Seasickness

Advice
#1

Thanks for reading…I love kayaking but get sea sick quickly



To the point, I am loking to buy a kayak…last weekend at a padle/demo day…



DIDN’T LIKE:

Perception 15.5 = instant sea sick (boat very rocky)

Cape Horn 15.5 = instant sea sick (boat very rocky)



LIKED:

Manatou 14 = perfect but not a lot of room, very stable and no sea sickness

Tsunami 14.5 = perfect but not a lot of room, very stable and no sea sickness.



Questions are…

  1. Why are the 14" boats more stable than the 15.5, when it comes to riding the waves?


  2. Is there such thing as a stable boat for bigger guys? I like the style of the Tsunami 14.5 but 3 more inches for me to stretch out my legs with out hitting the foam for the forward compartment would be great. I am 6"2’ with long legs.



    Any thoughts are greatly appreciated…I so much would like to find a kayak.



    Thanks,



    Joe in MD
#2

a couple of tips
I don’t know too much about kayak design. I have learned a bit about motion sickness.



Try natural ginger - it comes chocolate coated and crystalized, so is kinda sweet.



Keep your eyes on the horizon, or some other fixed point.



Drink lots of water - “overhydrate” I don’t know why this one works, but it seems too.



Avoid following seas, especially from an angle. It helps to see what you are riding.



Good luck. Seasickness is frustrating.

#3

Boat options
If you are looking for a true sea boat, at 6’2" you may want to look at longer boat models. For example, the Cape Horn 17 is a larger volume boat than the 15. Most mfg. have high volume boats at 17ft.+ with 24"ish beam width. Will probably be your best option for a non-twitchy, initially stable sea kayak.



The sea sickness thing is another issue. Coditions can change at any time and may put you in a bad spot. There is nothing wrong with a rec. kayak as long as you wear the PFD, dress for the water, insure boat has proper floatation, etc… They tend to be big, flat and stable but are not designed for sea conditions. The sea sickness may lock you into being a tame water, fair weather paddler. Rec. boat might be a good option in this case.



Welcome to the sport and I am sure as you get more experience you will have a better assesment of the go/no-go of your paddling.



Final word - try alot of boats before you buy …

#4

stability

– Last Updated: May-18-06 10:42 AM EST –

Were the shorter boats wider than the longer boats, or had flatter bottoms? That's often the case.

Experienced kayakers often don't want a boat that's too stable -- they like being able to edge and lean easily. Straight upright is just one of many possible orientations in the water...

#5

My two cents worth
Some of my earliest recollections of travel involve motion sickness. In fact, when I was a teen ager, I actually got motion sick on a bicycle! When I started kayaking, I carried stuff like ginger capsules and transdermal scopolomine patches; but in a kayak I have never needed anything for motion sickness - I’m too busy (mind over matter?).



At any rate, I second the advice to (1) get a longer boat (17’) and (2) try many boats before you buy anything.

#6

anxiety
I suggest renting for awhile and figure out the problem so you aren’t blaming the boat.