When someone tells me they are feeling better after they just threw up their breakfast, I ask them to drink some water while I tell them they will escorted to shore. I use the opportunity to let them paddle rather than waiting until they are sick again and need to be towed.
I encourage drinking water for two reasons. One is to reduce the dehydration factor. Second is to have something in the stomach to throw up if they get sick again. If you have ever experienced "dry heaves" you can appreciate my concerns. Since we all respond differently I will not recommend any particular one. The over the counter medications seem to be most widely used by paddlers, but they do tend to make one drowsy, so driving to and from the launching point can be a problem since some of them need to be taken and hour or more before.
There is a prescription patch that you can get from your doctor. Believe it or not I have seen paddlers get success with the pressure bands on the wrist or sucking on a piece of ginger. I am sure there are other preventative methods. I am not a big fan of dispensing medications. If you decide to give out medications you better know what you are doing and know what the victim is also taking and how the medications will interact. For those who always get sick there is hope.
I thought I would never get what is commonly referred to as "sea legs. My body got accustomed to the motion. However, even after getting my sea legs I had a few instances where I became queasy. The closest to getting sick was a result of trying to fix someone's foot pedals in rough seas. I had my head in their cockpit with my head tilted to the side. I was fine one minute and then in an instant I felt my old nemesis coming back.
I sat up instantly and watched the horizon. I had someone else fix the pedals. I was on the edge of getting sick for the rest of the day. Drinking water, splashing water on my face, watching the horizon and moving kept me from full sickness. I believe, if you want it badly enough you will get your sea legs. As a side note, the medications didn't work for me. For those who do not get sick, count your blessings and be kind to those who do.
Should someone in your kayaking party become overcome by dizziness and nausea while on the water, and unable to paddle or stay upright, immediately position another kayak alongside them to prevent a capsize!
The incapacitated paddler can steady himself or drape his body over the deck of the assisting kayak, even while vomiting if necessary. If the seasick paddler cannot recover soon and your group consists only of you and the victim, you may have to employ a Contact Tow pictured on right : with the sick kayaker firmly clutching your forward decklines, paddle forward while pushing them and their boat backwards to the safety of shore.
If other paddlers can assist, you can utilize the easier and faster Rafted Tow pictured on left : while a third paddler steadies the victim as described above, attach your waist-belt tow line to the bow toggle of the victim's kayak, and then tow both of them to safety.
Once ashore, assist the seasickness sufferer to a comfortable place to rest, preferably sitting upright, and offer light starchy snacks and water, especially if they have vomited. Once they have regained their composure and are able to keep light food down, administer any appropriate medications mentioned above. Resume paddling if possible to do so without becoming sick again.
In general, to avoid seasickness trouble when kayaking, stay loose in the hips, roll with the swells, and paddle on! Jeffrey Lee edits Superior Paddling , a kayaking website that seeks to inform, inspire, and compel sea-kayakers to explore and appreciate the endless possibilities of paddling and kayak-touring in the upper Great Lakes region. Most people find vomiting to be fairly uncomfortable, and it is possible that someone could get so sick that they are no longer able to control their boat.
Although it might feel embarrassing, you should always be prepared to let your group know if you need to head back to shore.
Trying to hide your nausea or dizziness can lead to potentially life-threatening situations on the water such as capsizes and even being unable to continue paddling your boat. Mild seasickness might respond to self-care on your kayak. You can try sipping on water and taking a few deep breaths to see if the nausea eases up. If you do feel like you are going to vomit, then avoid hanging your head over the water.
This can throw you off balance and cause you to capsize. Capsizing while you are in the midst of vomiting can leave you vulnerable to accidentally aspirating the water. Instead, allow yourself to vomit on the spray skirt of your boat. Although this might not be pleasant, it is safest to continue to stay as upright and in control of your boat as possible. Getting sick on your boat also means that it is time to head back to shore where you can continue your recovery on dry land.
If they are managing their symptoms well, then you can simply suggest heading back or offer to take a break to snack on a cracker. Rescuing a kayaker who can no longer paddle on their own can be done by moving your kayak alongside theirs so that they can stabilize themselves by hanging onto the deck.
If it is just the two of you on the water, then you can use a contact tow to get them back to shore. If possible, a rafted tow with a third kayaker is the safest way to get your team member safely to the shoreline.
Once you get them on dry land, observe them for signs of dehydration. Fortunately, seasickness on kayaking trips is relatively rare, and most people already know if they are sensitive to certain types of motion. The only thing that will stop the sea sickness is taking the victim to shore or calmer waters where the motion is less extreme. If the victim is vomiting or struggling to maintain balance in their kayak then consider designating someone in your party to stabilize the victims kayak while you perform a tandem tow.
Prevention: There are a few things that you can do to prevent sea sickness from happening in the first place. There are over-the-counter motion sickness medications that can help prevent sea sickness including Dramamine and Bonine.
To be effective, these drugs must be administered one hour before you experience motion. Dramamine is a popular choice but can cause drowsiness. These drugs are safe and have few side effects when taken appropriately. Pre-hydrate for your paddling trip so that you can afford to lose some fluids in the case that you get sea sick. Do not drink any alcohol before paddling.
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