No one is immune to seasickness and even the hardiest sailor can feel queasy at sea once in a while. The nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and even hot and cold flashes can turn a dream dive trip into a nightmare. However, there are some easy ways to prevent seasickness or take the edge off if you do start to feel a bit green. Here are our top 5 tips for avoiding seasickness on your next dive trip.

1. Hydrate!

This is a top tip not just for avoiding seasickness but for staying healthy in general. Your body is better equipped to cope with feeling unwell if you are well hydrated and nourished with good food.

Sipping on water throughout the day is very important, especially if you’re out in the hot sun around Gangga Island. Divers are advised to drink at least 2 litres of water a day in tropical climates, but you may find you need even more.

You should try to eat a good meal the night before diving and, if you’re getting on a boat early in the morning, eat very lightly or nothing at all. You may want to have some dry crackers or plain biscuits to hand.

2. Be prepared with non-pharmalogical preventatives

There are loads of products that claim to prevent or stop seasickness. Many of these are non-pharmalogical and are worth trying. Many divers wear pressure point bands, essential oils, or suck on lozenges made from ginger, licorice, or lavender. There is no scientific evidence of their efficacy, but we’re all for trying out anything that can offer a bit of relief.

3. Stay in the middle

Motion is always more intense on boats the further from the water you are. This means you should always try to stay at the lowest point. On smaller dive boats like the ones used by Gangga Divers, this can be difficult. However, staying as close to the middle of the bench seats on these boats is the best place you can be.

4. Look to the horizon

While on the boat you may be tempted to look around at all the beautiful scenery around Gangga Island. However, maintaining your equilibrium is very important. The way to do this is to keep your eyes on the horizon. If you can’t see the horizon, it can help to close your eyes and picture it in your mind.

It’s also really important to have your gear all ready to go before the boat leaves the jetty. You will feel much worse if you have to look up and down while you sort your dive gear out .

5. Distraction

The more you think about feeling ill, the worse you are going to feel. Starting a conversation with the dive guide or a fellow diver to distract yourself. You may forget how queasy you feel, if not totally, at least a little. Get excited about the dives and think about how much better you’ll feel once you’re under the water.

Don’t let seasickness get you down

Feeling ill on the dive boat before you dive is an awful feeling. You can’t let it ruin your trip though. These tips should really make a big difference in how you feel, so don’t wallow in it, push through and enjoy yourself. The things you’ll see while diving in North Sulawesi are absolutely worth a little bit of seasickness!

If you’d like to know what to expect from the weather and sea conditions around Gangga Island Resort & Spa leave us a message in the comments box below.