Back when I was a NMFS observer in the Bering Sea, Scopolamine worked wonders for me. Don't know about the addiction thing, I'd get an 8 week supply. Freaked out the old man though; he was career Army and told me that high doses of Scope was used as a truth serum during WWII. Oh well....

On one of my last voyages, a coast guard officer told me about ginger tablets, and they work great as well. You can buy them in capsules at health food stores and you can swallow them by the handful--alot cheaper than Scope. In keeping with the B-run style of imagery here, I would actually find comfort in burping up that ginger smell 20 minutes after downing a handfull, knowing any quesiness would soon be a thing of the past!

Kev almost had it, AKKING is accurate.
Here is an easy natural tip. Remember Kev said Ginger Ale....its the Ginger. A couple of days before drink some Ginger tea, coupla times a day. Anything Ginger will help. Try some ginger capsules a couple of hours in advance of hitting the water.

The stuff works...and NO side effects! also good for morning sickness too.

scopolamine patch behind the ear is the next best, it just turn it up a notch.
Paul

Hello, My name is wolverine and I am a upchucker wanna be. Only did the deed one time, and it was my first trip out of Westport. The first good whiff of diesel exhaust sent me to the rail to do some technicolor projectile hurling. As luck would have it my rod was the hot one that day. I must have reeled in 15 fish with my eyes shut and dry heaving. Yup, a real fun day. Flat water doesn't do it to me, but big swells and diesel really start the acid flowing. If I can get thru the first day then I'm ok. I've learned to acclimate myself the first day by fishing various types of water. Obviously no diesel puker boats for me the first day. I can look like I'm going to die, but manage to hold it down. In fact I've made some nice $$$ on bets with guys that think that I'm gonna hurl. They've tried nearly everything gross to get me going, but as long as theres $$$ involved and they don't show me pictures of Rosie O Donnell naked I think that I can keep it down. I've tried every med and voodoo trick out there, but its still gradual acclimation that works for me. A doc that did a lot of work with military pilots told me that people that had a lot of ear and sinus infections as kids were the most prone to seasickness. I don't care if the trips free, the first day I'm not going out with anyone unless they are willing to move back and forth from big blue to the smooth stuff.

When I was 17 a group of my friends wanted to do a charter out of Waestport. They drank all the way there and most of the night and then had a greasy bfast in the early AM. We get on the boat and there is a big old fat guy smoking a cigar. My friends start talking big as the boat hits the bar and the fat guy is just watching them and listening. He starts to really puff on the cigar and smokes up the cabin pretty good the guys started turning a little pale and complain about the smoke. the fat guy says "you don't like the smoke? how about this." reaches in the bait can and pulls out a herring and bites off the head and chews it. A few head for the rail and and start to puke. the seagulls dive down and start eating the puke. Most of the rest of the boat hits the rail and joins in the fun. the big fat guy and I limited out for the boat on silvers as everyone layed around and barfed all day.

NASA says they can make any one puke from motion sickness. Get the patch and go fish.

Moderate Seas:
Bonine (meclazine) & Trader Joe's "Triple Ginger Cookies"

Heavy Seas:
Scopalomine

I don't know if anyone's tried this or not. (I don't get seasick so I haven't) A few days before your trip, make an appointment with your doctor and ask for a small prescription of Compazine. It's a powerful anti-nausea medicine, and I believe it's the one most commonly used in hospitals.

nothing has ever worked for me. the only thing i have learned is to take something to eat and drink and use it so that you do not get the dry heaves. they hurt

I recommend the Meclizine too. I suffer from Vertigo from time to time. I get basically the same feeling you get from being on the ocean, sometimes on the verge of puking. I have a prescription of Meclizine to take when it gets bad. It works great. Only downside is it makes you tired. Talk to your Doctor about it.

I have to admit though that when I fish in Baja I find a couple of Pacificos on the way out keeps the sea sickness away.

After researching this subject for some time and interviewing many victims I have concluded that the best bet for potential seasickness is to smoke WEED> Have you ever puked ...ON WEED? Good quality projectile vomitting! and I hear you don't care.

Ginger ale and soda crackers or so I have been told never had a problem with it myself.Some of your stories remind me of the time I was riding the Alaska ferry, myself and a friend were sitting in the bar and I notice this guy at another table looking a little green so I tell my buddy to watch this and I start rocking back and forth in my chair just about then the bartender see's what I'm doing and yells at me and the poor guy pukes all over his table the bartender didn't have much of a sense of humor kicked me out of his bar and told me not to ever come back.

