Is this nitrogen narcosis?

[almostDIR]

ok a small cavern then. still not good to get to overhead environment at that point in your diving career

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

Get Nitrox certified. The computer Nitrox course does not require any dives. Mostly all classroom and very short. The pre class bookwork is probably the shortest you will find. (I've seen dive ops do a Nitrox course on the boat to the divesite in 45 minutes) Primarily, the course is about testing your tanks (always) and not exceeding the maximum operating depths for the particular mix of Nitrox you are diving. I don't remember the course stating one of the benefits is less tired after dives, but many divers claim so, and in my scientific, repeatable sample size of...me...it's 100% effective.

Like Barnabys dad said, it's not uncommon to need a "nitrogen nap" after diving air for 45 minutes and dropping a little deep. Once my wife and I started diving Nitrox, it literally gives you several hours a day of your vacation back. The naps were awesome, deep sleep, naps....but they were long.

DCS?I doubt it. Narcosis? I highly doubt it...Narcosis effects everyone differently but universally it subsides upon ascending above your personal narc limit. Narcosis can be loss of coordination, feeling of euphoria or doom, clouded slow thoughts, and on the severe spectrum supposedly hallucinations. I get happy narced, but everyone is different.

Enjoy the nap, or dive Nitrox...or both. We dive Nitrox on vacation and I dive air at home. (Wife doesn't muck dive) Your body is adjusting to an entirely new experience, give it time, dive more, and yea...pay attention to your computer. Lots of signs of DCS but it will usually start with splotchy skin or a rash and joint pain. Some people are more succeptible to DCS and 1 and 5 people have a PFO that makes them a higher risk, but most divers are fine by following the rules you were trained with.

Signs and Symptoms of Decompression Sickness - SDI | TDI | ERDI

Safe travels, dive more, welcome to the addiction.
Jay

 

[JasmineNeedsGills]

Yes. I will consider Nitrox course after my CMAS 2. And I will discuss with my instructor about my computer conservatism setting during my courses. Thanks for advice.

Don't know if CMAS training varies by region, but here in the UK, CMAS / SAA give you the option to incorporate Nitrox training into the core 1* and 2* programmes. Might be worth checking up with your club. Tender love to a fellow newbie... Stay safe, stay in your comfort zone, and don't forget to enjoy it!

 

[doctormike]

Get Nitrox certified. The computer Nitrox course does not require any dives. Mostly all classroom and very short.

Diving Nitrox, I have zero post-dive fatigue. Without it, even doing what I was supposed to do, I was extremely tired after dives. With Nitrox and adhering to my dive plan(s), I can do four dives in a day, pack up, and be wide awake for the two hour drive home.

I can see that there is a lot of enthusiasm for nitrox diving here, which is fine, but I think that for the OP, as a new diver, he should realize a couple of things.

1) Post dive tiredness is likely a subclinical form of DCS. It's sort of arbitrary where you draw the line between decompression stress and decompression sickness, but it's a continuum, ranging from tiredness to mild skin bends to life threatening injury. Everyone has pointed out that you should not be going into deco or caves at this point, but clearly you did incur some decompression stress by going into deco, even though you followed the instructions of your dive computer (the "magic bracelet").

2) While nitrox does reduce nitrogen loading for the same dive when compared to air, just "diving nitrox" doesn't reduce decompression stress unless you dive air tables (or set your computer to air). Of course, if you do this, you still need to respect the MOD and O2 clock for what you are actually breathing. If you choose to take advantage of the longer NDLs with nitrox by setting your computer to your actual mix, you are trading away that reduction in decompression stress.

3) Although many people will swear that they feel less tired after diving nitrox (and I certainly believe what people say about their own bodies), there is not convincing evidence in the literature for that as a real physiological effect. Two possibilities of course would be that diving nitrox with air tables would give you less decompression stress (see #1), or the psychological (placebo) effect. A hard thing to measure objectively, and not many double blinded studies.

 

[Storker]

Although many people will swear that they feel less tired after diving nitrox (and I certainly believe what people say about their own bodies), there is not convincing evidence in the literature for that as a real physiological effect.

Uh-oh.

