Newbie concern

[jmm81]

Hello Everyone,

My wife and I just joined. We've been kayaking for a few years but just purchased our first boats last year. Up till now we have been doing stricktly flat water but I'm really looking forward to getting on the ocean. Question: Do kayakers get sea-sick? I went deep-sea fishing once. I was fine in the bay, but once the boat got out into the open (3-4 foot chop) I got very nauseous. I don't want this to ruin a great hobby.

thanks,

Joe

[Phil Allen]

Hi Joe-

Welcome to NSPN. As for seasickness, it happens. At least for me, it's much less of a problem in a kayak than it ever was on fishing or sail boats. If it does happen when you're on a trip don't be embarrassed and do let your fellow paddlers know. It's easier to change course or plans and deal with it early as compared to when the seasick paddler is in misery mode.

Phil

[PeterB]

Joe,

Welcome!

Yes, kayakers can definitely get seasick. Some, like me, are more prone to seasickness than others, but it can strike anywhere at any time, and once it does, taking motion sickness medication then is extremely unlikely to help : its more or less an emergency and the best thing is to get off the water as quickly and safely as is reasonable under whatever given circumstances. Seasickness can mess up ones balance and stability , so assistance might be needed in getting to shore.

I take a motion sickness pill every time I paddle on the ocean. For me, the Rite-Aid Pharmacy generic brand has worked very well, and does the job without drowsiness ( a common drawback to motion sickness stuff): I always have a bunch of tabs stowed everywhere: in my car, in my first aid kit, pfd, in my personal effects/odds & ends bag. I have found that taking one about 45 minutes before launching works well (don't pop a pill right when you launch, its best if it has some time to get into your system), and lasts about 5 or six hours. But thats just me, and my approach might not work for others; everyone has to find what works for them.

Peter

[spuglisi]

Joe,

Welcome!

Yes, kayakers can definitely get seasick. Some, like me, are more prone to seasickness than others, but it can strike anywhere at any time, and once it does, taking motion sickness medication then is extremely unlikely to help : its more or less an emergency and the best thing is to get off the water as quickly and safely as is reasonable under whatever given circumstances. Seasickness can mess up ones balance and stability , so assistance might be needed in getting to shore.

I take a motion sickness pill every time I paddle on the ocean. For me, the Rite-Aid Pharmacy generic brand has worked very well, and does the job without drowsiness ( a common drawback to motion sickness stuff): I always have a bunch of tabs stowed everywhere: in my car, in my first aid kit, pfd, in my personal effects/odds & ends bag. I have found that taking one about 45 minutes before launching works well (don't pop a pill right when you launch, its best if it has some time to get into your system), and lasts about 5 or six hours. But thats just me, and my approach might not work for others; everyone has to find what works for them.

Peter

I pretty much agree with Peter's approach. I've been using "Bonine" with good results and no drowsiness. I also use it whenever going out on the ocean. The Rite aid stuff may be cheaper though...I'll have to give it a try.

[Suz]

I get seasick on large boats, trawlers, ferries and things like that. I have infrequently gotten seasick in my kayak. Really just when I first started and I think it was from chart reading before I became accustomed to the motion. Hasn't happened in years.

[djlewis]

Note that a headache can be a symptom of seasickness too, perhaps a precursor to the better known and more debilitating symptoms. Happened to me once on a 70-foot boat going full tilt.

--David

[ccarlson]

I've been prone to motion sickness my entire life and have had ugly bouts with it on fairly large sailboats in moderate seas. However, I have yet (knock on wood) to have any problem in my kayak and I've been out in some pretty rough stuff. I'm not sure why this is but I think it has something to do with being actively involved in paddling and handling the boat as opposed to passively riding in it. I do, however, carry the OTC meds with me just in case. So, try it and see how your body responds. As others have said, the meds do work so even if it turns out to be a problem, there is an easy workaround.

Carl

[bazzert]

I've been prone to motion sickness my entire life and have had ugly bouts with it on fairly large sailboats in moderate seas. However, I have yet (knock on wood) to have any problem in my kayak and I've been out in some pretty rough stuff. I'm not sure why this is but I think it has something to do with being actively involved in paddling and handling the boat as opposed to passively riding in it. I do, however, carry the OTC meds with me just in case. So, try it and see how your body responds. As others have said, the meds do work so even if it turns out to be a problem, there is an easy workaround.

Carl

Interesting ... when I did a lot of sailing I found that if we had a passenger who got seasick, giving them a turn at the wheel often worked wonders.

Barry.

[brambor]

I haven't yet gotten seasick while in a kayak but I got seasick once when taking the ferry boat to Monhean during turbulent seas.

I would say it is a definite possibility. You're in a boat and it is rocking...

Interesting ... when I did a lot of sailing I found that if we had a passenger who got seasick, giving them a turn at the wheel often worked wonders.

Barry.

[jmm81]

Thanks to everyone for your responses. I feel a bit better about it and at least know what to get.

I've learned a bit about Seasickness since it happened: Seasickness's root cause is the conflict between what your eyes and ears tell you. You're on a boat, usually looking at the horizon or the deck, which appears to not be moving. But your inner ear senses motion (the rocking of the boat) and whammo - conflict and the wonderful sensations that go with it. being in a smaller boat, and being in almost the exact center of that boat, should reduce the rocking effect, but I was curious if it would prevent SS entirely. guess not.

[cathyfoley]

Joe:

I just look at the ocean swell and I'm sea sick. 2 Bonine has worked well for me. I've never got sea sick if I take it BEFORE I paddle. Bonine also doesn't give me the rowsiness that some other products like Dramamine do.

