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An angler working a fish in flat grey overcast conditions with almost no swell.

Guide

Seasickness on a Cape Town charter, and how to avoid it

How do you avoid getting seasick on a fishing charter?

Take a non-drowsy antihistamine the night before and again ninety minutes before departure, eat a light breakfast, stay on deck looking at the horizon, and stay hydrated. Taking medication once you already feel ill does not work.

4 minute read · Updated

Why does it happen offshore specifically?

Motion sickness comes from a mismatch between what your inner ear senses and what your eyes see. On a boat working a swell, the ear registers constant motion while the eyes — fixed on a deck, a phone or a tackle box — register a stable scene. The brain resolves the conflict badly.

Offshore charters make this worse in three ways: the run out is long, the boat holds station in a swell rather than moving through it, and there is usually a period of doing nothing while the crew rigs. The Cape adds a fourth: the south-easter builds through the day, so the trip home is often lumpier than the trip out.

What actually works

In order of how much difference it makes:

  • Medication, taken early. A non-drowsy antihistamine the night before and again ninety minutes before departure. Taken after symptoms start, it does almost nothing — the stomach has already stopped absorbing.
  • Stay on deck. The cabin is the worst place on the boat. Fresh air and a horizon line resolve the sensory conflict.
  • Look at the horizon, not at the deck. No phones, no reading, no rigging traces if you are already feeling it.
  • Eat something bland beforehand. An empty stomach is worse than a light one. Skip alcohol the night before and coffee the morning of.
  • Stay hydrated. Dehydration amplifies everything.
  • Stand near the centre of the boat, where the pitch and roll are least.

What to do if it starts anyway

Tell the crew early rather than late. There is a great deal they can do at the first sign and very little once you are past it — they can reposition the boat relative to the swell, get you to the best spot on deck, and adjust the plan.

Stay outside, keep your eyes on the horizon, and keep sipping water. It usually passes within thirty to forty minutes once your inner ear adapts. Most people who are sick early in the day fish normally by mid-morning.

Which trip should you book if you are worried?

The inshore trip or a coastal cruise. Both are shorter, both stay closer in, and neither involves holding station in an offshore swell for hours. If you have never been offshore and are unsure how you will handle it, a five-hour inshore day first is a reasonable way to find out.

Still unsure?

Ask directly. Garreth answers these questions every week and will tell you if a trip is wrong for you.

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Questions

What is the best seasickness tablet for a fishing charter?

Any non-drowsy antihistamine taken the night before and again ninety minutes before departure. The timing matters far more than the brand — medication taken after symptoms start is largely ineffective.

Does everyone get seasick offshore?

No. Most people are fine, and most of those who do feel ill recover within half an hour and fish normally for the rest of the day.

Is an inshore trip easier than an offshore charter?

Considerably. Six to eight hours close in rather than nine to twelve holding station in an offshore swell.

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