhance the drowsiness it causes, making it completely unsafe to perform any type of activity – particularly an inherently dangerous one like scuba diving – while under the influence.
Until an effective cure for seasickness is discovered – one that doesn’t cause undesirable side effects – it’s best to choose natural methods for preventing it, while avoiding any medications that cause you to feel even slightly drowsy.