Seasickness 101: Prevention and Cure

Although most fishermen are already used to being on boats, fishing newbies can often be prone to seasickness. In fact, even veteran anglers experience it because up to 60% of people in general go through it at least once in their lifetime.

Also known as motion sickness, seasickness happens when your brain gets confused about what you see and feel while in motion. Your eyes can see an object being steady while your body contradicts it and senses movement. This may cause nausea, dizziness, and cold sweats that could eventually lead to vomiting.

Luckily, there are ways to avoid and treat seasickness when it does happen so it doesn’t get in the way of your fishing trips.

Before the trip

Prevention is better than cure, so before seasickness even hits, it’s best to just avoid it outright.

Start by making sure that you don’t eat any heavy, spicy, fatty, or greasy meals and that you haven’t drank any acidic (e.g., coffee, orange juice, etc.) or alcoholic beverages 24 hours before the trip. Eat just enough to not be hungry and stay hydrated with water instead.

Sleeping well is also a good preventative measure as fatigue will inevitably make you more prone to motion sickness.

But if you know to yourself that you’re the type to get seasick, you can always grab some over-the-counter medications to prevent it. Some prescription medicines such as scopolamine (Transderm-Scop) are also effective.

In terms of food, dry crackers should help calm upset stomachs or temporarily relieve hunger for anyone on board.

During the trip

When all else fails, you could opt for some simple workarounds to avoid seasickness while on the boat itself.

Consider your position on the boat; it’s best to stay at the center or close to the stern where the motions are less noticeable. Don’t face the opposite direction that the boat is going, too.

Similarly, don’t read anything or use your phone while aboard, because looking at these stationary objects will increase your chances of getting seasick.

While you’re at it, breathe in some fresh air as well while enjoying the view of the horizon! Not only will it help you relax, it could also relieve your brain of any confusion because the horizon will appear relatively stable. Listening to music on the side could also help you chill during the ride.

Around 1 out of 3 people are considered highly susceptible to motion sickness, so that one person could be you or a fishing buddy. As anglers, we need to be prepared if it hits anyone!