Being seasick during a scuba diving trip that’s supposed to be fun can definitely ruin everything.
But if you have an understanding of what causes you to become seasick, what you should do when you begin feeling the symptoms, and what you can do to hopefully prevent the feeling of seasickness altogether, you can rest assured that your dive trip will turn out just fine and that you’ll be able to have fond memories of the experience.
Continue reading to learn more, including some helpful tips that you can use the next time you’re going to be on a boat diving trip and you want to avoid feeling ill.
What Causes Seasickness Anyway?
Seasickness is also referred to as motion sickness. It basically occurs when the brain becomes confused by all of the mixed signals that it’s receiving from various parts of the body.
For example, while your feet feel as though they’re on solid ground, the rest of your body knows that it’s rocking on the waves.
At the same time, your eyes may be viewing objects that are stationary, and your ears, the body’s balancing centre, are attempting to figure out how to stay upright and secure.
All of these signals result in the brain getting overwhelmed and you begin to feel nauseous.
It’s important to know that seasickness is a completely normal reaction to being on a boat and that most people will experience it at least once. Thankfully, though, there are things that you can do to deal with it and prevent it.
Symptoms of Seasickness
While most people associate nausea and vomiting with seasickness, it’s important to note that anxiousness is also very commonly the first symptom that occurs with motion sickness.
You may also begin feeling confused and overwhelmed before the nausea actually takes place.
Moving to the centre of the boat, where the motion is less intense, is the first step you can take to minimise any feelings of seasickness that you feel coming on.
You should also stop what you are doing, especially if you are looking down at your gear or your computer, and instead gaze out calmly to the horizon.
Your vision will begin to see the whole picture ahead of you, from the stable horizon to the waves in the periphery, and this will begin to make more sense to your brain and will help stabilise you.
You may also wish to close your eyes and lie down to ease up on the sensory overload your body is experiencing.
Comfort Your Stomach
Bland foods, such as bagels, bread, and pancakes, as opposed to more complex and heavy meals like meat and eggs, are better options if you are feeling nausea. Eat small amounts of these foods just to get something into your stomach, as this might help.
You also want to avoid acidic beverages like coffee and orange juice and instead stick with soda like colas that contain sugars and phosphoric acid, which can calm nausea.
Over-the-Counter Remedies
Antihistamines may help tame seasickness, but they aren’t really recommended for divers because they usually cause drowsiness, and the last thing you want is to not be alert during a dive trip. Bonine and Dramamine are two popular brands of motion sickness remedies that are sold over-the-counter.
You can try them out before you leave for your trip in order to determine what side effects you feel. If your body reacts well to them, take them as much as 12 to 24 hours before your trip. Waiting until you’re seasick may be too late to take these remedies.
Pressure Points
A spot on the inside of the wrist, referred to as P6 in the world of acupuncture and acupressure, is said to relieve nausea. You can press in on this point or, better yet, purchase bracelets, such as “Sea Bands,” that will apply the pressure for you.
Do you have any tips you would like to share with us regarding Seasickness and Scuba Diving? Let us know in the comments below
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