SoCalBirding.com

A Recipe For Fun On Your Pelagic Adventure

Get a good night's sleep.   Consume little or no alcohol the evening before a morning departure.

BBB = a bland boring breakfast.   Eat a filling but bland, non-spicy, non-greasy breakfast like fruit, toast, pancakes, hard-boiled eggs, cereal, oatmeal, yogurt.  Experts recommend against having a Denny's Grand Slam.

Pack warm gear.  It can be very cold at sea, especially on a windy day under a heavy marine layer.  Don’t select your apparel based on the fact that the weatherman calls for “warm and sunny” in Escondido.  Often the weather at the Cortez Bank (or even the Nine-mile bank) is much different than that on land. 

Dress warmly, in layers.  Bring extra clothing and raingear "just in case."  Wear shoes or boots with soft “sticky” soles for good traction on wet decks.   Many bring gloves, raingear (including rain pants), a warm wool cap and a hat for sun.  There is no predicting what the weather will be like at sea – it can be cold and windy in mid-summer or a broiling 80 degrees in autumn.  Dress in layers.  Better to have and not want, than to want and not have.

Leave early.  Allow yourself plenty of time for traffic, finding the landing, finding parking, obtaining your boarding pass, hauling your gear from your car to the boat, presenting identification and passing through security (you must have a driver's license or passport to board charter boats in San Diego).   Pelagic charters board 15 - 30 minutes prior to departure, depart on time and do not make on-time passengers wait for late ones.   Arrive 45 minutes to an hour prior to departure.  You’ll be glad you did. 

What To Bring...  

BINOCULARS  Most people prefer 7 or 8 power binoculars while on a boat.

CAMERA   You have not lived until you’ve tried photographing a storm-petrel. 

YOUR FAVORITE FIELD GUIDE  Notebook.  Pen. 

SUN PROTECTION  Sunblock.  Lip protection.  Sunglasses.  Visored hat.

SNACKS  Bring your favorite non-greasy snacks.  Pretzels, saltines, bagels, Wheat Thins, ginger snaps or Triscuits are favored by many to keep stomachs settled.  All SoCal Pelagic Charter boats (with the exception of the Dana Point trips on Sea Explorer) are equipped with a full galley for beverages, meals and snacks, and/or you may bring sandwiches and snacks aboard.   

CASH for coffee, snacks and meals.  We are often asked for gratuity guidelines for the boat's crew--10% of the trip cost is the usual range.  The leaders are happy with a pat on the back and a sincere thank you.   

DON'T BRING umbrellas, ponchos or other billowy rain gear because they act as sails, flinging water on everybody around you.

On The Boat

HAVE FUN:  Our goal is to help you have fun, see lots of seabirds and understand the birds you see.  To that end, experienced pelagic leaders will be stationed around the boat.   They are on board for one reason: to help you see birds.  Please ask them lots of questions.  This is your opportunity to tap their knowledge and increase your knowledge of seabirds.

BACKPACKS:  Please don’t wear a backpack on the boat because it makes it very difficult for others to maneuver around you.   

MOTION WELLNESS - AND NOT:  If you have a motion-pill or a patch, take it BEFORE departure.  If you wait until you feel queasy, it’s too late.  If you find that you must offer up your breakfast to the chum-gods, please do so on the stern, at the very back of the boat, over the back rail.   Never get sick in the head (restroom) as it makes everybody else who uses the head sick, too.  If you have an "accident" please report it immediately to any member of the crew (see below for motion wellness tips).

BIRD LOCATIONS : We use the “clock” method of describing the location of birds.  The bow (front) of the boat is 12 o’clock.  The starboard (right) side of the boat is 3 o’clock.  The stern (back) of the boat is 6 o’clock, and so on.  We’ll also call out if the bird is low to the water, how distant it is, and the direction it’s flying.  The more you can incorporate this description into your sighting, the faster a leader will help you identify the bird.  For example:  “There’s a small dark bird on the water at 8 o’clock at about 100 yards!” will help everyone know where to look.  Or, “White bird at 4 o’clock flying right about 200 yards from the boat at the horizon!” 

