Captain's Log
How to Not Get Seasick
on a Fishing Charter
"I've run thousands of charters out of Islamorada. Roughly one guest per trip is nervous about it. Here's exactly what I tell them."
— Captain Kit Carson, DirtyBoat 2.0
Seasickness is the number one reason people hesitate to book an offshore charter. It shouldn't be. It's almost entirely preventable if you set yourself up right — and the tools that work now are a lot better than they were ten years ago.
Here's what I actually tell guests who call the day before a trip asking if they should worry. Four moves, in order of what matters most.
1. Sleep. Eat. Hydrate.
If you rolled in from Key West at 2 AM and showed up hungover on an empty stomach, nothing I give you is going to save you. The biggest predictor of whether someone gets sick on my boat is how they spent the night before.
Solid seven hours of sleep. Light breakfast — eggs and toast, not bacon and hash browns. No booze the night before. Half a liter of water on the drive to Robbie's. Done. You've already beat 70% of it.
2. Take the Med Early
The mistake people make with Dramamine and Bonine is taking it in the parking lot. By then it's too late — the drug has to be in your system before the motion starts, not chasing it.
My rule: one dose the night before bed, one dose 30–60 minutes before we leave the dock. Bonine (meclizine) over Dramamine because it's less drowsy. If you're prone to it badly, ask your doctor for a scopolamine patch — behind the ear the night before. Prescription only, but the real-deal fix for offshore tournament days.
3. Wear a Reliefband
This is the one that surprises people. There's a wristband — Reliefband — that runs a very mild electrical pulse on the underside of your wrist. It stimulates the median nerve, which tells the brain to quit the nausea signal. FDA-cleared. No drugs. No drowsiness. No cottonmouth. I keep one on the boat and one in my truck.
I started recommending these to nervous guests about three seasons ago. The feedback has been so consistent that I now tell anyone asking about seasickness to just buy one. Guests who got green on every previous charter come back grinning, wristband on, holding a cobia.
You turn it on, dial the intensity up until you feel a tickle in your middle finger, and forget about it. Works on the reef, works offshore, works on the ride back in 3-foot chop when you're trying to eat a sandwich. It's not magic — you still need the sleep and the Bonine — but it's the difference-maker for the people who normally can't do it at all.
Captain Kit's #1 Pick
Reliefband Classic
"I keep one on the boat and one in my truck. If you're the person in the group who always gets green at 20 knots, this is the fix."
See It on Reliefband.com →Affiliate link — DirtyBoat earns a commission when you buy through this link, at no extra cost to you. Full disclosure.
4. Eyes on the Horizon
Your inner ear says the boat is moving. Your eyes, if you're staring at your phone in the cabin, say nothing is moving. Your brain panics. That disagreement is seasickness in two sentences.
Fix: stay outside. Eyes on the horizon. If you have to look down — to bait a hook or check a knot — do it fast and look back up. No scrolling Instagram in the salon. Captains don't get seasick because we're always looking at the water. You can do the same.
If it starts creeping in anyway: fresh air, ginger chew (we keep them in the cockpit), sip cold water, unzip your jacket. Tell the mate. Don't tough it out in silence for 45 minutes pretending you're fine. We've seen it a thousand times and we have a fix.
The Captain's Checklist
- ✓ Sleep 7+ hours the night before. No booze.
- ✓ Light breakfast 60–90 minutes before the trip. Never on empty.
- ✓ Bonine (meclizine) the night before AND 30 min before leaving the dock.
- ✓ Reliefband on the wrist — turn it on at the dock.
- ✓ Stay outside, eyes on the horizon.
- ✓ Sip water, ginger chews, tell the mate the moment you feel off.
What I Actually Carry on the DirtyBoat
Just so you know this isn't theory: in the cockpit locker of the 42' Liberty Express right now there's a bag of ginger chews, a sleeve of saltines, bottled water, and two spare Reliefband units for guests who forgot theirs. I didn't carry them five years ago. I do now because they work that consistently.
If you're booking a full-day offshore or a swordfish run (10+ hours, 20+ miles out), I genuinely recommend showing up with all four tools above. Half-day reef trips close to shore? Usually just the sleep-and-breakfast is enough. But if you know yourself, bring the wristband.
FAQ
How do I prevent seasickness on a fishing charter? +
The four moves that actually work on the DirtyBoat: 1) Sleep well and eat a light breakfast — never show up hungover or empty-stomach. 2) Take an over-the-counter med like Bonine/meclizine the night before AND 30 minutes before we leave the dock. 3) Wear a Reliefband wristband — it's drug-free, FDA-cleared, and I keep one on the boat for guests. 4) If you feel it coming on, get outside, eyes on the horizon, and ask the mate for a ginger chew. Captains don't get seasick because we're always looking at the water — you can do the same.
Does the Reliefband actually work for boat fishing? +
Yes. Reliefband uses a very mild electrical pulse on the underside of your wrist that activates the median nerve and tells your brain to stop the nausea signal. It's FDA-cleared for motion sickness and nausea, no drugs, no drowsiness. I've had guests who've been green on every previous charter come aboard wearing one and catch fish all day. It doesn't make the seas calm — it makes your stomach stop arguing with them.
Should I take Dramamine or Bonine before a fishing charter? +
Bonine (meclizine) over Dramamine for most people — less drowsy, once-a-day dosing. Take it the night before your trip and again 30-60 minutes before leaving the dock. Talk to your doctor if you're on other medications. The scopolamine patch (Transderm Scop) is prescription and works great for multi-day trips but is overkill for a half-day reef run.
Do fishermen get seasick? +
Even experienced anglers get seasick if the conditions are bad enough, if they're hungover, or if they stare at their phone in the cabin. I've watched tournament pros get green on a rough day. The difference is they know how to manage it: they stay outside, they watch the horizon, they keep a Reliefband in the tackle box, and they don't let it ruin the trip.
What if I get seasick during the charter? +
Tell the mate immediately — don't tough it out silently. Get to the cockpit (fresh air, horizon view), sip water or ginger ale, and if you brought a Reliefband, put it on now. On the DirtyBoat we carry saltine crackers, ginger chews, and spare Reliefband units. If you're truly miserable, the captain can cut the trip short or head to calmer water inshore — your day shouldn't be a punishment.
Ready to Book?
Don't let seasickness be the reason you skip it. The 42' Liberty Express is one of the most stable boats out of Robbie's — and now you know the playbook.