West Coast Groundfish Observer Program Manual, Part2 - NOAA

CHAPTER 8
Acupressure wristbands and eating crystallized ginger are
other remedies used with varying success. Seasick
medications must be taken before the symptoms begin. Most
medications take several hours to be absorbed into the body.
If you are vomiting and cannot keep anything in your stomach
taking medication at sea will not be an option. Even if you
doubt that you will get seasick, you might want to take the
medication before you board as a precaution against rough
weather. If you should get seasick, take comfort in the fact
that recovery is only a matter of time. All that is usually
required for a complete recovery is some patience. Here are a
few tips and considerations regarding seasickness:
• Continue eating items like crackers, dry toast,
dry cereal, etc. (avoid anything greasy, sweet, or
hard to digest). Keeping something in your
stomach suppresses nausea, or, when vomiting,
eliminates painful “dry heaves”.
• Keep drinking fluids. Seasickness and related
medications cause dehydration and headaches.
Try to drink juices low in acidity, clear soups, or
water, and stay away from milk or coffee.
• Focus on the horizon to eliminate the visual
conflict in your brain.
• The vessel’s motion is generally less pronounced
the further astern you go. Try to stay as far back
from the bow as possible.
• Keep working. Most people find that being
busy on deck keeps their minds off their
temporary discomfort. Also, the fresh air out
on deck is often enough to speed recovery.
• Carry a plastic bag. This simple trick allows
some peace of mind and eliminates some of the
panic of getting sick. When vomiting over the
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