Hookah Diving and Motion Sickness

[Jd1]

I am gradually working my way up to a hookah system for boat maintenance. I recently bought goggles and fins and had an opportunity to try them out. My problem is that after maybe half an hour or less of diving, I get very nauseous ..... I had this happening when I was diving without the goggles but somehow thought that maybe a better view (goggles) would fix that. Just snorkeling and watching the world go by below me is fine.
My next step up is the actual hookah unit and because of the cost involved I figured I better ask .... what are the chances of the motion sickness not happening with the full hookah setup ????
When free diving, there is obviously a lot of up and down motion as well as inverted diving while under the boat etc etc and I am thinking that this might be my problem. I am hoping that with the hookah and proper weights I would stay more or less vertical and of course there isn't the constant need to surface for air. I am hoping (but am unsure of) that this might fix things because otherwise the whole hookah concept would be useless for me as it takes the better part of two to three hours to recover from the motion sickness ......

Thoughts ????

[a64pilot]

How cool is the water your diving in?


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[Jd1]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

How cool is the water your diving in?

16C to 21C depending on location during the summer, I haven't got a wet suit yet

[a64pilot]

Sorry I'm not sure how cool 16c is. When I first started spring diving I would get sick to my stomach. Took a while to figure out what was going on but I theorize that cold water in my inner ear was what was doing it. Reason is once I started wearing a hood my nausea stopped. Be say to try ear plugs to see if that makes any difference


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[Kenomac]

Before you buy and use a hookah system, you REALLY NEED to get the proper dive training from a scuba school, or you could die. Which is much worse than being nauseous.... Although it does cure it.

Take a one day introductory PADI course at a local dive shop, and see how it works out. It will answer your question.

[Suijin]

If all you have been doing is snorkeling, and you're getting nauseated, that does not bode well for going deeper, which can be more disorienting since you don't have the surface and horizon for reference. I guess it all depends on what factor is causing you a problem. Snorkeling in rough water where you get bobbed around can certainly be an issue, while going deeper just a few feet it's dramatically calmer.

I'll echo Kenomac's advice. At the very least take the PADI basic course which teaches you a range of safety and equipment stuff that is important to your well being.

The number of hookah accidents, as a percentage of users, is much higher than in scuba for the simple fact you can jump in the water with no training. You get users who when their air quits surface from 10' down with full lungs and don't exhale...not good.

[motion30]

I sometimes get sick while cleaning my bottom. I don't seem to have a problem while just snorkeling for fun

[Jd1]

Originally Posted by Suijin

If all you have been doing is snorkeling, and you're getting nauseated, that does not bode well for going deeper, which can be more disorienting since you don't have the surface and horizon for reference..

Just snorkeling was fine, it's just when I was diving to clean the boat bottom that things started to go wonky.

BTW, I do plan on taking a dive course at a later date (one step at a time) before I start diving for other stuff than cleaning the boat hull. I am aware of the basic safety procedures but wish to improve on that as there are many ways to put a dent in the enjoyment with small errors. I think I am ok diving 3 or 4 feet without a PADI course though.

[Canibul]

Strange to hear this. For many, getting under the surface swell is the second best way to cure sea sickness.

The best way is to sit under a tree for half an hour.

[cabo_sailor]

I heartily agree with those recommending a class in using the hooka. Local dive shops here in FL have such specialty courses for a lot less money than the hooka or a funeral.

I have a Brownie Third Lung hooka but I also have a PADI Advanced open water dive certification. I won't even loan my hooka, or dive gear, to anyone uncertified. Besides a trained dive instructor may be able to get to the root of your nausea problem. I must admit in my own experience people experiencing sea sickness seem to get better, not worse, once they get in the water.

Good luck, be safe

Rich

p.s. When I was first certified in 1974 there was a young cadet at the Air Force Academy that died of an embolism in roughly 3 foot of water while learning to scuba dive. He panicked, inhaled a lungful of air, and stood up.

[jwing]

I think it has to do with bobbing at a different rate than the object of your focus which is a boat that is also bobbing. While snorkeling, the view is predominantly the stationary bottom, even if you are bobbing on the surface and focusing on moving fish.

[a64pilot]

If your going to breathe compressed gas from whatever source, take the class.
Even shallow depths can give problems.
But, cheap dime store swimming ear plugs can at least eliminate water in the ear from being your problem just snorkeling

[a64pilot]

FWIW, I was getting sick feeling in 22c water. (North Fl springs)

[Jd1]

Originally Posted by jwing

I think it has to do with bobbing at a different rate than the object of your focus which is a boat that is also bobbing. While snorkeling, the view is predominantly the stationary bottom, even if you are bobbing on the surface and focusing on moving fish.

Very interesting thought .... makes sense!
I wonder if any of the traditional sea sickness medication would be able to cure the issue without impeding the mental and physical requirements of diving. Boat cleaning might only happen twice a year (if that) although a complete bottom clean might take two or three dives for me due to age and physical ability.

I will use ear plugs as well for my next attempt just to eliminate that possibility although snorkeling with the occasional dive to the bottom did not cause symptoms (might not have done that long enough for symptoms to show though)

[kentobin]

In the San Francisco Bay area I always wear a wet suit and you need weights to achieve some semblance of neutral buoyancy or you can't stay down. Make sure you have fins to aid in moving or even staying in one place and wear gloves. Any current at all will move you around.

The water here is rather murky with visibility of maybe 18 inches with enough light. After a while I can become disoriented as to which way is up. I have to find my air bubbles and follow them up even though I'm usually not more than 6 feet down. I thought looking for the brightest light source would help find the surface but the particulates in the water diffuse the light enough so I can't use it as an aid to navigation. I've personally never had a problem with nausea but not knowing which way is up, until I find my air bubbles, can become a little unnerving when I want to surface.

Another issue I've had is sinus infections from dirty water in the marina. Possibly high bacteria count from people illegally flushing out their holding tanks. Needed to see a doctor for antibiotics. I've looked into a full face mask. They sell them on Amazon for around $80 if I remember correctly. You have to fit your own regulator in them.

I've never had ear fungus or ear infection but I always flush my ears out with isopropyl alcohol with a cue tip after a dive. I think some people recommend a solution with boric acid but I've never tried that.

I'm 60 something and take breaks. Usually 2-3 drives to finish the bottom of a 37 foot full keel cutter.

Hope I haven't rambled on to much.

Enjoy. :-)