Is the Drake Passage rough? What to expect on the crossing

Passage · Southern Ocean · Reputation among passengers: among the roughest stretches of water crossed by passenger ships.

No land to stop wind, swell or current

Why the Drake Passage gets rough

Between Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands there is no continental land in the way. South America has ended and Antarctica has not yet begun, so the Antarctic Circumpolar Current runs right round the globe unobstructed, moving on the order of 170 million cubic metres of water a second through this gap, the largest transport of any current on Earth. The same band of latitude carries the Roaring Forties and Furious Fifties. Wind and current arrive having circled the planet with nothing to slow them.

When it's worst, month by month

The expedition season runs from about late October to March. December and January are commonly reported as offering the best chance of a settled passage, while the shoulder months at each end tend to be less reliable. Outside the season the passage is at its worst, but no passenger ships are crossing then. Within the season, luck matters more than the calendar.

Where to be on board

Going on the Drake Passage? Set it up first

Whatever the forecast says on the day, you want the option already on your phone rather than a thing you go looking for at the rail. Dizzout is a drug-free app that plays precisely calibrated audio through any headphones you already own, wired or Bluetooth, with relief in about 90 seconds. Free to try.

Before you need it: find out how prone you are

Take the free 2-minute test

Two minutes, no sign-up, and it ends with a drug-free plan to prepare.

Put it on your phone before you go

Try it free

Free to try, no card needed. Or go straight to the App Store or Google Play.

Try 15 seconds in your browser first

Scan to open on your phone

On a computer? Dizzout installs on your phone. Scan the code, or open dizzout.com/get on your phone and it'll take you straight to the right store.

Copy dizzout.com/get

Share this page

The crossings that cross it

What helps on this crossing

• The first evening out of Ushuaia is sheltered Beagle Channel water. Eat properly and settle in then, before the ship reaches open sea overnight.
• Consider a fly-cruise itinerary. Flying between Punta Arenas and King George Island takes about two hours and removes the sea crossing entirely.
• Some operators sell a one-way fly option, so you cross once by sea and fly the other leg. Worth asking about if the return worries you.
• Expedition ships are small and move a lot. Ask about a cabin's deck and position rather than its view when you book.
• The passage is crossed twice, out and back. Whatever routine works southbound, repeat it, because the return is the same water in reverse.
• Stairs and corridors get genuinely difficult in a shake. Ships fit handrails everywhere for a reason; move between fixed points rather than walking freely.

For the full toolkit see the seasickness guide, or what to do once it has already started. For what the trials actually say about the oldest trick on that list, see the verdict on looking at the horizon. If the rocking follows you ashore afterwards, that is land sickness, which is normal, and it passes.

Frequently asked questions

Sea conditions described here are typical patterns drawn from published marine and operator information as of July 2026, not a forecast: conditions on any given sailing depend on the weather that day, and any month can deliver a calm crossing or a bad one. Route and operator names are trademarks of their respective owners; Dizzout is not affiliated with or endorsed by them. Seasickness sensitivity varies from person to person; this page is informational and not medical advice.