How To Avoid Getting Seasick: The Solution?
This is a question I typed into Google numerous times: how to avoid getting seasick?
Well: you can’t. That is, if like me, you are simply sensible to any kind of motion.
But the funny thing is: I am actually typing this particular blogpost ON A FRIGGIN’ FERRY from Patras (Greece) to Ancona (Italy). I’ve got 22 hours (!) ahead of me.
How did I manage to do that?
Let me get to it. But first, you'll get some general information why people get seasick and what you can do to avoid it.
WHY DO PEOPLE GET SEASICK?
Why do some people suffer from seasickness, or motion sickness in cars and planes?
Well, it’s got something to do with your internal balance-system.
This system is formed by your inner ear, your eyes and sensory nerves. When one of these elements detects that your body is moving but the others don’t get it, well… there comes the nausea!
So if you’re on a boat, your inner ear feels the movement. But if you are not looking outside in that moment, your eyes can’t see it. The communication ain’t working in that case.
And it appears that genetics play a part as well. I found this really interesting article on why some people get seasick and others don't.
GETTING YOUR SEA LEGS?
It seems that you CAN kind of ‘train’ to 'get your sea-legs' as they say.
But it takes time and it presupposes that you torture yourself again and again by getting on moving things and battle the nausea.
Who would be crazy enough to do this??
Well: I am...
Okay, not entirely as I do not dare (yet) to get on tiny nutshells or sailing boats!!
But when travelling to particular destinations requires boats, I’m getting on it! Be it because secret spots like Pangaimotu on Tonga island are not reachable any other way; or if it’s the fastest way to get to the foot of a giant glacier like in Patagonia.
These were pretty smooth and okay rides and I didn’t get sick – took my precautions, though. And the boats were not tiny fishing boats.
EXPERIENCES WORTH FEELING NAUSEOUS
But then there are other experiences like snorkelling with whale-sharks in Mexico or whale-watching in Kaikoura, New Zealand.
Both times I was incredibly sick and literally hanging over the railing, barfing my stomach out!
Was it worth it? It sure was!! Both experiences were so amazing!
But the Kaikoura-experience is actually the reason I get nausea when I SEE a boat! Let me explain:
Where my fear of getting seasick stems from
BAD WEATHER = ROUGH SEA
The day we booked the tour to watch the sperm whales off the coast of Kaikoura in New-Zealand, the weather was incredibly bad.
At some point, the organisers weren’t even sure if they should let us head out into the open sea because it was so stormy.
But ultimately, they did.
So we boarded the boat and as soon as we left the port, the waves started crashing in! We’re talking waves of several meters high, rocking the boat up and down, over and sideways.
Okay, maybe not over. But up and down and sideways – ohhh those sideway movements…
EVERYONE TURNING GREEN...
Anyway, I was far from being the only one starting to turn green. Half an hour in to the tour and three quarters of the boat were either hanging over the railing or barfing in the paper bags they kindly distributed. I had a paper bag. And I used it. Several times.
Meanwhile, we did see loads of sperm whales and I managed to keep watching them even though my stomach was playing Rumba. And I took beautiful pictures of whale tails – magic moment!
But the worst part wasn’t even the throwing up on the boat, no.
CONSTANT NAUSEA FOR 24 HOURS
Yes, 24 friggin' hours.
That’s how long the nausea and stomach pain from this specific boat ride lasted.
Actually, after the tour, we had to drive down to Picton to get on a ferry to Wellington on the South island of NZ.
Meaning I went from rocky boat to moving car to (slowly) moving boat again. As the pharmacist in Picton told me: baaaad idea when you just got seasick.
He recommended to lie down on a bench near the port to allow the nausea to at least calm down before boarding the ferry. And drink Ginger ale. And he gave me Gaviscon to chew as the vomiting had irritated my stomach and I was experiencing heavy heartburn as well.
It. Was. Awful.
But you don’t want to read me rambling on about nausea and vomiting, right? You’re here to read what can actually help YOU to avoid getting seasick.
GENERAL WELL KNOWN TRICKS FOR MOTION SICKNESS RELIEF
'key, this is something you should NOT do on a boat: alcohol. Sunsets are fine, though.
LITTLE PROPS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO HELP
WHAT I'VE PERSONALLY TRIED
On the 'best tricks for seasickness'
On the props
My flashy motion sickness wrist bands I wear all the time
THE 'BOARDING RING'
While I do link the company I bought them from, this is in no case an affiliate link. I don’t even think they HAVE an affiliate program otherwise I would have signed up haha.
What the heck is this??
