Recommendations for Oriskany Boats?

[Rick Palm]

Can anyone recommend the best dive charter for the Oriskany?

Thanks for any suggestions.

[Squirrel Girl]

May I jump in this thread and ask an associated question? I was going to dive the O with some guys from work. But then I realized that I'd probably get violently seasick on the boat ride out.

Does anyone have any experience that suggests someone with a predilection to get seasick can actually make it on a boat? A really, really big boat maybe? A short lived knock-out drug so I can be passed out on the boat part, but perky for the dive??

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Rick - what do you want from a diveboat? Big boat, lots of room and people? Small, quick boat with a max of 6 people?

As for 6 packs, I usually go with Gary's Gulf Diver out of Orange Beach. If launching out of Penscaola, I'd go with Dr Dive or Y-Knot. I preffer 6 packs and quicker boat rides.

If you want more room, check with the H2O Below or Down Under, both run larger Newtons. Down Unders is bigger, if thats what you want.

[Rick Palm]

Thanks for the tips; they're just what I was looking for. Yeah, I like the big Newtons actually. To Squirrel Girl: For seasickness, I take 2 Dramamines 30 minutes before getting on the boat. Eat some crackers, and keep your head up on the boat ride, looking at the horizon. Also, try to get all your equipment on *before* the boat stops over the dive site. You do not want to be looking down at your feet, fiddling with your gear, as the boat rocks back and forth, and the diesel fumes roll over you. Geez, I get sick just thinking about it!

[sskasser]

Thanks for the tips; they're just what I was looking for. Yeah, I like the big Newtons actually. To Squirrel Girl: For seasickness, I take 2 Dramamines 30 minutes before getting on the boat. Eat some crackers, and keep your head up on the boat ride, looking at the horizon. Also, try to get all your equipment on *before* the boat stops over the dive site. You do not want to be looking down at your feet, fiddling with your gear, as the boat rocks back and forth, and the diesel fumes roll over you. Geez, I get sick just thinking about it!

Mega dittoes on that last part! The less time you spend looking at anything other than the horizon, the better!

Be sure the Dramamines are the "Less Drowsy" sort. I like TripTone, and it's never made me sleepy. I recommend my students take one dose the night before the dive, and another about an hour before the boat leaves the dock.

Marbry swears by ginger snaps and they seem to work for him.

Diet Coke is the elixir of life...maybe the fizzies or all the nasty chemicals, but it's also very "settling" to me.

And whatever you do...if you feel sick, DON'T GO IN THE HEAD!!!
:vom: :toimonster:

[Squirrel Girl]

Mega dittoes on that last part! The less time you spend looking at anything other than the horizon, the better!

Be sure the Dramamines are the "Less Drowsy" sort. I like TripTone, and it's never made me sleepy. I recommend my students take one dose the night before the dive, and another about an hour before the boat leaves the dock.

Marbry swears by ginger snaps and they seem to work for him.

Diet Coke is the elixir of life...maybe the fizzies or all the nasty chemicals, but it's also very "settling" to me.

And whatever you do...if you feel sick, DON'T GO IN THE HEAD!!!
:vom: :toimonster:

During grad school, I used to go on cruises on the R/V Cape Hatteras (I forgot if it's "Cape" or not in the boat name).

Every time, the first day steaming out to our research areas, I'd be sick. I'd lay in my bunk. Then, the next day I'd be fine and stay that way for the rest of the cruise except for a couple days on 1 cruise where the weather was bad. It didn't seem to make a difference if I were in my bunk or on deck. Looking at the horizon or eyes closed. In the end, lying in my bunk seemed best.

It seemed like I tried everything. 'Scope, ginger, accupressure. I used Meclazine which was a prescription back then. It seemed to be the best, though it didn't do so great, either. Now that it's OTC, it's the non-drowzy Dramamine. I think the only thing I didn't do was start taking it early, early, early and have my body dosed up ahead of time for a day or so.

Before that, I'd been on a little boat that took us out to a reef to snorkle on. Lemme tell you. I was "OK" moving to the reef. But anchored on the reef, swaying back and forth with the swell, *and* smelling the diesel.... urk. Green.

The problem with going out to the O is that you're stuck for what? 2-3 hours. THEN you have to dive, THEN you have to come back. If you don't do well, you (I) could honestly wish I were dead.

