Now I KNOW what narcosis is!

[fairybasslet]

Ellen,

Nitrox does not reduce the effects of Nitrogen Narcosis.

Darn it Dennis. Now I have to blame old age? Like Garrobo? But I'm not as old as he is.

Well, there goes that theory. Better think of something else equally as wrong.

 

[mislav]

Garrobo, as you have said it yourself - I believe you need to go a little bit deeper to start feeling the effects. Truly measurable effects for me start at 50 meter (cca 160 feet) and deeper. I don't think age plays any role in susceptibility to Nitrogen narcosis.

 

[bamamedic]

My dive partners can attest to the fact that I'm narced as hell at depths of 120-40 feet. Even when I feel fairly OK, it takes me forever to figure out stuff that I would understand instantly on the surface.

On one particular dive, my dive partner tried to tell me my backup light was on...and after several attempts to inform me that it was on, decided it would just be easier to unclip it and stow it in his pocket. I had absolutely no clue he unclipped my backup light until I went to clean my gear a few days later. Scary, huh?

I've heard of people feeling narced as shallow as 100 feet (or even shallower)...I wonder if they are just more susceptible to narcosis, are mistaking the feeling of anxiety or CO2 buildup for narcosis, or are just a bit more in tune with their bodies and can recognize the symptoms earlier than most.

 

[Blackwood]

...because most people believe that O2 is narcotic also, so reducing the nitrogen by replacing it with O2 does (almost) nothing.

Sure it does. It makes it more narcotic.

 

[Teamcasa]

I know the feeling Bill. If I don't dive for more than a month, I will notice the effects beginning as soon as 80'-90'. I have no specific, scientific or biological reason for it, it just feels like it.

I do hope to dive with you again real soon, we can drop to 120 and see who wigs out first!

 

[CompuDude]

Garrobo, as you have said it yourself - I believe you need to go a little bit deeper to start feeling the effects. Truly measurable effects for me start at 50 meter (cca 160 feet) and deeper. I don't think age plays any role in susceptibility to Nitrogen narcosis.

Horse pucky. It varies by individual. There are quite a few divers who begin to feel dramatic effects in as little as 90 fsw. I'd guess a majority will be feeling something by 120 fsw, if not sooner. Not every individual and not every dive, but still.

 

[drbill]

I probably will not return to my very deep diving exploits in the near future... I've pretty much filmed what I wanted to in the 180-200 fsw depth range so I have no specific reason to return to those depths at this time.

I do hope to return to more frequent diving in the 100-150 fsw range as there is plenty I still want to film there (it's where I see the greatest number of nudes... er, nudis). Now that I'm back to paying for my own air fills, and the economy stinks out here, it may be a while. However, I'm quite confident that I would regain my resistence to narcosis once I do resume such diving.

As for age... I've done most of my "extreme" diving (depth and frequency) in my 50's and 60's. Back in my teens, 20's and 30's I either dove shallow water environments or had to stay shallow because I was diving with high school students in my marine biology classes.

 

[Rick Inman]

Sure it does. It makes it more narcotic.

It makes it the same narcotic (almost). :cool2:

 

[Kevrumbo]

Hey Bill, were you working hard at all --perhaps finning against a current at the time of the narcosis incident? Could've been an episode of CO2 rentention and the onset of the "Dark Narc'. . ."

 

[mislav]

Horse pucky. It varies by individual. There are quite a few divers who begin to feel dramatic effects in as little as 90 fsw. I'd guess a majority will be feeling something by 120 fsw, if not sooner. Not every individual and not every dive, but still.

Horse pucky back at you. I was speaking in a name of two individuals - Garrobo's and my own. Where are your reading glasses?