SEA SICKNESS & DIVING

We all have more or less experienced seasickness: small drowsiness announcing his arrival at the advanced stage where we want to die, no one is safe. Where is he from ? And above all, how to escape? Here are some tips that will not protect for sure, but in any case will put the odds on your side.

SYMPTOMS

Initially, we just think we have not slept enough: we yawning, we doze, before moving slowly towards sensations much more unpleasant. It starts to have a headache, slightly cold, then we begin to sweat, to salivate, to have the ears buzzing ... nausea comes, followed by vomiting ... Some even offer the luxury of fainting! It is estimated that about a third of the population is prone to seasickness, and if it is to be hoped that the proportion is less for divers, no one is safe.

WHERE DOES THE SEA LOSS COME?

Everything happens in our inner ear, which houses the center of balance: when there is a mismatch between the movement information and the visual information provided to our brain, if the person fails to rebalance the whole, the things can go wrong! Children, whose system is not perfectly mature, remain of course the most sensitive, and some studies show that women and the elderly would be more affected. But it's a bit of a lottery!

THE 4F RULE

In the unanimous opinion, the 4F triggers rule, and aggravating factors, works every time: cold, hunger, jitters and fatigue are the big winners of the quartet. This also explains that one can be sick during an outing, and in good shape to the next, or the opposite, while the sea conditions are not radically different. What is good is that these four factors are anyway also bad points for your diving safety.

DO NOT HAVE COLD

To cool down on the boat, even before having joined the dive site, is, as we already told you, a very bad plan. But this also favors the appearance of seasickness. So, as far as possible, we cover ourselves, we shelter from the wind, we do not hesitate to put on a magnificent hat, or his hood, since we are getting cold. especially fast by the head, and you put on your slippers ... Especially since if we are not enough covered and the boat has a cabin, we are tempted to take refuge inside and to aggravate his case. Conversely, if it's hot, pay attention to heat stroke, which combined with seasickness will make you spend a quarter of an hour!

DO NOT HAVE FAITH OR THIRST

All sailors will tell you, we do not embark on an empty stomach! And this also applies to a diving trip. Anything that weakens your body leads to seasickness. We eat, we drink, even before we feel the need. When you're hungry, your stomach is "gurgling", the contractions of your gut do not help you start a seasickness. And if you're really sick, and basically poorly hydrated, things will only be done. to get worse. As for the choice of food, everyone has their own recipe. Ginger, say the Chinese sailors, sausages say others ... It's up to you to choose what makes you feel good, and to provide in your diving bag snacks such as chocolate or dried fruit for example.

DO NOT BE AFRAID

And yes, the psychological side is largely involved in the outbreak of seasickness: if you are already anxious before leaving, whether by the dubious weather or the dive itself, you will be much more subject seasickness. Especially if cold and hunger have already begun their work of undermining. First, express yourself if you are anxious, for whatever reason. And try to keep busy, whether it's preparing your gear, or having the dive explained by someone who knows the place. Or, if the size of the boat allows it, participating in one way or another in the maneuver. Do anything, as long as you do not have to stay prostrate while waiting for the moment you're going to throw up!

DO NOT BE FATIGUE

Fatigue, in the same way, may accelerate the onset of symptoms, and increase their violence. But remember, beyond the boat ride, diving while you are in a great state of fatigue is not a good idea anyway. But it is especially the combination of these factors, even if they are not flagrant taken in isolation, that may lead you to seasickness: in short, if I'm just tired, it passes. If I am tired, have not eaten anything since the day before, and the sea seems a little too agitated, I have every chance of ending up badly.

THE BEST PLACE ON A BOAT

One is always tempted, when one begins to feel the first effects of seasickness, to go to take the air at the front. But the calculation is not necessarily good: besides the risk of watering the entire boat if things go wrong, it is in the middle that the boat is the most stable. Provided that this area is well ventilated, this is where you have to settle.

THE MEDICINAL PRODUCTS IN QUESTION

There are many nausea medications on the market, and some effectively reduce the symptoms. But the drowsiness they may cause can jeopardize your safety diving. It is not by chance that many of them are banned on some work boats. Read the leaflet carefully, and ask your doctor for advice before leaving. Acupuncture bracelets seem to work well, but not everyone is sensitive in the same way; Finally, some practitioners offer exercises on the mechanisms of balance that can improve your reactions to seasickness.

And under water

We often have the certainty that once in the water it will pass. And if this is often the case, it is nevertheless possible to vomit underwater. Particularly at the landing in case of strong swell. A problem arises: after vomiting we have an inspiration reflex. The most damning testimonies relate the case of divers who are accustomed to the fact that they have taken the habit of vomiting in their regulator so as not to risk swallowing water…. And that's what to do! Keep your second floor on the palate and “fire”! Be careful, the whiskers on your second floor will send your work back to your ears, in certain tropical areas, it is important to think about dispersing the package ... Indeed, more than one lobe has been bitten by a voracious lutjan ...

GOOD DIVES