Avoiding narcossis

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Minipinny:
My OW instructor once mentioned to my class to drink plenty of wate. It helps to prevent DCS at least. something to think about if you are going to do a deep dive.

I definitely feel narc'd in our cold, dark waters locally at 100 feet. I've even had the "war drums" as shallow as 80 feet. For what it is worth, I think I get more narc'd if I am a bit dehydrated . . . I tend to be good about it, but have started hydrating the night before I am diving and that seems to help. Saturday I was at 105 feet in 48 degree water with 10 feet of vis and felt clear-headed, although I would definitely say I was indeed narc'd.

I also have a theory that the symptoms of narcosis will mimic what you are nervous about, if you are worried about buoyancy (I was on my first deep dive-mine was fine, but I was more aware of it because of the depths) then you'll tend to think your buoyancy is going south on you. Must be the anxieties and the paranoia caused by a dark narc intersecting.

That being said, I think we are all narc'd at depths shallower than we feel symptoms, for me hydration just seems to mitigate the onset of obvious symptoms . . .
 
Sydney_Diver:
Only way to avoid / minimize narcossis is 'depending on the depth' to dive a Nitrox or Trimix blend to lessen the amount on N2 in the breathing gas.

Trimix or heliox will work, but nitrox is just as narcotic as air.
 
Keeping hydrated avoiding coffee and alcolic beverages 24hrs before a dive will help aid in lessing the effects of narcosis...


I noticed another dive group I was with we were planning a deep dive, he had planned on tying a reel off to an anchor(old one left as a marker) then do our deep dive and follow the reel line back to the anchor. Anyway.. at 100ft he wanted to turn around because he was feeling uncomfortable.. and so we did.. I tried to get his attention to let him know my buddy and I were continuing on with our deep dive plan.. However he kept staying focused on reeling up the reel.. wouldn't look at me.. was just determined to reel up that reel. I finally got his attention when we got back to the anchor.. signed to him my buddy an I were going back.. and he said okay.. and him and his buddy aborted the dive. Another note, he did inform us ahead of time he was going to call the dive if he felt uncomfortable.

Keep Hydrated...and be vigilant on watching your gas supply not focusing directly on the task at hand.
 
Hello Seahound :

As others have commented, nitrogen narcosis is variable from person to person, and to some extent, is variable from day to day.

In laboratory studies with which I am familiar, test subjects performing a task repeated daily did appear to accommodate to the constant narcosis. [That is, they remained at a deep storage depth.] If the task was novel, narcosis – even when experienced daily – inhibited the ability of the subjects. Longer time was needed for completion and errors were more frequent.


Dr Deco :doctor:


The next class in Decompression Physiology for 2007 is August 18-19. :1book:
This class is at the USC campus in Los Angeles.
http://wrigley.usc.edu/hyperbaric/advdeco.htm
 
SeaHound, I don't know how experienced you are in underwater video, but it's hard work. I was invited to do video for a wreck class, which would have involved doing my first wreck penetration (although I have done the training), at over 100 fsw, and videotaping as well. I decided to decline the invitation, although I would have loved to have joined these people, and to have done the job. It was just too much at once, and I know from unpleasant experience that my level of narcosis at 100 feet is enough to make anything complicated far more difficult than I would think.
 
Speaking of hard work, taking it real easy at depth helps. Hard work, stress or heavy exertion can increase co2 retention (never a good thing) which has been linked to increased narcosis. Take it real slow and easy.

Also, at depth is where a high end reg really shines. The ease of breathing at depth helps reduce the chance of co2 retention and increased narcosis, so a good high end reg can help, too.

Stay away from helium. Once you get started on that evil gas, you'll never want to go back to deep diving without it! :D
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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