I have yet to be seasick but that may be due to always being careful what I eat and don't drink. Same as above replies. If you can. always scan the horizon and think positive. Sounds stupid but it does help.
The scopalene(sp?) patch is great and I have used that several times out halibut and tuna fishing when seas were just nasty. I think that is your best option.
When a fellow fisherman out 60 miles in rough seas for tuna was looking green and probably ready to puke... one of the deckhands gave him some ginger snap cookies. He was feeling much better within about 20 mins. I took some ginger capsules last time out tuna fishing when I didn't have the scopalene patch and could tell it did help as I didn't get sick.
I tried some meclizine a day before the trip but it made me feel strange. I didn't like it.
So I would say the patch but always carry some "real" ginger product.
Goodluck

If you want a cure for seasickness, this will work. The night before you go fishing drink a combination of pink champagne and Old English 800 beer. Add a large pepperoni pizza and oyster shooters. The next morning eat undercooked eggs and greasy bacon. Once you're on the boat sit where you can smell the diesel smoke of the engine. Very soon you will wish you're dead and promise yourself you'll never go fishing again. Thus you will never get seasick again. Hey, it worked for my dad.

Grandpa... several people have told me that smoking pot will make it so you never get sea sick... they call it blowing a fish whistle.

You can get fresh ginger in the veg section at the store. Chop into bite size pieces. Pickle in a solution of 1/2 vineagar 1/2 sugar. That makes it edible and it is actually pretty good. Will keep forever in fridge.

HA HA HA HA ...

He, he he ...

Um, I'll be right back ...

The herring head chewing stuff would probably make me hurl on dry land. You guys are whack :p

I have never felt even a tinge on my own boat.

I was fine on the charter out of Sitka (28' Almar), I took Dramamine the night before and that morning.

The one thing that has made me a little queasy over the last few years was going out on a 36' Grand Banks for some whale-watching. It wasn't rough or anything, but I guess the diesel fumes + the gentle rocking motion at just the right frequency did the trick. I got some fresh air, found something to take my mind off of it, and was fine.

Here are my thoughts:

1. you can psyche yourself out enough to make yourself sick, so think positive -- it works
2. stuffy and hot = barfy, so try to get some fresh air, even if it means putting on foul weather gear and standing out in the rain
3. do something to keep yourself occupied, but not detailed work with your head down -- that will piss off your inner ear even more -- stand up and walk around, uncoil and coil some ropes, stuff like that
4. Stand up, try to stay stationary with respect to the horizon, and keep the horizon in sight as a reference point, to help your brain sort out all the conflicting motions OR, lay down and close your eyes. This gives your body a much more consistent set of sensory inputs as to what the h__l is going on. At the same time, visualize a Happy Place, not the waves and the rolling of the boat.
5. ginger ale is great, because it is fizzy, and has ginger
6. ask to go somewhere less lumpy -- I am very receptive to this on my boat, especially since it's usually family and friends
7. catch some spray in your face if available-- it may be refreshing enough to knock down some of the queasiness, and could very well take your mind off the bad feelings

Thanks for all the suggestions, folks. Trader Joe's sells dried and sweetened preserved ginger as chewy candy, so maybe I'll pick some up.

It seems to me that the people who worry about it the most get sick.
On the way out someone will say that "I never get seasick". Right there I can tell that getting sick is on their mind. And what happens? They get sick. Happens almost everytime.
Be well rested, and KNOW that you're going to be fine. Try not to worry about it too much.

J.D.

I have fished with OBMG a bunch out of Ucluelet (did you know Ucluelet is an Indian word for Barfing in the Ocean). My buddy and I would always like to look over the passengers and make a wager as to which was going to puke first. We got pretty good at picking them out.

I remember this one woman who was out on the back deck(smoking lounge). Her husband asked us to quit smoking because it was making her sick. We said we would if he could get her to stop puking cause it was making us sick. She didn't stop so we kept smoking.

The more pukers the better! That way you can limit the entire boat.

I have eaten little fishes (candlefish?) right off the hook. That will turn some of those that are on the edge!

I don't smoke Cigars so I know that wasn't me at Westport.

Snake! I thought you were dead! That sounds like a pretty good cure, too!

What Kev said and most of what AKKings said.

Take 1 Bonine the night before.
Take 1 Bonine the morning of.
The morning of eat some very plain food (bagels, dry toast, saltine crackers etc).

This routine allows your body time to acclimate to the drugs (less sleepy) and gives your stomach something to do rather than slosh liquids around until you puke.

Bring water and other food to eat. Stay away from the fumes, get fresh air and watch the horizon. Do all this stuff especially if starting the feel sick. Eating a little more of the plain food every once in awhile will settle your stomach.

After being on the water for awhile you will probably get your sea legs and you can enjoy catching other people's limits and drinking their beer (because they are sick).

Well said. A lot of people make the mistake not eating. It'll burn ya every time!