Reliefband Premier+ Bundle Review: Does It Actually Work on a Fishing Charter?

Motion sickness kills fishing trips. I’ve seen it happen dozens of times. Someone boards the boat excited, the bite is firing, and by 9am they’re miserable over the gunwale instead of fighting a mahi. Dramamine works but leaves people foggy. Scopolamine patches are prescription and carry real side effects. So when clients started showing up with Reliefbands, I paid close attention.

What It Is

The Reliefband Premier+ uses mild electrical pulses on the underside of the wrist, specifically the P6 acupressure point, to interrupt the nausea signal between the gut and the brain. It’s the same nerve pathway acupuncture has targeted for thousands of years, delivered through a wearable device. The FDA has cleared it for nausea and vomiting.

The Premier+ is the top model. Ten intensity settings give you real control: start low and work up until the nausea signal quiets down. The 26-hour battery covers a full offshore trip and then some. The digital display doubles as a watch. The bundle includes the conductivity gel, charging cable, and USB charger so there’s nothing extra to track down before your trip.

What I’ve Observed on the Boat

Over the past year I’ve had maybe a dozen clients come aboard wearing one. My unscientific tally: eight of them had a noticeably better time than similar clients who weren’t wearing one. The other four either had it on the wrong spot, hadn’t charged it, or waited until they were already sick to turn it up.

That last mistake is the most common one. This is not a rescue device. Once the spiral starts, cold sweat, pale skin, lying in the cockpit, the Reliefband can’t outrun it. Put it on 45 minutes before you leave the dock, positioned correctly, with gel, and it does its job.

The Fitting Problem

This is where most people go wrong. The electrode pad has to make clean contact with the underside of your wrist between the two tendons. Flex your wrist and find the groove. Too high, too low, too tight, too loose, and you get nothing. The instruction card is clear but people rush it on charter morning. If you buy one, practice fitting it at home before your trip.

The Price

Three hundred and twenty dollars is real money. Here is how I think about it: if you’ve been seasick on boats before and you’re booking a full-day offshore trip that runs 25 miles out to the swordfishing grounds, what’s that day worth to you? The Reliefband is rechargeable and reusable so you pay once. It’s also FSA and HSA eligible, which means if you have a healthcare spending account you can buy this with pre-tax dollars and cut the effective cost down considerably.

Who Should Buy This

If you’ve been seasick on boats before and you want to fish without being drugged up, this is worth it. Buy it, learn how to fit it, and bring it on every trip. You’ll pay it back in fishing days you’d otherwise have written off.

If you’ve never been seasick and you’re just nervous about it, save the money. Most people handle the offshore grounds fine on a calm day.

If you’re prone to seasickness and you’re booking a full-day charter out of Islamorada, don’t leave home without it.