An Offshore Affliction

[choad]

Sea sickness trolling outside the heads has become an all too familiar and disturbing problem for me of late. I have been on charter vessels in the past in rougher seas without an issue but i've noticed that trolling just outside the heads in my 5m cat is almost intolerable. It's ok if i'm driving and looking forward but to turn my head and look at my rods or worse yet try and bait or tie a rig.... game over.

1. is it the size of my boat which is the problem? If so, do you think stepping up to a 6-7m boat will make much difference?

2. do you guys find it's worse near the shoreline (because of reflected waves) versus further out?

It almost makes me want to give up fishing from a boat... almost..... for a second..... maybe.

[mr twister]

I have had the same problem and still do from time to time. I dont think a bigger boat helps, other than maybe for a bit of re-assurance and comfort when your spewing your guts up. I have a 21 foot southwind and I find the worst areas are around the headlands due to the mixture of the wind, currents and waves clashing with the cliffs, rebounding waves and out going tide. This causes a washing machine effect and does get very messy, let alone dangerous.

Once you get past the heads and into open water, the sea calms down and you should be fine. Also later in the day doesnt seem as bad, this can be due to the body still waking up and acids build up in the body.

Also the breakfast you have may also affect you, I have found tea to really affect me and usually go to sea with an empty stomach but as soon as I get hungry or feel unwell, I get stuck into some dry crackers and a coke or something sweet.

But hey and eventually you will get used to it after a few years or months depending on how much time you spend on the water. If your travelling to wider grounds, ditch the wash trolling, go a bit wider of the heads and if you are confident, its calm and weather and currents are right in summer, you get out to the 50+m line and troll. Otherwise suck it up(well probably spew it out) and when anchored and feeling queizy, motor around for 5-10 mins.

[choad]

I have had the same problem and still do from time to time. I dont think a bigger boat helps, other than maybe for a bit of re-assurance and comfort when your spewing your guts up. I have a 21 foot southwind and I find the worst areas are around the headlands due to the mixture of the wind, currents and waves clashing with the cliffs, rebounding waves and out going tide. This causes a washing machine effect and does get very messy, let alone dangerous.

Once you get past the heads and into open water, the sea calms down and you should be fine. Also later in the day doesnt seem as bad, this can be due to the body still waking up and acids build up in the body.

Also the breakfast you have may also affect you, I have found tea to really affect me and usually go to sea with an empty stomach but as soon as I get hungry or feel unwell, I get stuck into some dry crackers and a coke or something sweet.

But hey and eventually you will get used to it after a few years or months depending on how much time you spend on the water. If your travelling to wider grounds, ditch the wash trolling, go a bit wider of the heads and if you are confident, its calm and weather and currents are right in summer, you get out to the 50+m line and troll. Otherwise suck it up(well probably spew it out) and when anchored and feeling queizy, motor around for 5-10 mins.

hey, thanks for the tips.

what do you target when trolling 50m + depth ?

[Frigate]

Hey Choad,

Have you tried ET's Escape Travel sickness Pills, I used to get seas sick quite often so i tried them after a mate reccomended them to me & Have never felt so good out at sea. I can even stop and cube now outwide.

I gave them to a few friends who normaly suffer from seasickness too & and it has been working for them aswell.

Might be worth a try if you havnt already. Theres possible no worse feeling in the world than hanging over the side of your boat heaving your guts up.

You can only get them from Bova Chemist.

Cheers

Stu

[hottyscotty]

for me is keeping fit and getting heaps of rest. also eating less fatty foods (fatty foods makes my stomach gassy) and drinking less fizzy drinks.

beer is a big no no for me on offshore trips

[Guest]

I suffered from sea sickness for yrs and decided it wasnt going to ruin my favourite passtime.

I take travacalm when first getting to the ramp and religeously eat dry bikkies like chicken crimpiys as soon as we get underway.

You must eat someting all day and cordial or sweet drinks make me feel heaps better at sea.

Try to stay out of the cabin or under the anchor well and have all your gear rigged before you leave and try to minimise rigging tackle as you will be aware once you take your eyes off the water the feeling intenifies.

If you start to feel a bit queezy after a few hours you can take a further tablet,BUT DO NOT WAIT TILL THE FEELING HAS GONE BEYOND REPAIR.

The more time at sea will give you your so called sea legs.

There is no shame in feeling seasick what so ever as many seasoned anglers get it from time to time.

If it gets out of hand and you cant cope with it,start the engine up and go back inside to the protected waters and you will find the feeling subsides quite quickly and if all else fails go back to TERRA FIRMA "THE MORE FIRMER THE LESS TERROR"

Keep at it and you will eventually beat the dreaded MAL DER MIR

Cheers Stewy.

PS I have chucked up at most recognised spots all the way along the coast and still keep at it

[luderick59]

i suffer badly from sea sickness , i used to work on trawlers and tuna boats at eden

iwas sick every day despite taking tablets after a while i was used to throwing up and kept on working, lost a lot of weight but loved being out there stayed at it for 3 months living on the trawler took me a while to get my land legs back [ the road felt like walking on the sea]

i have bought some of e.ts tablets but have not tried them yet

stewy used travelcalm on a surfing and windsurfing trip to fiji lived on the 5oft sailing boat for 2weeks

found i could not surf as well as i could [even got seasick in the surf] took 2 tabs a day for 2 weeks relised later that i was actually half stoned for the whole time

allways found the rougher, rainy ,windy weather the better i felt

peter

[Guest Big-Banana]

Be smart about it.

