Sea Sick?

Anyone else get seasick/nausea while paddling in flat/rolling swell/small side-on conditions? Been happening for a while and only on longer paddles (>15kms). Even motion sickness tablets don't seem to work. Thanks 

I will start with saying many people will not believe this. Sea sick is like allergy, is psychological, or has a large psychological component.

I had trouble with the rocking motion in the beginning. I say to myself I am not going to get sea sick, and visualize myself being perfectly happy with the rolling motion. If you are insistent on you being fine, then you will be fine.

Is the same thing with allergy. I use to have runny nose from spring to late summer. I say allergen is my friend. I will breath it in. Have not had allergy in last 5 years.

Finally, the common cold and flu are psychological as well. You will get sick if you let yourself. Last time I came down with a bad cold was probably over 10 years ago.

The psychological component in health is well documented as the placebo effect. They account for that in every clinical drug trial. Happens that people keep buying medicine and ignore this powerful potential Drug companies are perfectly happy with that. You can fix any issue with medicine. But is better to let your body handle it on its own as much as it can. You will be amazed how much your body can do.

Sea sickness is an imbalance in what your eyes are seeing and what your inner ear is perceiving. My guess is you are staring at the nose of your boat in lumpy conditions. I would concentrate on the horizon, which you should be doing anyway. 

As someone who has suffered from motion sickness badly during my life, someone classifying it as psychological has never experienced seasickness.

Fortunately I’ve never had it on a surfski or kayak, but understand how debilitating it is and how it would change a positive experience into a negative one.

As Dicko  indicated, concentrate on looking forward and towards the horizon and not on the  front of the boat. I try to keep my head stable and not look down as this is a trigger that sets off my motion sickness.

Hope you find something that works for you.

Descended from  long line of never-get-crook sailors (one of first WA arrivals John James Frederick Augustus Hamilton Middleton Warburton Courtenay Watson! amongst them) however I do get crook depending on circumstances - fortunately not paddling. For extended time bouncing around in the ocean, medication works a treat for me - Travelcalm in my part of the world. Quell, another drug available makes me drowsy though no side effects at all from Travelcalm. Lots of other remedies out there however that one works for me.

Could it be related to electrolyte loss or similar as you mention it is only longer paddles? Perhaps up these prior and see what happens?

Also, you may have more luck with medication from a compounding chemist rather than over the counter ones. I've heard good reports but can give no details as I've not used them personally. I believe there are different "concoctions" that can be made up and tried.