Seasick? Follow These Tricks!

It is true that even the most trained scuba divers and most skillful boat divers still get affected by seasickness. And nothing can be worse than your body getting out of sync, except maybe, finding yourself submerged in a shark infested diving spot. But that's not the point. Seasickness can be detrimental to one's life, most especially for scuba divers who traverse the deepest of the sea. If one vomits due to seasickness, the diver may get dehydrated. This in turn increases the diver's risk of developing another health injury underwater, called decompression sickness or the "bends".

Seasickness occurs when the vestibular system, a sensory system composed of receptors (cristae ampullares and maculae), vestibular nerve, and connections to the brain, gets altered ineffectively. This vestibular system is responsible for adjusting our body from sudden change in movement. If the vestibule gets out of adjustment, one can get dizzy and eventually, vomit.

More than anything else, you want to avoid seasickness in the most natural way possible. Here are some tips and tricks that you should follow:

• Physical Fitness, Nothing Less.
  Being physically fit is very important in all aspects of scuba diving. Before you are actually allowed to take the scuba diving course, you will be assessed if you are fit enough, right? Now is not any different. Always remember to have an adequate amount of sleep before a boat dive. Don't go off a boat when you lack sleep or worse, still have that hang-over from alcohol. Not only are you deliberately causing yourself to get seasick, you're also seriously endangering your life. In short, take good care of your body. Also, try to get as much fresh air as you possibly can by standing at the boat's center or staying close to the waterline. You don't want to smell the diesel fumes, which just add up to the queasy feeling.
• Focus and Gaze So You Won't Daze..
  This means that you have to keep your eyes focused on something. Look up the horizon or focus your eyes on a land. You should do this so that your vestibular system, together with your muscles and eyes, effectively adjusts. Thus, you keep your balance
• Ginger Remedy.
  Bring some gingersnap cookies or ginger supplements on your boat dive. This is one of the oldest remedies that people take to prevent seasickness.
• Lots of Water, Please.
  It is very important that you keep your body hydrated AT ALL TIMES. So, when you wake up in the morning, start loading up on water. Avoid carbonated drinks, coffee, or even juice, because these can dehydrate you. Caffeine also decreases the pressure in your lower esophageal sphincter or LES (muscle that constricts to prevent acidic stomach contents from going back up). When the LES pressure decreases, the constriction is reduced, and you feel queasier.
• Seasickness Pills.
  You can take these pills to prevent seasickness, but make sure that you do so BEFORE the dive. However, there are some pills that can make you feel sleepy. Take those that don't have that side effect.

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