Depth / Nitrogen Narcosis

[JimC]

Originally posted by MikeFerrara
I wonder...
Are people narced at the surface?
Would my son get better grades on trimix?
Would the idiots on the road this morning have behaved more rationally on trimix?
Ever notice the deer in the headlights look on the faces of most divers at 30 feet? Maybe helium would solve more problems than we realize.

Interesting. I wonder if using 100% O2 would help even more? Sounds like something you could actualy test.

 

[Amanda]

What ??? Is that a joke or is my english so bad I don't get the point of those two last posts ?

Could you make that a bit clearer ?? Pleaaaaaaase...

 

[JimC]

The idea is that you are always under some sort of imparment from PP of Nitrogen present in our atmosphere. Since, as the PP increases narcosis increases, it stands to reason that the 0.8 bar PP of Nitrogen present at sea level impares our jugment some what. In essence we are always narced a bit.

Breating pure o2 or some sort of mix would theoreticaly reduce that imparment.

 

[-=>Larry<=-]

So I marked 40M - ugly perception narrowing & vertigo.

On the other hand I've been at that depth and below at other places & times with no issues at all - i.e. - just the comfortable, slow kind of stuff. I think the right attitude is to consider yourself impared if you're underwater at all!

 

[landlocked]

Originally posted by Amanda
What ??? Is that a joke or is my english so bad I don't get the point of those two last posts ?

Could you make that a bit clearer ?? Pleaaaaaaase...

It is called sarcasm. Hard to understand if your not born to it. Basically if it is too stupid to be true then it is funny. Example: On a really hot, hot day someone says "sure is a lovely cool day isn't it? The example isn't really funny but is definately sacastic.

In Mike's case, he was using sarcasm to make a contempory statement about why people sometimes act stupid with perhaps a twisted second meaning on "we are always narced?" Anyway, it actually was kind of funny. JimC then took the idea to a "geeky" (sorry Jim) entertainment "what if" level. English speaking people often forget that sarcasm isn't universal. Hope that helps.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Yes there was some sarcasm in my post. However, narcosis doesn't just instantly start at some majic depth. If dive skills are lacking, avoiding "narcotic" depths isn't enough and impairment is at an unacceptable level as soon as you enter the water..

 

[The Chairman]

Walter and Mike Ferrara are spot on... Also what UP said as well.

I know how much I am narced because of my old shoulder injury. I am in constant pain, until I descend below 60fsw and I really feel no pain below 100fsw! If it weren't for that I may not have noticed. I solve math problems with few mistakes and fair speed at 130fsw, and was aware enough to save a buddy well below that mark. He completely blanked and his first words on the boat... were "I didn't feel a thing!" He never ever knew he was narced, and I will never ever do another dive below 60fsw with him either. Just not safe!

 

[Amanda]

I understand what you mean about sarcasm... (and I definitely know what it is !) In French I use it a lot, but I have trouble with humour in foreign languages, and especially english - you people are soooooo strange !

Thanks for all your replies !

 

[MikeFerrara]

Amanda,
Strange compared to what? Is that bad?

 

[Spectre]

... to whomever edited so I would have something to vote!