[ccarlson]

Barry... yes, that has been my experience exactly. During a particularly rough water race day, the skipper went forward and left me on the helm. I was fine the rest of the day (and we won to boot :-) ) so I really believe that being busy and/or having some sense of control seems to make a real difference.

[bob budd]

The thing about manning the tiller is that you are focused on the horizon, something about the relationship between what your body is feeling and what you are seeing. Another thing that is very helpful in combating seasickness is to keep a moderate amount of food in your stomach.

[leong]

Hello Everyone,

My wife and I just joined. We've been kayaking for a few years but just purchased our first boats last year. Up till now we have been doing stricktly flat water but I'm really looking forward to getting on the ocean. Question: Do kayakers get sea-sick? I went deep-sea fishing once. I was fine in the bay, but once the boat got out into the open (3-4 foot chop) I got very nauseous. I don't want this to ruin a great hobby.

thanks,

Joe

This is simply anecdotal evidence and (perhaps) is not universally true. I was once a computer/radar tech on a missile tracking ship. For the first week or so I was extremely seasick (many other new crew members as well). After I felt better I’ve never been seasick again (including over a year in rough waters in the south Atlantic and Indian oceans and many more years of small boat sailing and kayaking). Perhaps one can become resistant to seasickness.

[jdkilroy]

Welcome to NSPN Joe,

As you can see, you have a lot of company regarding motion sickness issues. There are a series of vestibular exercises (vestibular rehabilitation exercises) that can be performed to help train your inner ear resulting in less severe symptoms if not the elimination of them. A search on the web will provide a lot of info. Working on your balance can also help as the balance centers in the brain play a role and the same inner ear components are involved.

There are also folks who don't seem to have any motion sickness problems but then develop balance difficulties after getting cold water in their ears after immersion (rolling) so, as a potential source of balance issues, keep that in mind with these currently very cold water temps.

Jon

[subaruguru]

Welcome Joe,

I too am one who easily became nauseated on larger vessels, but never in a kayak. Nonetheless I found the first experience with swell quite unnerving, as my balance wasn't ever tested vertically in flat water. So I used a pair of those accupressure wrist cuffs the first week, but don't really believe they were useful.

Large swell can still require short acclimation, but one learns quickly to "go with it"; it's probably made even more innocuous by the interactive activity with one's environment that paddling so richly provides.

Certainly best that you NOT paddle alone (many of us never do), especially until you're sure of your reactions.

[jmm81]

Since the pills need to be taken an hour before you head out, do you think I should be preemptive and take them the first time or risk seeing if I need them at all?

[PeterB]

Since the pills need to be taken an hour before you head out, do you think I should be preemptive and take them the first time or risk seeing if I need them at all?

Thats a tough question to answer. If you know you're definitely prone to seasickness, maybe preempitve seasickness pills would be i order. If not and you want to find out, (no sense taking something you don't need) maybe paddle where you know you have a contingency in the event of seasickness: other people with you, not far from a take out. etc. (Getting seriously seasick miles from anyones car is a bit of an incident to be contended with) Surfing is one good way, and in general a good way to confront and work on needed ocean skills. Surfing a place such as Nahant or Seabrook, you're not far from shore and your car and can get off the water quickly if you need to.

Joe, most likely there will be after- work practice/skills sessions this summer at Seabrook, which is a great pace to have fun ,get cool and refreshed after work and mess around in some surf and varying conditions (some days theres surf, some days its flat; some days there's running tide, some days not) with a group of friendly people.

[sidcohen]

Please don’t let your motion sickness hold you back!! Coastal sea kayaking is a great sport.

I’ve been prone to motion sickness since I can remember. Before I started this sport I didn’t even like to drive in the front passenger’s seat as an adult. On road trips I’d drive most of the time. I’ve always wanted to sail boats and fly light planes but my motion sickness held me back.

My experience when I picked up this sport over four years ago was that I’d get at least queasy in any sort of swell. However, I fell in love with being out in it. But, I have built up a some level of tolerance. Now I can ride comfortably in the back a car if the driver isn’t pushing the brake to hard repeatedly. It is better for me if I don’t bob around a lot and stare at charts. Surfing not too far from takeout time, is a great way to challenge myself and continue to build my tolerance. Also if you mount strap-on compass on your boat make sure it’s close to the bow.

My general practitioner recommend candied ginger, after I asked for a prescription, and that worked pretty well when I was new to the sport until a rough winter’s paddle helped send that stuff all over my spray skirt (cleanup was quick at least). I lost my taste for candied ginger after that. I was really to land, and I was with capable paddlers that were equipped and trained to use tow systems. But, I was able to paddle through moderately rough water for a few nautical miles back to our take-out and I’d like to believe that I was capable if piloting too if necessary. Of course this situation will be different for everyone and different for each paddle, and can be dangerous, as referenced on earlier posts. Now I rarely use herbal remedies or medication. I’ve learned that two Dramamine work better than one1 for me in the rougher stuff, ideally 45 minutes before entering it. My hypotheses, as to why that much Dramamine does not make me drowsy is because of the little bit of adrenaline I get on “interesting seas”.

Paddle On!!!

P.S In about 2/3 of cases, astronauts in training vomit in the Vomit Comet.

[Dabend]

I have been paddling for years and usually do not get seasick. But the times I have always involve swells where I focus on one object that is not the water itself. For example, being close to the cliffs and getting a reflective wave. When I stared at the rock, I got seasick in about 20 seconds. Also, when doing or practicing rescues, I have learned to not focus directly on the person or boat I am helping but keeping half an eye on the horizon.

Also, I did not see it mentioned here, but I have found the wrist bands you can get OTC at a drug store like CVS to be very effective when I am on ferries or sailboats.

Good luck!