Fatality in the Vandenberg Wreck, Key West Florida

[The Chairman]

FWIW, fishing is allowed on the Vandenburg, so there are often invisible entanglements all over it. Not inside so much, but I've collected lures and monofilament off of her almost every time I've dove her.

 

[Esprise Me]

I have been in a Wreck class where the instructor decided to let us do a limited penetration.

I think my insta buddy was either stressed or narced and did things that could have been really dangerous. After a few seconds, he was already gone without paying attention to me or the instructor. Ultimately the instructor went by another path and got him out of the wreck.

It is easy to say that you have a duty to get your buddy out. But you only need to hesitate for a few seconds for your buddy to go in a place where it would be dangerous for you to follow him.

It’s not like it’s easy to grab someone when inside a narrow space.

Especially since, if you're at such great depths as to cause your buddy to behave stupidly and recklessly due to narcosis, chances are you're narked enough to be at least a little slower to react than usual...

 

[JackD342]

They are wrong to do this. I've taught all sorts of NitrOx courses and specifically go out of my way to debunk this myth.

And no one has yet provided an actual example of a course currently teaching that Nitrox reduces risk of narcosis. @Kmart921 corrected himself 2 posts later. I also just checked a PADI Nitrox course book from 2007, and that also explains that the added oxygen in Nitrox maintains that same (or similar) risk of narcosis.

If that was ever taught or suggested, it seems to have been corrected quite a while ago.

 

[The Chairman]

If that was ever taught or suggested, it seems to have been corrected quite a while ago.

Yet, the myth persists and many instructors, myself included, feel the need to add our voices to those debunking the myth. Sorry if this offends you.

 

[JackD342]

Yet, the myth persists and many instructors, myself included, feel the need to add our voices to those debunking the myth. Sorry if this offends you.

Hey, no offense at all. Just trying to keep the facts straight on what is actually being taught rather than criticizing a course based on misinformation regarding the content. Failing to correct misinformation is how notions like reduced risk of narcosis with Nitrox persist.

For all I know there are multiple agencies that do say this - I just have yet to see anyone here cite an actual example.

 

[The Chairman]

For all I know there are multiple agencies that do say this

I know that NAUI, SDI, TDI and NASE have never taught that.

 

[JackD342]

I know that NAUI, SDI, TDI and NASE have never taught that.

Cool. And at least for current material, add SSI and PADI to the list. I can't speak to "ever" or "never"...

 

[Marie13]

I just went back through my SDI Nitrox eLearning from 3 years ago (still have access to it). No mention of Nitrox reducing narcosis.

 

[Kimela]

Hate to throw gas on this fire, but I did a very quick google search and came up with this article which says:

"While nitrox diving can contribute to longer bottom times during no decompression dives while reducing the risk of nitrogen narcosis, it comes with its own concerns."

https://www.leisurepro.com/blog/scuba-guides/a-beginners-guide-to-nitrox-diving/

 

[Steelyeyes]

I didn't see anything that said what the diver was breathing but at 110 FSW he was pushing it for any nitrox I've ever gotten on Key West, which is mostly N32. The times we went on the Vandy we stayed above 100 FSW to give us a safety margin.