Nitrogen Narcosis.

Tekk Diver · Sep 30, 2003

After reading a few interesting threads on nitrogen narcosis, I've become curious.

Have you, or have you not, felt the effects of nitrogen narcosis?Yes or No.

(Post a reply with the depth at which you don't exceed, because of narcosis.)

Personally, I haven't been to a depth yet.. that has made me feel uncomfortable and unsafe enough to abort the dive, or stay shallower. I begin noticing the effects at around 130ft. on regular air, and it's very mild, even then...

Big-t-2538 · Sep 30, 2003

Yep...I've felt it...

It seems to set in at around 90 feet.

That didn't seem to stop me from continuing down to 105 in MI on that wreck though....good thing I was taking pictures.

All of this is done on air BTW

Mr. Sunday · Sep 30, 2003

I have been narced at 39 meters. I was trying to take a compass bearing but just wound up going in circles. It was terrible. Luckily I came up just a bit and it went away as quickly as it came on. I dont look forward to the next time if there is one.

rab · Sep 30, 2003

This is something I'm very interested in. It's unlikely I'll have the opportunity to go deeper until Spring, but I'll be paying very close attention and discussing this with a buddy if we plan to break 70ft.
-Rob

pipedope · Sep 30, 2003

Being narked happens before *feeling* narked.

A big part of the problem is that the same brain that is doing the evaluation is the one that is impaired. You can't trust yourself to accurately check on your level of narcosis.

I can tell that I am impaired deeper than about 70 feet. Deeper than 100 feet I have to really focus to stay on task.
Interestingly enough, surface supplied dive supervisors can tell a difference when a diver goes below about 40 or 50 feet on air.

I still use 130 feet as my limit on air but I don't go there without a good reason. Most of my diving of late has been very shallow so I haven't had to deal with narcosis or deco much lately except in a learning and study mode.

ScottyK · Sep 30, 2003

I don't seem to be very affected by it. Below 100ft I feel a "tiny" buzz, but not enough to cause any problems. I've never felt anything when shallower than 100'.

It's both a good and bad thing for me. It's obviously good that I don't get narced very easily

The bad thing is the anticipation. I've read about divers who never feel the effects of narcosis until that one day..... It annoys me not knowing how I'll fare if it does happen. Part of me just wants to get it over with already.

Scott

Diver0001 · Sep 30, 2003

Tekk Diver once bubbled...
After reading a few interesting threads on nitrogen narcosis, I've become curious.

Have you, or have you not, felt the effects of nitrogen narcosis?Yes or No.

(Post a reply with the depth at which you don't exceed, because of narcosis.)

Personally, I haven't been to a depth yet.. that has made me feel uncomfortable and unsafe enough to abort the dive, or stay shallower. I begin noticing the effects at around 130ft. on regular air, and it's very mild, even then...

I start to feel narced at anywhere between 30-35 metres depending on the day. The feeling I get is like being totally relaxed and mellow. It's not enough to impair my judgement (I don't think) but it's enough to slow my reaction time and disturb my concentration.

R..

Tekk Diver · Sep 30, 2003

The slight "buzz" I get around 130ft. on air, is about equivelent to me drinking one beer on an empty stomach. Not really impairing my judgement, but perhaps slowing my reaction time and breathing rate...

In the words of Cheech & Chong: "Melloooowwwwwww"

Boogie711 · Sep 30, 2003

The number one symptom of nitrogen narcosis is denial.

Of COURSE you were narc'd at 100 feet. You're technically narc'd at 60 feet. Just because you don't notice it doesn't mean it wasn't there.

This thread is analagous to a drunk driver slurring his way past the host of the party, demanding his keys. "I'm not drunk - I know when I'm drunk." Yet everyone else knows he is.

At the same time, you can be drunk and a party and admit to your self - "Wow, I'm drunk."

Does admitting you're drunk mean you really were drunk, while the first person wasn't? Of course not.

Same with narcosis. The worst person to actually make the diagnosis over whether or not you were narc'd or not, is yourself.

diverbrian · Sep 30, 2003

I have been narced to varying degrees. The first time that it happened, I was at 130 ft. and complete paranoia set in. I went to look at my gauges, could read the numbers, but I could not have told you what they meant. I had every instinct yelling at me to go up (which I met half way and went up to about 80 ft.) and then continued the dive when my head cleared. I don't think that I have ever been more frightened when diving.

After that one time, I am more careful and I still have felt an occassional slight "buzz" but not like that. That tends to set in about 120 ft. I have also been to 130 ft. on EAN28 and not felt any problems whatsoever, so I guess that it depends upon the day.

But, I won't be below the 130 ft. range without a tri-mix cert. No way, uh-uh, won't happen!

Nitrogen Narcosis.

Have you ever been Narc'd?

Yes.

No.

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