Seasickness is no laughing matter; it is extremely uncomfortable. Many fishing trips are cut short because of it If you’re seasick on board a party or charter boat, you won’t have the option of returning to shore; you’ll just have to live with it until the trip is over.
The best approach to seasickness is preventive. Avoid eating greasy foods and consuming alcohol and caffeine prior to your trip. On large vessels, avoid the bow and the stern areas, which are subject to more violent motion than the waist (middle) of the boat. Avoid exposure to exhaust fumes from diesel engines. And consider using antiseasick medications or devices.
Dramamine and Bonine are common over-the-counter motion-sickness drugs. When taken as directed, they can help prevent seasickness. Scopolamine is a prescription adhesive patch that is used transdermally, that is, the medicine is absorbed through the skin. The patch is applied like a Band-Aid. (People who can’t swallow pills find this helpful.) And a bracelet called Sea-Band offers a nonmedicinal approach. The package contains two bracelets, which are worn on both wrists and work using the principle of acupressure. They are surprisingly effective.
A seasick angler is incapable of doing anything except, at best, leaning over the side of fishing boats. If you’re the affected person, try to find a location out of everyone’s way, on the leeward side of the boat (that’s the direction the wind is blowing to, not the direction it’s comingyrom). After the worst is over, try to get some sleep.
There isn’t much you can do to help someone who is seasick except lend moral support. Because a seasick stomach can’t keep down medication long enough for it to be effective, seasickness can’t be cured once it develops.
No one is immune from motion sickness; it eventually catches up with everyone, regardless of their seagoing experience. I know, because I have hung over the rail trying not to rupture an internal organ or two. Believe me, it’s a horrible experience, never to be forgotten.