 

[tursiops]

Although many people will swear that they feel less tired after diving nitrox (and I certainly believe what people say about their own bodies), there is not convincing evidence in the literature for that as a real physiological effect.

Yeah, and there is not convincing evidence in the literature that is is not a real physiological effect.
In the absence of such convincing evidence, one way or the other, people go by how their bodies feel, and the anecdotal evidence continues to grow, while those who feel nothing just post louder and more often!

 

[jlcnuke]

Next time you feel "wrong" after diving, especially if you've exceeded your training and your limits like you did, the correct answer is to call DAN and get professional advice on how to proceed.

That said, as others have mentioned, dive within your training and experience. It's perfectly acceptable (and preferable) to refuse to exceed those limits even if you're on a training dive that isn't training you to do what you're doing, with the appropriate training before attempting such conditions. You are responsible for ensuring that you don't enter deco or otherwise exceed your current training. If anyone, including an instructor, is asking you to do something you don't understand and aren't trained for, it's your responsibility to say no. "Anyone can thumb a dive, at any time, for any reason" includes you, even if you're diving with the best divers in the world and they all tell you "you'll be fine". It's your life, and maybe their's, if something goes wrong and that's not worth risking it to look cool or do something before you're ready for it, even if it would be fun/cool to do so.

 

[johndiver999]

I can see that there is a lot of enthusiasm for nitrox diving here, which is fine, but I think that for the OP, as a new diver, he should realize a couple of things.

1) Post dive tiredness is likely a subclinical form of DCS. It's sort of arbitrary where you draw the line between decompression stress and decompression sickness, but it's a continuum, ranging from tiredness to mild skin bends to life threatening injury. Everyone has pointed out that you should not be going into deco or caves at this point, but clearly you did incur some decompression stress by going into deco, even though you followed the instructions of your dive computer (the "magic bracelet").

2) While nitrox does reduce nitrogen loading for the same dive when compared to air, just "diving nitrox" doesn't reduce decompression stress unless you dive air tables (or set your computer to air). Of course, if you do this, you still need to respect the MOD and O2 clock for what you are actually breathing. If you choose to take advantage of the longer NDLs with nitrox by setting your computer to your actual mix, you are trading away that reduction in decompression stress.

3) Although many people will swear that they feel less tired after diving nitrox (and I certainly believe what people say about their own bodies), there is not convincing evidence in the literature for that as a real physiological effect. Two possibilities of course would be that diving nitrox with air tables would give you less decompression stress (see #1), or the psychological (placebo) effect. A hard thing to measure objectively, and not many double blinded studies.

Are there ANY double blind studies?

If people say they "feel" better and there is no scientific evidence to refute the potential for feeling better - then I would be inclined to believe people.

I understand that if one simply looks at an equivalent amount of super saturation of nitrogen a person is subject to (and the ascent rate) they use, then I can see why someone might suspect the placebo effect.

On the other hand, could it not be possible that a safety stop on nitrox is somewhat different in that there really is a higher partial pressure difference when using nitrox and this makes it "better" in some small way? It's more of a question than a statement.

 

[JackD342]

Here is the DAN article on the topic.
Alert Diver | Air, Nitrox and Fatigue

There is quite a bit there, but one paragraph pretty much summarizes their stance:
"Controversy surrounds divers' subjective reports of reduced fatigue following nitrox dives. Contrary to these perceptions, objective studies have not found a reliable difference in fatigue or cognitive performance following dives on air versus nitrox."

While that leans towards "not proven," I will also point out that the article also does not say "disproven."

 

[Storker]

dive within your training and experience. It's perfectly acceptable

You ought to have seen the face of our (Italian) dive guide when I told her "nope. We're not doing that dive. Period." She had to cough up another guide to take care of us while they did the planned dive. She definitely wasnt happy. The dive was in a cave, with less than one torch per diver, and no line. In single tanks. And with a cave entrance at ~40m. And the divers "took a stop on their way up to see some cool stuff", i.e. they did a mandatory deco stop. Those who were competent to read their computers said that the computers were rather pissed off.

Bottom line: trust your training, trust your gut feeling, stay within your limits and don't let guides tell you you'll be safe. Too many divers have died a gruesome death trusting their guide.