What is the Shallowest Depth at which You Notice Narcosis?

[Lorenzoid]

I find it interesting that many people say they only notice it at deeper depths. I've handled complex tasks at 150' on air and successfully done math/ tied knots at 130' without issue. However, I first become aware of a ever so slight decrease in the crispness of my thoughts as shallow as 30' and begin to notice the onset of subtle signs of decreased coordination around 60', especially in cold waters. Judging by how I frequently see other divers in similar depths/conditions behaving, I seriously doubt I am the only one affected by it.

There almost surely is no black and white threshold depth; I have to believe it's a continuous phenomenon from surface on down. I, too, THINK I can feel it ever so subtly increasing as I descend from the surface. But at shallower depths it's hard to distinguish in my mind whether a slightly "strange" feeling is narcosis or any of a number of other possible things. Just breathing through a reg and looking through the narrowed field of view of a mask are enough to make me feel a bit less normal than I did on the surface. Add to that the diminishing ambient light and it's really hard for me to tell why I feel weirder with increasing depth.

 

[Locus]

There almost surely is no black and white threshold depth; I have to believe it's a continuous phenomenon from surface on down. I, too, THINK I can feel it ever so subtly increasing as I descend from the surface. But at shallower depths it's hard to distinguish in my mind whether a slightly "strange" feeling is narcosis or any of a number of other possible things. Just breathing through a reg and looking through the narrowed field of view of a mask are enough to make me feel a bit less normal than I did on the surface. Add to that the diminishing ambient light and it's really hard for me to tell why I feel weirder with increasing depth.

Exactly what I was wondering regarding my own experience, but after reading these replies I think it's safe to assume that what I've been noticing is at least a mild level of impairment past 90'. So far when it has occurred I've made sure to keep calm (better to be tranquil than panicked) and tried to be extra observant of my gauges. As soon as I ascended to up around 80' it abated. I'll continue to watch out for it.

 

[ajduplessis]

This makes me wonder about your instructor...

Wonder about what? That some people are more sensitive to cold than others?

 

[TMHeimer]

I have not noticed any narcosis down to the recreational limits, nor do I have any slowing of the usual tests (writing, doing math, opening a combination lock). I know one person who has reported occasionally feeling effects as shallow as 70 feet.
Tolerances vary widely, and it's entirely reasonable to think that if I were at 100FSW in cold dark water, fighting a current, tired, stressed, etc, that I would feel narced.

Same here. I've been to 130' once and between 100-120 a few times without being able to say I noticed anything different. Have not been below 130 as I don't tech. dive.

 

[KevWind]

There almost surely is no black and white threshold depth;

Absolutely or perhaps more correctly stated there will be no absolute standardized response at any particular depth , there are general trends like more noticable below 100 ft etc, but because the response to nitrogen involves personal biochemistry which is ultimately unique to each individual, how much, what type ,when and at what depth it will be noticed , will ultimately be determined individually

 

[Jack Hammer]

I've also noticed a lot of inconsistency in both when the effects come on and how strong the effects are, even under nearly identical diving circumstances.


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[Joe Underwater]

I notice it at exactly 24m (80ft).

 

[tomfcrist]

I don't start to FEEL narced until 130+, but am not dumb enough to assume I am not narced well shallower.

 

[Peter69_56]

Ok on the basis that everyone is affected differently, what's some simple tests one can do to see the effects (seeing I have no feeing of degradation of ability).

Maths
Writing
Switch between air and trimix at depth.

Any others?

 

[AfterDark]

The unexpected; but how does one drill that?