Nitrox: Narcosis myth?

[azstinger11]

Nitrox is oversold but on a different premise: that divers get less fatigued diving on Nitrox. I've read this multiple times on Scubaboard and heard again on a boat recently.

I'm fulling willing to admit it could just be a placebo effect however, I usually do feel less physically drained after doing multiple dives on Nitrox then I do on air. I don't dive it for that reason, I dive it for NDL gains and purely for NDL gains, that just happens to be a perceived side effect.

 

[Bob DBF]

There's no academic proof there is an positive effect from using higher percentage of O2. That does not mean it is not there, just there no academic prove either positive or negative, yet

The problem I see with getting proof of a small effect when dealing with narcosis is the variability of onset and quality of narcosis impairment from one dive to another. Not that I am not narked, but have had significant differences in impairment, as evidenced by the amount and quality of work completed on a dive. I'm only one data point, as are my buddys, but we have noticed some variation in effects from one dive to another.

The other issue is the use of a chamber. A chamber is used by scientests to reduce variables and increase safety, however the variables it reduces may be the same ones that we may notice while diving.


Bob

 

[RainPilot]

Nitrox is oversold but on a different premise: that divers get less fatigued diving on Nitrox. I've read this multiple times on Scubaboard and heard again on a boat recently.

Please get off this hobby horse. We are talking about narcosis here. If you want to go off about fatigue again please go do that on the other threads about that subject.

 

[RyanT]

Oxygen is likely narcotic and increased po2 affects co2 retention which is for sure narcotic.

Huh? How does increased PO2 influence CO2 retention?

 

[dberry]

Please get off this hobby horse. We are talking about narcosis here. If you want to go off about fatigue again please go do that on the other threads about that subject.

I think @tarponchik was saying nitrox is oversold as reducing fatigue, not that it actually does.

 

[RainPilot]

I think @tarponchik was saying nitrox is oversold as reducing fatigue, not that it actually does.

I know that s/he believe that it doesn't. Witness the myriad other threads where they have said so at great length. I'm just tired of the thread jacking to restate the POV.

 

[tarponchik]

Please get off this hobby horse. We are talking about narcosis here. If you want to go off about fatigue again please go do that on the other threads about that subject.

In case you missed it, the question of fatigue was brought up here earlier by @KWS. And why not? It's always fun to read about antibodies to nitrogen bubbles, tissue stress, stuff like that.

 

[Storker]

Witness the myriad other threads where they have said so at great length

while simultaneously demonstrating a... let's say "rather unconventional" outlook on things that the majority regard as pretty well established.

 

[KevinNM]

Nitrox is oversold but on a different premise: that divers get less fatigued diving on Nitrox. I've read this multiple times on Scubaboard and heard again on a boat recently.

Wookie saw significant reductions in DCS cases when he started pushing nitrox hard on the Spree. But I don't think there is a lot of evidence for fatigue or narcosis changes between air or nitrox.

 

[tarponchik]

Wookie saw significant reductions in DCS cases when he started pushing nitrox hard on the Spree. But I don't think there is a lot of evidence for fatigue or narcosis changes between air or nitrox.

But in his case it was a sale, not an oversale. Nitrox did exactly what it is supposed to do: increased bottom times safely.