A few years ago I forgot to take any potions and took a small boat (diesel fumes) on glassy water in the San Juan Island in WA and got sick. We dumped the kayaks into the water and started paddling. I kept getting worse sick. It wasn't until we stopped for lunch, I laid down for about 15 minutes, then had something to eat, that I perked back up.

A doctor once said something that linked migraines and motion sickness. Since I'm plagued by both, I wonder if there is a connection.

[Slüdge]

I've been seasick three times, and it's been "just shoot me" every time. But I use Bonine, and I've NEVER been seasick while using it. It could be coincidence, or Bonine could be magic. (Working in a shop for fourteen years, I've been on a LOT of dive boats.)

On the other subject, the boats we use say singles=two dives; doubles=one dive. I don't want to go to 165' on a single, and I don't want to go that far to make one dive. Any advice?

I was thinking of trimix in a back mounted LP95 and EAN32 in a stage 80, plus a 30 O2. Twice. That should give me 30 minutes at 165', thirty at 80 - 100', and deco. Twice.

I just can't tell the captain what I'm doing. :yawinkle:

[Benthic]

<snip>
The problem with going out to the O is that you're stuck for what? 2-3 hours. THEN you have to dive, THEN you have to come back.
<snip>

Not if you choose the right boat. There are several six packs that can make the run in 60-70 minutes each way.

Brian

[Gene_Hobbs]

Here is a good chapter on motion sickness. (download chapter 35 (http://www.bordeninstitute.army.mil/published_volumes/harshEnv2/harshEnv2.html)) It is a pretty good review of techniques and the research surrounding them.

As for motion sickness and migraines, there is evidence that migraine sufferers are more susceptible to motion sickness than the general population. I have not seen any literature that says much more than there are many mechanism involved due to a lack of association between movement-induced and visually induced motion sickness.

As for motion sickness drugs under hyperbaric conditions, these might be worth review:
* Schwartz, HJC and Curley, MD (1986). "Transdermal Scopolamine in the Hyperbaric Environment". US Naval Experimental Diving Unit Technical Report NEDU-2-86. RRR ID: 3528 (http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/3528)
* Bitterman N, Eilender E, Melamed Y (May 1991). "Hyperbaric oxygen and scopolamine". Undersea Biomed Res 18 (3): 167–74. RRR ID: 2573 (http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/2573)
* Williams TH, Wilkinson AR, Davis FM, Frampton CM (March 1988). "Effects of transcutaneous scopolamine and depth on diver performance". Undersea Biomed Res 15 (2): 89–98. PMID 3363755. RRR ID: 2495 (http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/2495)
* Arieli R, Shupak A, Shachal B, Shenedrey A, Ertracht O, Rashkovan G (1999). "Effect of the anti-motion-sickness medication cinnarizine on central nervous system oxygen toxicity". Undersea Hyperb Med 26 (2): 105–9. PMID 10372430. RRR ID: 2307 (http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/2307)

Good luck!

[FW]

...Does anyone have any experience that suggests someone with a predilection to get seasick ...??
Yea, stay off boats. Caves are *much* friendlier :-)

[sandy]

I was thinking of trimix in a back mounted LP95 and EAN32 in a stage 80, plus a 30 O2. Twice. That should give me 30 minutes at 165', thirty at 80 - 100', and deco. Twice.

I just can't tell the captain what I'm doing. :yawinkle:

With this plan, you may get caught up in the captain's time limits. If it helps you, last summer during some non-deco dives, we had an hour for the first dive, an hour surface inteval, and then an hour for the second dive - basically three hours on site (without having my logbook to verify). I am sure each boat may be different though. However, if you can rent the boat with some buddies, you can probably pay to stay a little longer and get in two longer/deco dives. Good luck.

[Squirrel Girl]

Yea, stay off boats. Caves are *much* friendlier :-)

YEAH!!!! I think so too. And you don't have to worry about getting lost in the infinity of the water column. And there aren't sharks to eat you. *I* think caves are safer and friendlier, for the most part.

But I do mean to go on my doomsday dive(s) sometime. And I would have liked to go to the O with my marine and navy friends (they think I'm nuts for being a cave diver, but I know better).

I will look into the other stuff people have posted. But I have to get some work done today. Thanks for all the advice, everyone!!!

[SuPrBuGmAn]

On the other subject, the boats we use say singles=two dives; doubles=one dive. I don't want to go to 165' on a single, and I don't want to go that far to make one dive. Any advice?

