How to Prevent Seasickness

There’s nothing like a boat trip on calm waters, but it’s best to be prepared in case rough seas develop. When your boat starts pitching (front to back motion), rolling (side-to-side motion) or yawing (pivoting around the center), that’s when you’re most at risk of developing motion sickness. While there are no motion sickness remedies that work 100 percent of the time for everyone, these tips might help you find some relief.

Get above deck, face forward and look out as far as you can. Keeping your eyes on the forward horizon is a common recommendation for how to relieve motion sickness. Ask any experienced deckhand and they’ll tell you that inside or below deck is the worst place to be. This has to do with one theory on what causes motion sickness: your body tells your brain it’s bouncing up and down on the waves, but your eyes say you’re sitting still. Looking into the distance can help you overcome nausea or even prevent motion sickness altogether.

Ask your doctor and pharmacist. There are a few over-the-counter as well as prescription products that can help provide relief from seasickness. The most well-known of these is Dramamine. If you know you’re prone to seasickness, talk to your team of healthcare professionals about medicines that might help.

Food and drink. When it comes to food and drink, there are things you can try to make it better, and there are things that will probably make it worse.

• What to avoid: Eating spicy or greasy foods, eating too much and drinking alcohol in excess.

• What you can try: Drink lots of water, try food and drinks that contain ginger or peppermint (ginger ale, candies or tea), eat dry crackers or carbonated drinks.

One thing’s certain – it’s not easy being green on a boat. Plan ahead with these tips in mind so that you and your passengers can avoid seasickness and enjoy the ride.