A pill at the ramp will have no effect. Take half a pill the night before and half as soon as you get up. Then half as you step on the boat.

It's all in the head...

I realised this when I took half a panadol instead of an Avomine...

Stick clear of the natural stuff like Ginger.

Stay well away from any grog the night before as well as coffee in the morning.

Get a good night sleep and you'll be sweet.

[mr twister]

hey, thanks for the tips.

what do you target when trolling 50m + depth ?

If in summer(thats only really when its worth it), there are usually dollies, you wont get meany but they would be decent size as they are roamers, you may come across schools of skipjack but there should be a fair bit of floatsm and jetsm around ands that what you are looking for, as there will be schools of the dollies hanging around.

[choad]

thanks for all the replies fellas. I agree a lot of it is in the head. I was feeling pretty rotten on Saturday until i came up close to a huge salmon school. Instant cure.

[hoges1974]

thanks for all the replies fellas. I agree a lot of it is in the head. I was feeling pretty rotten on Saturday until i came up close to a huge salmon school. Instant cure.

I know the feeling mate went out to Browns Saturday and spent plenty of time over the side making my own burley trail.

I tired the travel carm (i think it was that brand) took one the night before 2 in the morning when i got in the car heading to the ramp 1 at the ramp and as soon as we pulled up at Browns i was over the side.

It is a horrible feeling and today my gut, chest and throat are killing me

think i best stick to the bays

Edited October 12, 2008 by hoges1974

[riderzx10r05]

Hi Choad, I work on a motoryacht overseas an Italian one at that which doesn't like the seas and when it turns ugly almost half the crew turn to the Travelcalm or something similar. I eat but it takes the form of vegemite sangas. I'll have enough so my stomach isn't just empty with acid floating around. I think the bread soaks up any fluid and swells a bit which works for me!

Give it a go next time you get hungry whilst you are out there or your'e feeling a little under the weather.

Troy

[Flightmanager]

I have found over the years , that everyone is different in this regard , what works for one, is a disaster for the other.

You need to find the formula that works for you , ET's , Travacalm , full stomach , empty stomach .Some people will be forever cursed with it , others will find the solution for themselves. I have even heard of people placing a band aid over the belly button gives relief. ( cant verify that one ) .

What is it?

Seasickness happens when the body, inner ear, and eyes all send different signals to the brain, resulting in confusion and queasiness. It is a problem generally attributed to disturbance in the balance system of the inner ear (vestibular) system. Your sensory perception gets out of synch as these nerve fibers attempt to compensate for the unfamiliar motion of the ship moving through water.

The movement of a boat on a fluid sea creates stress in the portions of the brain responsible for balance. Perhaps that stress causes the brain to start malfunctioning as the land based environment it understands is suddenly not behaving as it should.

Triggers

Reading a book, looking at a compass, doing detailed work or staring at one point. Try to keep your peripheral vision out on the horizon and not staring at objects your brain will interpret as stable. This includes tying fishing rigs etc !

Ross

[martymonsta]

I sometimes fish out of a kayak off shore and remember the sea sickness I experienced off Long Reef in 2-3 metre swells, talk about washing machine effect!

The worst part was when you have to re-tie rigs in your lap with the kayak bobbing all over the place like a cork. Couldn't stop throwing up and pedaling (I have a Hobie pedal kayak) back a couple of k's to shore was hard work feeling drained and dehydrated. Bit dangerous actually.

I find Travelcalm tablets (1 about an hour before launch) help but also make me feel drowsy and have a bit of a dry mouth from it as well. Switching from coffee to Red Bull during the early morning starts I found has helped a bit. Might try the half tablet the night before and the other half in the morning trick to see if that improves the drowsy side effect of Travelcalm as well.

Marty

[choad]

great advice guys.

so here is my plan for next session....

pop 1/2 a travacalm the night before, sleep for 12 hours, drink cordial and red bull, eat crackers and dry bread followed by another travacalm and a kwells followed by a few beers and beef sandwiches, some staminade and then ET's pills. I'll also bring a knot tying bait applying assistant and make sure I get stuck into a hot bite. That should cover me.

though, seriously, thanks again for all the different tips... it gives me plenty to experiment with. maybe by the time i get through all the different tricks I'll finally find my sea legs.

[LUKEC]

Hi

Lot of good tips here.

I take a Kwells about 1hr before i step on the boat and dont eat anything until my stomach feels empty.

Then have a ham sandwhich and wash it down with Ginger beer.

(Just a plain sandwich)

Ginger helps with the stomach but i dont believe any Ginger remedy works in its own right.

Also try few diff travel sickness tabs as some have diff effects on people, like Travacal doesnt work at all for me.

Stick with it hey!

I almost gave up as the old boy use to drag me out and make me spew. I beat him though

Cheers

Luke

[nightstalker]

You have gotta stop drinking 20 the night before you go out - but seriously - have as many prerigged traces and rigs for whichever style of fishing you do to minimise the knots you have to tie in addition to all those helpful hints everyone has given.

I posted a pic of a longtail a while back and had comments about cheddar shapes being my secret berley - nope it is to help stop the secret berley.

[MrGenius]

I get sick as and have spewed for 8 hours straight many times

What ive found works well is:

No alcohol at all

1 Kwell the night before

1 when wake up with some toast and a drink

1 b4 step foot on boat

Drink heaps of fluids [water, cordial etc] and eat plenty