Know what to do before you go offshore fishing

What was supposed to be a relaxing day on the ocean turned out to be the day from hell. This day started out at 5:30 am when my alarm clock went off and I sprang into life. Anyone will tell you that I never "spring into life" before 9 am in the morning. Yes, I may be physically at work at this time but that does not mean there are signs of life nor is there a spring in my step. I arrived at Shem Creek to meet an friend who invited me to go out for an off shore fishing expedition.

The act of actually meeting with my friend was the only nice thing that happened during this 12 hour fiasco. The tickets were purchased and the boat captain gave out his instructions which included directing our attention to a white piece of paper with some instructions on it. The first sentence thanked us for booking our seat on the Thunderstar for a "relaxing day on the ocean". I keep coming back to that statement because something went horribly wrong which means that relaxing day on the ocean which lasted 12 hours wound up being the most miserable day I have had in a very long time. I must state for the record that neither the captain of the Thunderstar nor the crew or company is directly responsible for how my day turned out.

I have always heard that 20/20 vision always happens after the fact and true to form I now have some 20/20 advice for those of you that might consider a relaxing day on the ocean. The first thing you should do before you agree to going on the boat trip is to inform the inviter that you would love to enjoy a relaxing day on the ocean but that you can not commit to attending this function until you review the weather reports the evening before and on the morning of the event. Last night I thought of the possibility of getting sick and wanted to chicken out of the event but to save face and not to offend my friend I accepted the offer. The only thing I forgot to do was to review the weather reports.

The second thing that I would like to share about this fishing expedition is that it is important to wear the proper clothing to fit the weather at the time of your departure. Today was humid and raining slightly. I showed up at the marina in shorts a t-shirt and tennis shoes. The problem is that I assumed (remember I forgot to watch the weather report earlier) that the rain was only going to be onshore and that after we arrived at our destination the sun would come out to greet us and the rain would stop. Not only did the rain not stop it got worse as the day progressed and the winds kicked up making the temperature cooler and the waves higher. I think my friend made the same assumption because when I asked him if I should bring my rain coat he told me that he thought it would be unnecessary.

The third thing I would like to share about my lack of being informed about this event is that it is very important to link the current weather conditions at the departure site and the destination with how the boat ride could be affected. Because I misjudged the weather I found myself sitting on the boat in the passenger cabin having my teeth rattling in my head. Not only was the boat ride very rough but the cabin was freezing cold. So, I was able to enjoy the cold, the boat smashing through high waves dislocating my stomach every time it hit bottom and my teeth rattling around in my head. I think that we saw several 8 and 12 foot waves both on our way to our fishing hole but also coming back. Imagine yourself sitting in a tin can and projecting yourself at 25 miles per hour over the top of one of those waves and crashing into the trough at the bottom over and over again for the 3 hour boat ride.

The fourth thing that I would like to share with you is that the ingredients listed above will make for a very difficult and uncomfortable boat ride. I also would remind you that there are two different types of folks that will be with you on this expedition. There were the regulars who were not affected whatsoever by the weather or the boat ride and there were people like me who were green around the gills thanks to the sea sickness that set in immediately. To their credit the boat mates walked around and gave those of us that were sick some advice on how to overcome sea sickness and they did it in such a way that we did not feel like children or idiots. Some of the regulars on the other hand felt it necessary to sit around and mimic the sound affects of those folks who were having a hard time keeping anything in their stomachs.

This is my third trip on an offshore fishing expedition in the last six years. The last two were very enjoyable but that is because the weather was much nicer. Since I was a newbie at this sort of thing my stomach was still queasy but I managed to keep it under control. To me the lesson that needs to be learned here is that just because you can pay for the boat ride does not mean that you should not do your homework. There are lots of things that need to be considered before you engage in this type of activity.

In summary do the following things in preparation

1. Check the weather forecast for onshore and offshore before you go to sleep
   
2. Check the weather in the morning for onshore and offshore before you leave for the marina
   
3. Take rain gear , warm ups, shorts and a change of clothes if you don't want to stay wet and miserable on the ride back in to shore
   
4. Take Dramamine before you get on the boat
   
5. Try to get outside and put your eyes on the horizon when at all possible to help with the queasiness
   
6. Verify for yourself where the life rafts and life jackets are located and ask a boat mate if need be. Don't just assume that someone else has loaded them on the boat. The last surprise anyone needs is when there is an emergency and there is not enough gear on board.