Preventing seasickness on dive boats
Seasickness ruins dive days and quietly dehydrates divers before they even enter the water. Most of it is preventable with preparation that starts the evening before.
A sick diver is a compromised diver
Vomiting and dehydration affect judgement, thermal tolerance and the ability to manage a regulator. If you feel unwell, tell the crew and consider sitting the dive out — the boat will still be there tomorrow.
Start the night before
Arrive rested, hydrated and lightly fed. Heavy alcohol, poor sleep and a greasy meal the evening before are the classic ingredients of a rough morning on the water.
If you use motion-sickness medication, discuss it with a doctor or pharmacist first: some products cause drowsiness that is incompatible with diving. Follow the product’s timing instructions precisely; most work only when taken well before departure.
Position and habits on board
Stay in fresh air, near the middle of the boat where motion is smallest, and look at the horizon. Reading screens or fiddling with a camera below deck is a reliable way to feel worse.
Keep sipping water and eat plain, small snacks. Avoid the engine exhaust areas and strong smells. If you feel the first signs, move to the windward rail early rather than waiting.
Gear and the water entry
Prepare your kit early while the sea is calm, so you are not assembling a regulator in a rolling swell. Stow everything so a lurch cannot send it across the deck.
Once you are in the water, symptoms usually ease quickly. Descend promptly with your buddy when ready, and agree on a simple plan in case anyone needs to return to the boat.
Dive-day checklist
Before stepping aboard
- Sleep well and hydrate the day before
- Eat lightly and avoid alcohol the evening before
- Discuss any medication with a doctor or pharmacist
- Sit amidships in fresh air, eyes on the horizon
- Prepare your equipment while the sea is calm
General guidance only. Follow your training, the dive operator’s procedures, and each manufacturer’s current instructions.
Ask the dive guide
Personal guidance for your next dive
Describe a dive scenario or an equipment-care question. The guide answers in your language and points you to relevant journal articles.
General educational guidance only. It is not medical advice, emergency instruction or a replacement for training, certification, manufacturer instructions, your operator's briefing or your dive plan.