Memorial Day Weekend, three-day weekend means fun and celebrations with family and friends and if you are lucky – time on the boat. You have made sure you are prepared, ready for about anything by having all the required safety equipment, life jackets, boat insurance, food and supplies for day on the water.
What happens if everyone is enjoying the view, the feeling of the boat skimming across the water, the mist of the water on their skin, the smell of the sea and all of the sudden a passenger gets dizzy? Or maybe their stomachs turn a bit? Or worse… someone gets green around the gills?
That would be – seasickness.
If someone on board suffers from motion sickness (gets car sick on road trips), there is a chance they may get seasick during a day in a boat on the water.
What causes seasickness? Well, it is the same as motion sickness really. If you don’t ride the roller coaster because it makes you sick, then more than likely, you suffer from motion sickness – or that chili cheese dog with extra jalapenos didn’t enjoy the ride.
It is all about balance – the inner ears, eyes, skin, and muscles and how they work together to keep in balance. All the parts send detailed messages to the brain; and for instance – the spray of water on your face, watching the scenery go by and your inner ear is telling your brain you are moving forward, while your muscles are telling it at the same time that you are sitting still – well then the brain can get a little confused. And that is when some people can get among other things dizzy and sick to their stomach, or end up with their heads hanging over the side. Seasickness. It happens.
Depending on how sick “SICK” is, may mean an early end to a day on the water.
There are things one can do to help prevent and control the symptoms. There are many different types of medicines which can be purchased at most any drug store and has to be taken well before climbing on board, as well as patches, and even bracelets.
If someone on board your vessel starts to feel yucky and either they have never suffered from seasickness before or didn’t plan for it, there are things that can be done which might help.
- Find a safe spot to dock for a bit. Sometimes the person just needs to have the ground beneath their feet for a bit
- Keep looking at the horizon – the point where the water meets the sky – or the shoreline, but don’t lock the eyes on it
- Move to the highest deck of the boat
- Sit towards the middle of the boat, as sitting at the sides or front may make symptoms worse
- Drink water and take deep breaths. The fresh air really will do wonders
- Stay busy but avoid reading as that will only make things worse
- Ginger
Chances are maybe that person just needs to get their sea legs. It is all about the balance or LACK of balance the body feels when it comes to seasickness.
Being prepared not only means knowing all you can about boating safety, but also knowing yourself and those on board. If you suffer from seasickness or motion sickness as the boat owner and operator you probably have already done your homework on the subject. If you don’t suffer from this malfunction, it is good to know about it in case one of your passengers does.
That’s like asking how much does it cost to fix your car if you run it into a tree and don’t have ircanunse or how much does it cost to have a tire replaced. It depends on too many factors to answer. Where you live, what you need done etc. Start by calling doctors in your area and asking them how much they charge for a visit.