How to Avoid Seasickness While Scuba Diving

Prepare for your scuba diving trip by avoiding seasickness.

While preparing for your upcoming scuba diving excursion, don't forget to have a backup plan to manage your seasickness. Seasickness, a form of motion sickness, can ruin your scuba diving experience by making you feel nauseated. It may even force you to call the trip off early. Not only does this put a damper on your excursion, but it is also dangerous for the diver to become sick underwater. Keep yourself safe and get the most out of the trip when you know how to prevent seasickness.

Instructions

1. Drink plenty of water starting the night before or morning of your scuba trip. It is important to stay hydrated as you scuba dive, especially since seasickness can dehydrate you.

2. Eat light, healthy foods such as toast, cereal or oatmeal before your scuba trip. In case you get seasick while scuba diving, it helps to not be overly full on greasy foods.

3. Take some ginger capsules, tablets or chew on crystallized or raw ginger before your trip. Ginger is an herb that is recommended for helping with nausea and upset stomachs associated with motion sickness.

4. Wear a pressure-point wristband. Specially designed wristbands are said to apply pressure to the P- 6 acupressure point, which is associated with relieving nausea and motion or seasickness. The band is applied prior to the scuba trip and worn for the duration of the excursion.

5. Take over-the-counter or prescription motion-sickness pills. Such pills have anti-nausea properties that help relieve your sensation of queasiness and imbalance. Avoid medications that claim to make you drowsy as a side effect. Since you are going to be partaking in an underwater activity, it is important for you to have all of your senses on high alert and not be drowsy or tired.

Tips & Warnings

• Test a remedy that works effectively for you before the big trip. If you can, use your anti-seasickness method during a trial run by taking a boat ride or practicing your diving technique in a pool.

References

• Oahu Diving; Sea Sickness Information While Diving in Hawaii
• South Sound Chapter Puget Sound Anglers: Avoiding Sea Sickness