Narcosis -- insidious and subtle

[knowone]

Thank you so much for this. I know that I was narced when diving Hood Canal looking at the sea whips and then descending to 114 feet. My Instructor son had warned me to expect it - and there it was - I felt "narced".

However, when diving with my son in the Red Sea to 120+ on a wreck dive in the Red Sea - I never felt narced. But I'm sure I was as I very seldom go below 80 to 90 feet on any of my dives.

I'm a psychologist and know that one's anticipation of something can influence how that something is felt. Something physiologically is going to happen to a person when the subject is given an IV shot of adrenaline - but the pre-event psychological condition (anticipation) influences the subjective experience.

I'm sure that water temperature (objective) and clarity (subjective) as well as just the fun (subjective) happening topside influences what's experienced down below.

I don't intend to do an analysis of your dive, but just to say the following. You felt safe diving with your husband on a "safe" (if there is such thing on any dive, let alone a cave dive) predictable dive and were having fun and did not feel any particular anxiety. Objectively, from looking back on your judgement/personal rule breaking you know you were narced, but because of the pre-event psychological conditions, you didn't feel it.

Thank you again for your sharing. It is particularly helpful for a diver like myself (100s of dives, but infrequent deep dives) to have these reminders.

Your professional input is required, and would be greatly appreciated.


How's about setting up shop in the "Stuff Happens" forum.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I've reached that point in life where nitrogen affects me on the surface ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Another way I can tell I'm narced is if I get a warning buzzer with my tinnitis problem.
Along with very loud tinnitis narcosis can feel exactly like the euphoric feeling on funny gas in the dentist's chair. This is when I know I'm seriously narced.

 

[knowone]

More nitrogen bubbles in less cola also affects the giggling.
and can make for good rudimentary practice, They say.

 

[fxrguy]

While diving on the Bimini wall back in the early 80's we were at about 130'. Upon checking my computer I noticed it had suddenly changed to a language that resembled Chinese. I felt nothing prior to this that would serve as a warning and I was aware enough to know that I needed to get my ass back to the surface. I decided that I was not close enough to my dive partners to risk chasing them down and trying to explain the situation. I wasn't taking any chances and was anxious that the narcosis would get worse so I began my ascent alone. Nice thing about the old Sherwood Source computers is that as long as it doesn't start blinking on ascent you are doing ok. Don't even have to be able to read the display. Somebody thought that out. Got back to the boat and called it a day. By the way, the Bimini Wall is worth risking narcosis to see! Oh man did I actually say that!

 

[TMHeimer]

well food for thought. i have no idea if i am narc'd. i dont feel it, although i have yet to be task loaded at that depth. so i will be extra cautious. thanks for your story.
ww

Same here. I've done some deep diving, but not a lot, and so far, kind of spread out over time. Never thought I was the least bit narc'd, even at 130'. Absolutely food for thought.

 

[DevonDiver]

Another way I can tell I'm narced is if I get a warning buzzer with my tinnitis problem.

I get this also. I have tinnitus since I was in the military... when I am below 50m on air... I can hear a constant load 'beeping' sound. I assume it way my tinnitus. I've never heard anyone else complain about this effect until now.

When I first encountered this, I was was worried that it was a pre-cursor to an ox-tox event, but that has never happened on many subsequent deep air dives... but the 'bleeping' is always reliably there below 50m.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

During my deep dive class I have the students come up with dive plans for 100, 110, and 120, respectively. Each student gets to lead at least one dive. My only requirement is that they stick strictly to the dive plan.

You'd be amazed at how easy it is to notice narcosis when all you have to do is keep track of depth, time, gas and direction ... and communicate with your buddies when it's time to turn around and head back toward your entry ... and figure out which way that is.

Seems simple enough ... doesn't it ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[rongoodman]

for those of us who are financially challenged, would you suggest in our attempt at cave instruction to limit ourselves until we can take a trimix class? it would make some sense if after intro to cave, trimix was offered as an addition to cave 1. But i fear that would make the cost even greater.

what are your thoughts on this?
ww

Take your cave class in Mexico?

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Today i was diving solo in 185 (on air) in a strong current. I shot a large fish, grabbed it, knifed it in the head and held position on the bottom, while swimming and kept looking for the 400 lb bull shark I had seen 60 seconds earlier. I tried to quickly unhook a lift bag, and put a stringer through the fish and inflate a lift bag ASAP.

I was kinda stressed out about the shark. got the bag inflated and sent the fish up. Then quickly loaded the shaft back into the speargun and tried to wrap the line around the muzzle and the mechanical line release (mostly by touch while looking for the shark). I tried a couple times and couldn't get the line right and then it kept falling off the line release. this is normally a very quick and easy task, that I can do without hardly looking.


I couldn't figure out why the line release would not hold the line. I assumed i was missing it in my wrapping action and had to really concentrate. Once again the line release just toggled without holding the line. I stopped for a good 10 seconds, and went through the mental exercise or internal dialog "you know you are narced, now think HARD about why this would occur" ... is the gun really broken??????

I then realized that the shaft was inserted upside down, so the line release would not engage (it was still in the "fire" position). This is an incredibly stupid novice mistake to put the shaft in upside down and then not realize immediately that the line release wouldn't work. If I was doing this in the garage, I would have immediately checked if the shaft was in the gun right, but narcosis makes you stupid.

My ability to solve even common, easy, problems was significantly compromised, even though I didn't feel particularly narced and I do this dive pretty frequently.