Gathering your ‘sea legs’: Extended durations in an offshore environment increases postural sway excursions

•Balance was tested before and 10 min after a 7-h deep sea fishing excursion.•No changes in postural sway were observed in the eyes open condition.•Postural sway increased after disembarking in challenging sensory conditions.•Exposure to boat motion at sea impairs sensory re-organization to maintain balance. Mal de debarquement (MdD), or often called ‘sea legs’, is the perception of self-motion after exposure to passive movement such as being on a boat at sea. Previous studies highlight sensory re-organization difficulties and postural control impairments after disembarking from sea travel in experienced crew members. However, the impact of MdD in individuals with minimal offshore experience, defined as participating in less than 2 offshore excursions per year, has not been investigated. Does exposure to boat motion while at sea alter static postural control after disembarking in individuals with minimal offshore experience? Healthy adults (n = 24) with minimal offshore experience had their static balance assessed on a force platform before (PRE) and after (POST) a 7-h deep sea fishing excursion. Static balance was tested in eyes open (EO), eyes closed (EC), eyes open on a foam surface (EOF), and eyes closed on a foam surface (ECF) conditions. Sway excursions, sway velocity and sway variability in the medial-lateral (ML) and anterior-posterior (AP) directions were computed and then compared PRE/POST using a paired t-test (p