Seasickness

[Largo]

I am confused.

I took a trip on the Nekton during a rough season. One morning, I was the only person who ate breakfast. I had no seasickness.
Everyone else was "talking to Ralph on the big white telephone."

However; I can't play "shoot 'em up" video games without getting motion sickness.

Insights?

[DollFin]

I read that that's actually not uncommon and is called "simulator sickness". It might be that your body is more confused because it is NOT feeling the movement that your eyes are telling your brain you should be feeling. Makes sense to me.

[Monkeylemon]

I get horrible motion sickness via land, sea, air, or carnival rides, but have no trouble with gaming or movies with hand-held camera footage. I can't help you with the mystery! I'd just like to thank the academy and non-drowsy Dramamine.

[wgt]

The phenomenon that you report is not entirely unexpected. Vulnerability to some sources of motion-related sickness is not necessarily predictive of sensitivity to other sources. The best example that I can think of relates to the dissociation between terrestrial and microgravitational sensitivities. Just because somebody gets sick easily in the rumble seat of the Ranchero, does not mean that they will be splashing the walls of the International Space Station. At the same time, many with cast iron stomachs at Six Flags and in turbulent air may adjust very poorly in orbit.

I can't explain your differential vulnerabilities, but they do not surprise me.

Originally Posted by Largo

I am confused.

I took a trip on the Nekton during a rough season. One morning, I was the only person who ate breakfast. Everyone else was "talking to Ralph on the big white telephone." No seasickness.

However; I can't play "shoot 'em up" video games without getting motion sickness.

Insights?

[cmburch]

I am assuming motion sickness can be caused by a few things. For me it is mainly an inner ear problem due to clogging. Afrin and/or time released Sudafed to clear me up and I am fine.

I got sick at the movie the Bourne Identity because of the jiggling camera effect to cause suspense.

[DivingAnarchy.info]

Seasickness is a weird thing.
I have been a professional delivery skipper on mono hulls and catamarans and I knew of many experienced yachtsmen who can't handle the motion of a cat while they have no problems on a mono.
Usually I got a feeling of seasickness the very first night out, after that it was over untill I was on solid ground again.
The last time I did a straight passage from Sable D'Ollonne France to Norfolk VA in 28 days. I have been seasick for 2 solid days after arrival while I haven't been sick during the passage even in very rough conditions.

[DivingAnarchy.info]

PS. when dealing with rookie crew who felt seasick just after departure I advised them to stick a small cotton ball in the ear opposite from their writing hand. (if you write with your left hand you stick it in your left ear) This usually did the trick. I also noticed that people who felt uncomfortable on board usually got sick. I guess it is also a psycological issue as I've never came across people who felt sick but desperately wanted to sail and spend time at sea.
Nowadays diving with both westeners and Chinese I see that most Chinese get sick while westeners do not.

[Splitlip]

Motion sickness occurs when your brain gets confused. Your body is rocking ( the inner ear tells your brain this) but your eyes tell your brain that the environment (boat, plane or car) is not rocking because it is moving with you.

That is why, one needs to focus on a fixxed object that is not moving so as not to confuse the brain. When out of sight of land this is difficult as it means you need to focus on the horizon (very small line).

If one is focused on a video game (your playing right?) easy to see how sickness can become an issue. Your eyes only see the screen which rocks and rolls, but your body (inner ear) is not registring movemnet. And your brain (reverse of true motion sickness) is unable to compute, so ....

In true motion sickness, your inner ear says you are moving, but your eyes say no. Playing a video game, your eyes say you are moving, but your inner ear says no.

[MConnelly2]

Originally Posted by DivingAnarchy.info

Seasickness is a weird thing.
I have been a professional delivery skipper on mono hulls and catamarans and I knew of many experienced yachtsmen who can't handle the motion of a cat while they have no problems on a mono.
Usually I got a feeling of seasickness the very first night out, after that it was over untill I was on solid ground again.
The last time I did a straight passage from Sable D'Ollonne France to Norfolk VA in 28 days. I have been seasick for 2 solid days after arrival while I haven't been sick during the passage even in very rough conditions.

Very true. I don't get seasick, don't get airsick, but cars - if I sit in the back of a car or try to read in the passenger seat, I can get carsick before we even get out of the driveway.

Back on point, though, I've worked onboard Motor Lifeboats for nearly ten years, initially as a Crewman, and mostly as a Heavy Weather Coxswain. Never been susceptible to seasickness but once in that job, and that was attributable to a nasty hangover. But the first time I rode on a twin-hulled fast ferry, I got a bit nauseous-y. Not bad enough to even concern me, but definitely recognizable as the onset of seasickness. Hasn't bothered me since on countless trips on the same ferry, though.

[DivingAnarchy.info]

That's remarkable. Most people get sea-sick on slow rocking boats and not on high speed (and thus stable) boats.
Hangovers, diving and boats don't go together. I've done a whole lot of hull cleanings and prop inspections and everytime I got in the water with a hangover I had to vommit. Obviously stupid to dive with a hangover but this was very shallow and in the confinements of marina's.