Seasick children

[SimonCh]

Morning all,

my son (4) gets pretty bad sea sickness - he loves being on the boat but after an hour or 2 all he wants to do is sleep. it surprises me as he loves waltzers, roller coasters etc.

i got some medication from the pharmacy - ‘wells kids’ they’re called.

any of you lot have any advice? i’ve had him sitting in different places on the boat and nothing seems to help!

[John Kennett]

Be creative and go out for shorter trips? Find more places to stop and do other things? Taking crab lines opens up all sorts of opportunities to stop and can give purpose to even the shortest trip.

He’ll probably grow out of it, so it won’t be forever.

[jeffstevens763@g]

i suffer in a ground swell especially if i'm a passenger this works for me expensive but it works


https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/20304116789...d=908661247816

[Poly]

Is he actually feeling sick? My kids would fall asleep with white noise and all the fresh air when young. One of them does suffer travel sickness in other scenarios but never on our boat. The other has never been sick (in conditions on other boats where everyone around them has) but also does the fall asleep thing.

If it is sickness then as you probably know ensuring they are looking at horizon is the key. Is he old enough to start helming for short periods? Or be spotting other boats / seals / dolphins...

Most of the meds can make you drowsy so may not help (they will probably help if actually feeling sick or being sick but need taken a few hours before). I’m not convinced wrist bands work but they may at least be a placaebo effect. It’s important to stay fed and hydrated (especially on sunny days) and ginger is widely agreed to be good for sea sickness. So nibbling gingernuts, sipping ginger beer, or borders biscuits have just started doing individually wrapped chocolate coated gingers which being waterproof are now my official sea sickness prevention!

[Poly]

Originally Posted by jeffstevens763@g

i suffer in a ground swell especially if i'm a passenger this works for me expensive but it works


https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/20304116789...d=908661247816

Interesting Jeff - Mrs Poly has been suffering. I assume you tried the cheap £10 sweat band option first? Do these work way better than that? Obviously don’t want to splash that sort of money if it’s only a maybe works!

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by Poly

Interesting Jeff - Mrs Poly has been suffering. I assume you tried the cheap £10 sweat band option first? Do these work way better than that? Obviously don’t want to splash that sort of money if it’s only a maybe works!

yes mate they work for me it's a small electric pulse at 5 levels which disrupts the signal to the brain, best if worn straight away but will work when already feeling sick.as you know seasickness wears off over time as the body and ears adjust its a long time since ive needed it but its always in the boat. ive been on a catamaran offshore sat at anchor for 8 hours in a force 4-5 1.5 m significant wave height normally i would be laid on the boat deck without it. i have no idea if it works for all but when your sick £100 means nothing.
as an alternative we were in the med on a boat with my daughter 8 year old being sick the skipper stopped the boat went below deck for a lemon told her to suck on that worked a treat.
ive tried bands, tablets and all you suggest never worked for me

[neil.mccrirrick]

Ginger biscuits, wine gums, anything that distracts the brain, (so chewing etc) will help especially when young.

I used to be car sick as a kid and was told sitting on newspaper would cure it, which it did, all tricking your belief system.

Most of us are not as naive as we get older

[willk]

Missus willk used to suffer terribly from seasickness, cold, boredom and hunger. I tried a lot of remedies before finally cracking it...



...I leave her ashore.

[SimonCh]

Originally Posted by Poly

Is he actually feeling sick? My kids would fall asleep with white noise and all the fresh air when young. One of them does suffer travel sickness in other scenarios but never on our boat. The other has never been sick (in conditions on other boats where everyone around them has) but also does the fall asleep thing.

If it is sickness then as you probably know ensuring they are looking at horizon is the key. Is he old enough to start helming for short periods? Or be spotting other boats / seals / dolphins...

Most of the meds can make you drowsy so may not help (they will probably help if actually feeling sick or being sick but need taken a few hours before). I’m not convinced wrist bands work but they may at least be a placaebo effect. It’s important to stay fed and hydrated (especially on sunny days) and ginger is widely agreed to be good for sea sickness. So nibbling gingernuts, sipping ginger beer, or borders biscuits have just started doing individually wrapped chocolate coated gingers which being waterproof are now my official sea sickness prevention!

he says his tummy feels poorly and then he just wants to lie down on the aft seat. so i think a bit of both perhaps. shall try all the ginger next time and hopefully it does the trick!

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by neil.mccrirrick

Ginger biscuits, wine gums, anything that distracts the brain, (so chewing etc) will help especially when young.

I used to be car sick as a kid and was told sitting on newspaper would cure it, which it did, all tricking your belief system.

Most of us are not as naive as we get older

Another vote for Ginger!
As a youngster I went on several long Charterd fishing trips (in all weathers) with my Father
and he insisted I didn't spoil the day for myself..(or Him) and kept the liberal supply Ginger nuts on tap all day.....not sure as Neil says IF it was pshycological or not... but it did the trick for sure...and I've never been Sea Sick...
Also used it on my kids and now my Grandkids to good effect!

Our esteemed member "Whisper" thought I was taking the piss when he was looking a trifle "Vert"...one day but it really does help/work!
Prevention is so much easier than cure!
...if it sets in and takes hold!...like an Old Salt once told me there is only ONE real guaranteed cure!....THAT is...
To GO and sit under a tree

[willk]

More seriously, I believe that where your attention lies has a lot to do with it. I suffer from seasickness, but never while helming - even in the worst imaginable situations. I've never been sick when the adrenaline was running. Maybe but the wain on the helm when their going gets tough - even if you have a hand there too.

[Maximus]

[QUOTE=willk;818651]More seriously, I believe that where your attention lies has a lot to do with it. I suffer from seasickness, but never while helming - even in the worst imaginable situations. I've never been sick when the adrenaline was running. Maybe but the wain on the helm when their going gets tough - even if you have a hand there too.[/QUOTE

Another indication your mental outlook has a lot to do with things.
You're childhood introduction to Seafareing I think certainly may play a large part too.....which should be carefully done,considered and gradual! ....with the emphasis on fun...and distraction.

[lakelandterrier]

I'd limit the time a 4 year old spends in a rib to fairly short / gentle runs to build confidence and avoid over tiredness. It may well be mainly tiredness more than actual sea sickness. I'd also avoid medication, but adapt the boating to what he is comfortable with.

[Ferryman]

Young kids do sleep a lot in small boats, I think it’s the motion and noise. I remember a nephew absolutely crashed out in the back of an SR4 going over Chichester bar with the boat spending more time in the air than the water! 🤣
They were well used to it though!