Nitrox: Narcosis myth?

[Caveeagle]

Interesting... I typically think people who claim "I don't get narked" are somewhat equivalent to the "I'm ok to drive" folks before MADD got ahold of them. Having said that, I have known people that have demonstrated an almost super-human ability to function at a high level breathing 21% down deep. Not the least of which is my wife who logged many deep air dives. NOT advocating for that at all, but I mention that because she also had an extremely good SAC rate. 'Makes me wonder what affect breathing rate has on narcosis...

 

[Lorenzoid]

As I understand it, breathing and gas density have a lot to do with CO2 retention, which has some relationship with narcosis. I'm one of those people who will swear he feels increasingly woozy beginning around 100 feet. People suggest I'm just not breathing properly, but I have tried all kinds of breathing tricks to no avail.

 

[northernone]

Interesting... I typically think people who claim "I don't get narked" are somewhat equivalent to the "I'm ok to drive" folks before MADD got ahold of them. Having said that, I have known people that have demonstrated an almost super-human ability to function at a high level breathing 21% down deep. Not the least of which is my wife who logged many deep air dives. NOT advocating for that at all, but I mention that because she also had an extremely good SAC rate. 'Makes me wonder what affect breathing rate has on narcosis...

I'll confirm proper ventilation makes a huge difference in my ability to function while significantly narced. CO2 retention perhaps?

A little breath holding (old ingrained habit for photography) sends me into dumb land quickly where I can't manage strobe power or remember how to compose an image.... Breathing careful a minute and I'm good to go again.

I'm no where immune but the ability to be a functional drunk I believe is learned and honed... Seems the human trials suggest some of us are less effected as well. Same is well documented for high PPO2 levels.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Interesting... I typically think people who claim "I don't get narked" are somewhat equivalent to the "I'm ok to drive" folks before MADD got ahold of them.

I didn't read any posts in this thread about anyone saying they didn't get narced, just that some believe nitrox reduces narcosis. I have even heard someone I know claim that they forgot portions of dives on air, but that person sold trimix classes and was known to stretch the truth. If I ever forgot portions of a dive I would be on my way to get a brain scan.

 

[Caveeagle]

I didn't read any posts in this thread about anyone saying they didn't get narced, just that some believe nitrox reduces narcosis. I have even heard someone I know claim that they forgot portions of dives on air, but that person sold trimix classes and was known to stretch the truth. If I ever forgot portions of a dive I would be on my way to get a brain scan.

That comment was not directed at you.. sorry if it read that way.

 

[seeker242]

If I ever forgot portions of a dive I would be on my way to get a brain scan.

But if you did forgot them, then how would you know that you didn't remember them?

 

[MaxBottomtime]

The guy I know who said that told me he had forgotten thirty minutes of a dive. I suggested an MRI.

 

[boulderjohn]

There was a thread a couple years ago in which a man posted how at the end of the dive his buddy surfaced totally confused. He had no memory of the dive whatsoever. He did not even remember beginning the dive. The diagnosis was temporary global amnesia.

A friend of mine had that happen. She started acting very strange while with her sisters, and they took her to a hospital. It eventually went away, but she has no memory of what happened in her life for an hour or two.

 

[northernone]

There was a thread a couple years ago in which a man posted how at the end of the dive his buddy surfaced totally confused. He had no memory of the dive whatsoever. He did not even remember beginning the dive. The diagnosis was temporary global amnesia.

A friend of mine had that happen. She started acting very strange while with her sisters, and they took her to a hospital. It eventually went away, but she has no memory of what happened in her life for an hour or two.

While it would explain some buddies behaviour underwater I hope it's a medical condition while diving rather than a medical dive condition incident.

 

[Tassi Devil Diver]

I have found based on my limited experience that I have not felt any narcosis diving my rebreather to depths of 40-45m with air dil running a PO2 of 1.3-1.4, where as diving those depths on OC air I often experience significant narcosis. I have not done a lot of deep air dil dives on rebreather to those depths as I switched pretty quickly over to trimix dil once I was comfortable diving my unit. But I was surprised from those intial dives to those depths the lack of narcosis diving my rebreather on air.

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I believe anyone telling you they don't remember parts of dives at 120' is either internet myths or someone giving you a load of crap.

I have had two experience's of not remembering a part of a dive one was at a depth of around 35m (less than your 120' limit) diving air, pushing into a stiff current with poor vis, I was at the back of the group, and struggling to remain in contact after stopping to look at something. The next thing I remember I was hanging on to the wall at a depth of 25m hart ponding breathing like a freight train with no recollection of how I got there. Second was at a depth of 55m. And I am not a trimix instructor or sell trimix fills.