IF YOU SEE A BIRD OR MAMMAL you don’t recognize, call it out!  Call loudly.  A leader will help with an I.D.  Not only will you learn, others around you will benefit.  If you spot what turns out to be a rare bird or mammal, the leader will radio the sighting to the bridge so it can be announced over the P.A. system and everybody on the boat benefits. 

COURSE ALTERATIONS:   Conditions alter the route of every trip.  The captain may alter the course in high seas to make the ride more pleasant, thereby altering our ultimate destination.  We often change course for water temperature breaks, signs of submarine life and significant sightings such as whales, feeding frenzies or other spectacular events than can only be seen at sea.  The captain will communicate with other fishing captains to learn where life zones currently are located.  The captain and the leaders combine skills to find and get us on birds.  Since weather, sea and current conditions change from hour to hour, we cannot guarantee that we will absolutely be at any one area at a given time, if at all.  

Most pelagic trips are planned 6 to 10 months in advance.  The itinerary posted in the original trip description is our best guess as to where we will look for birds, but is subject to change depending bird populations.  In the event that unusual or unanticipated species are seen or known about prior the trip, the itinerary will be altered in an effort to record the highest and most diverse species list for all participants.

Constant motion is part of the magic of being at sea.  For some, it’s the ultimate form of mediation.  It puts other to sleep.  Still others may get a bit queasy.  Here are some suggestions to increase your chances of feeling great the entire trip.

Most importantly, get a good night’s sleep.  Avoid alcohol the night before.  Board the boat with a full stomach, the less greasy and more bland your breakfast, the better.  Avoid perfume and cologne. 

THE #1 SOLUTION THAT SEEMS TO WORK FOR EVERYONE:  RELIEF BAND:  There is one device that actually works.  Captain Matt of the Condor Express and Debi Shearwater in Monterey have never seen anyone using this electronic device get seasick.  In fact, Captain Matt tells of a guest who had a bout of motion sickness, put one of these on and was just fine in 10 minutes.  Relief Band has excellent reviews on Amazon.com, too. 

MEDICATION:  Take motion medication, and take it at least an hour or two before getting on the boat.  Scopolamine works for many. I personally use the 6-8 hour protection Scopace tablets for day trips, and the 3-day Transderm Scop patch (“The Patch”) for long range trips.  Both are available by prescription from your family doctor.  I just call my doctor and he phones a prescription to the pharmacy. 

Over-the-counter Bonine proves effective for many when starting it 24 hours before the trip.  Consult your pharmacist (or google?) about this procedure.  Following is what one participant wrote me about her experience with Bonine:  "I have had a terrible time with motion sickness and have tried everything. I read about Bonine 24 hour slow release. You take it the day before the trip and take it continually until you get off. I did this and it worked.  I took it before going to bed and I never once felt sick the entire day. God Bless 24 hour slow release Bonine."

Dramamine and Merizine are the old standbys.  They both work quickly but may cause drowsiness.  Some folks wear wrist bracelets, others swear by antacids like Tums or Pepto-Bismol before and during the trip, but my observation is that the drugs seem to work best. 

OKAY, SO YOU'VE TAKEN YOUR PILL OR PUT ON YOUR PATCH.  WHAT ELSE?

While on the boat, stay above deck, in the fresh, open air.  Stay out of diesel fumes.  Focus on breathing the clean fresh air and enjoying the ride.  Stay alert and active,  searching for birds. Don't think about sea sickness, and don’t talk about it.  Much of feeling great out there is psychological, so don’t dwell on how odd you might feel. 

Constantly nibble away on your supply of saltines, pretzels, wheat thins, bagels or ginger snaps.  Sip water or a carbonated beverage.  Many seabirders swear by "hard" peppermint candy or peppermint gum to keep gremlins at bay.