If you read the site of the Boarding Ring, it seems like someone working for the French car brand Citroën was looking to develop something to help his little daughter who suffers from severe motion sickness.
She didn't even have to read in a car, no. The car only needed to move with her in it and she got sick.
He thought about all the things people say you should do, the number one being what I listed too: watching the horizon.
Well, but that’s not always possible, is it?
As you recall, the article I cited in the beginning talked about the inability to connect eye-sensors, the inner ear and the brain.
This is what they look like
How does it work?
What he did was this:
He created these glasses with 4 aligned lenses. Two where you look through (like regular glasses) and two more for you peripheral view.
All lenses contain a little bit of blue liquid in the borders.
That liquid does what every liquid does: even when moved, it stays horizontal.
So it actually mimics that well-known horizon you’re supposed to watch all the time and tricks your brain into synchronising the movements and the feeling.
What they claim it does
They say on the description that it even works when you are already sick.
Which is something other tricks proven to be effective to PREVENT motion sickness don’t. Forget Dramamine when the nausea is already present, for example.
But here, they claim that if you’re already nauseous, put on the glasses and it will fade away.
Also, they say that you only have to wear them about 15 minutes when on a moving vessel. In these 15 minutes, the brain and the sensors are able to connect and you should be able to take them off without getting sick for the rest of the journey.
My personal experience
What can I say? It seems to work!
TESTING THEM IN THE CAR FIRST
Usually, I get sick very easily when picking up my phone in a moving car. Can’t do that any longer than a few seconds when in the passenger seat or sitting in the back without feeling a wave of nausea coming up.
So I first tried it while Sebi was driving the car during our Austria road trip. And several times after that.
I was actually able to read entire articles for half an hour in a row (until I didn’t want to read anymore) without feeling anything!
I took it as a sign that they might indeed work on boats as well.
BUT WHAT ABOUT BOATS?
Okay the only problem here is: I have only tested them on bigger boats so far.
It has been either very big car-ferries where you generally feel a lot less motion or smaller speed-ferries.
But like I told you in the introduction: I am actually typing this article on my computer. While on a moving boat. And I’m not even wearing them right now!
I did wear them for the recommended 15 minutes before unpacking my computer. But this was 2 hours ago and I still feel super fine!
I guess this means that it really does something!
On the previous ferry, the one getting we took in order to see the Santorini sunsets, we were waiting to park our car while already on the ferry.
And the ferry had already departed. Because we were moving backwards, I got nauseous pretty quickly (can’t do that in trains either: riding backwards).
I jumped out of the car and on deck and put on the glasses. I waited for 15 minutes and YES, the nausea disappeared!!
Usually, once it’s there, it doesn’t go away until I reach solid land! But here it did!
THE MIRACLE SOLUTION TO AVOID GETTING SEASICK?
FURTHER TESTING
My next big test drive (or ride, if you will) is going to be on a smaller boat with a lot more motion.
Don’t know where this might be yet as we haven’t planned the next leg of our journey around the world yet (with covid19 and everything, we’re very cautious and don’t book in advance).
During our road trip in Croatia, we did get to Hvar island on a smaller speed-ferry (one of the amazing day-trips from Split). And no, I wasn't seasick! But that's still different than being on sailing cruise for example..
But in general, it already helped with several issues. So I guess it really might be the miracle natural remedy for motion sickness I was hoping for.
I was so desperate from getting seasick all the time that I was even looking for surgery possibilities!! There are none, unfortunately.
HEAVY SIDEFFECTS
One thing I haven’t talked about yet: the side-effects.
As with all 'effective remedies', there are side-effects.
And they are bad. So bad. So, so bad.
You look ridiculous.
I let you judge by the pictures haha.
How stylish am I???
Trying to camouflage the sides with my hair..
Okay this looks just awful haha
But actually: that’s it!!
So yes, to me, so far, this is THE best method to get over those heavy nauseas when boarding. It comes at a price, though: I paid 99 € for a pair…
But maybe once they get more popular, they will be produced in masses and the prices will go down.
Also, I found a cheap version on Amazon but I don't know if it works the exact same way. If someone could try them and give me news? Thanks!
Fact is, after having tried the most common 'best tricks for seasickness', this is the first thing where I’m actually confident that it might even work on a sailing-cruise.
Not entirely ready to put it to the test yet, though…
Little sidenote to end this review: I'm only talking about natural remedies for motion sickness! I know that there are patches with medication that are known to be super effective but these can get you addicted for example. So I pass..
Thanks for reading and I hope you find these tips useful!
Feel free to comment on your experiences, share with someone you know is prone to seasickness and pin it for later!
As ever,
xx
Cyn
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