Whats at 165' that you want to see? Flight Deck starts at damn near 150' now that she's settled a bit...

[Squirrel Girl]

Not if you choose the right boat. There are several six packs that can make the run in 60-70 minutes each way.

Brian

Even an hour when you're sick as a dog (THEN BACK) is no fun and would leave me non-functional.

One of my friends knows Navy guys who would take us out. I wouldn't have any choice in the boat. I think it would be drugs I could know ahead of time would save me or *don't go.*

[MORGAN]

...getting lost in the infinity of the water column.

Yeah - I know how you feel - the ocean sure is big! Most of my diving the last few years has been in caves - now when I dive in the ocean I feel vaguely uneasy to be surrounded by so much water with no friendly cave passage and line to tell me where I am and which way to go.

I don't usually get seasick or any other kind of motion sick - the two times I have been sick (once on a dive boat, once in a very small plane in mountain turbulence) both had a common factor - a large and greasy breakfast. Once I got the offending substances out of my stomach I felt much better. Now if I'm going to be on a boat or in the air I just have tea and toast for breakfast.

Mike

[Me]

I was discharged from the Coast Guard for seasickness.....nothing, absolutely nothing works for me. I know, because they wouldn't let me out until they tried everything. The older I get, the worse it gets too.

I simply have to pick my dive spots wisely, and sometimes take my consequences.

So far I've passed up on the Graveyard of the Atlantic, the Big O, the Kona Manta dive, and the Kona Deepwater dive. My list will continue to grow, I am sure.

That's why I took up cave diving initially.....they don't "rock". (no pun intended)

[OFG-1]

Does anyone have any experience that suggests someone with a predilection to get seasick can actually make it on a boat?

Well, your dietary intake can influance your seasickness. Eat something soothing, like ravioli or sardines, perhaps some creamed peas or a nice slice of spam. Vienna Sausages also work well.

Cheers, and say hello to Ralph, ask about his new Buick.

ps - I agree with Forrest
cave dive

[Slüdge]

basically three hours on site

That's my point. With what you pay for a boat ticket, they should stay at the site at least five hours.

[rkij]

I get terribly sea sick when I dive from boats. I have started to take Ginger about a week before the trip and that has worked the last couple times. Hope you find something that works and best of luck.

[NorthWoodsDiver]

I cant say anything based on personal experience but 2 local guys had some bad things to say about their experience with an operation called H2OBelow. I'll never know exactly what happened to piss these guys off but they wrote off that dive charter and til this day if you bring up diving the O they start complaining...

[SuPrBuGmAn]

H20 Below is generally crewed by a great set of people and I have had good experiences on that boat. I don't use it often, I don't like the big Newton's due to their speed and the additional people they usually carry. Most people really like that boat, and the crew. I just preffer the 6 packs.

[NorthWoodsDiver]

These divers complained about how strict they were, I guess dive times and max depth were controlled and the crew required dive computers which they inspected after each dive to see if you obeyed the rules. They got kicked off the boat from what I understand because they dove to 135ft. 1 diver was TDI advanced nitrox/deco certified and the other was nitrox certified. I have no idea what mixes they were using (if any).

just to clarify I have no personal experience with the boats or crew and am only relaying other divers claims.

I would still probably try out the boat if the opportunity came up but I control my dives not some crew...

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I'd be pissed if that happened to me. I haven't heard of them dictating dives like that, perhaps thats a new thing to keep OW divers from diving to deeply since the flight deck is beyond recreational limits now? Either way, if that was the case, I'd be pissed as well.

I DO know if you want to make a technical dive on the Oriskany, you'll want to arrange it with the boat(no matter which boat you use) first.

[NorthWoodsDiver]

http://www.ussoriskanydiver.com/

kinda kills me when it says: divers should not attempt to enter the ship at any point!

and they charge quite a bit for "technical" dives.

[gulfdiver]

We will take 6 tec divers with one set of tanks (You can do one long tec dive and one shorter dive on the leftover gas for the second dive) OR 4 tec divers with two sets of tanks each.
Our Boat Cost is $900.
Total trip time usually runs about 7 hours, 1 &1/2 out and about 4 on site then 1&1/2 back. We don't split hairs about time but if You want a hour or two longer trip we will work out a fair price.