would a Kauai airplane tour be better for motion sickness?
 

We are traveling to Kauai in March with our 3 children. My husband really wants to see Kauai by air, yet I get so motion sick that I am considering not joining them. Has anyone who experiences motion sickness tried the plane ride (like Air Ventures) and found it less nauseating....I would like to see the Na Pali coast ....What is the down side of an airplane vs a helicopter? Thanks so much!

Any airborne vehicle moves in three dimensions and is subject to updrafts and downdrafts...doesn't make a bit of difference if it is fixed-wing or rotorcraft. On an overcast day, with no heating of the terrain to cause rising air currents, there should be little movement; on those days when you fly from sun-lit to shadowed, there will be vertical air currents. Their strength is pretty much determined by the stability of the air mass.

Which is a long way of saying "It doesn't make any difference in the long run."

As an alternative you can drive to Kokee (just past Waimea Canyon) and view the NaPali coastline from the lookout. That is, if you don't get carsick. You can also drive out to Haena and hike up the trail where you can see NaPali but it's a bit more strenuous.

I get motion sickness too; we took Dramamine and wore Sea Bands and didn't have any problems with the helicopter; our ride was pretty smooth. I would think a small plane and a helicopter would be fairly similar. I hope you get the chance to do it because we really loved it.

We took a helicopter tour about 6 years ago and loved it! I also suffer from motion sickness but took some gravol before we started and felt fine. The only trouble I had was when the pilot took us down into a volcano, a little too much movement for me. The nice thing about our helicopter ride was that everyone had a good view. It carried 3 couples and the smaller people were put at the windows. I have never done a boat tour for fear of getting sick but would take another helicopter ride. Hope you have a great time we are off to Hawaii in March ourselves.

I get severe motion sickness and was able to take a helicopter tour with no problems. I have been told that the best way to ward off motion sickness is to start taking dramamine the night before. I took regular dramamine the night before and non-drowsy the morning of. I was fine! I did get extreme motion sickness during a long snorkling trip...hadn't realized I would have a problem. Short snorkling sessions seem to be okay. Hope that helps!

Another vote for Sea Bands- they're just as effective in preventing motion sickness on flights as they are on boats.

Bloom

There really is a difference in a helicopter and airplane flight. The helicopter rides we have taken are much smoother than any plane I have been in. You also get a better tour of some great areas on the island in a helicopter. I have flown with Inter Island Helicopters in Kauai twice and they are fantastic. Ask for Luka as your pilot. They have a package that takes you for a tour of the island and then lands at a remote waterfall for swimming and lunch. They fly the Hughes 500 which allows everyone a view. They are also part of Kauai's Search and Rescue Team so you know they are a safe company. (http://www.interislandhelicopters.com/about.htm).