Diving and alcohol

[hydro12]

From a purely scientific point of view, are the effects of alcohol so augmented by pressure similar to a gas (such as CO, N2, etc.)?
Obviously alcohol is not a gas (unless your beer has been in the sun far too long), but would the effect of 1 beer and then undergoing pressure to 66ft have analogous narcotic results as having 3 beers at the surface?

 

[Jon C]

he he. I just came from the pony thread, I am imbibing too much coffee.

There better not be any Bailey's in that coffee or I am telling the booze patrol...

 

[dmmike]

I find it funny how people I meet think that a couple of drinks with lunch is fine, then head off to the dive boat. These same people refuse to have one beer and drive home or operate power equipment.

I think most people do not fully understand the risks with diving. They believe because they are on vacation or a weekend trip they think that nothing is going to happen to them, how very wrong.

As for me, I stay dry while I'm diving. It is not worth the risk. If faced with having to dive with somebody who had been drinking, I'll go it alone

 

[brutus_scuba]

I am not trying to be controversial, but I think reasonable people could see how one beer at lunch during a 2-3 hour midday break is at least as safe as people who get smashed the night before, don't sleep well, and dive in the am.

I just don't like the 0-tolerance stuff that seems to comfort some people. Because people lose touch with reading their own body once they surrender their judgement to the "rule makers"... And start just trying to live "in compliance".

I do agree that it is a thing to respect if an operator has a rule about diving on their boat and not drinking...

If you are on your own boat and think you can handle one over several hours with lunch, well...it's a free country. (still, sort of) Diving does not endanger others near to the scale of driving a vehicle, so unless you never have one and drive home...then the logic seems pretty flawed in my mind.

I have probably had 5 beers/ total miday in 20 years on dive days, so please don't assume I am a big mess. I just hate it when people post "if you do X and then X...you are a moron". Some people like their rules, I guess, it keeps things simple for some to follow along that way. Just don't make judgement so easy that you don't get any practice actually thinking situations through!

If some of us don't constantly hold our ground around here, this board would have blanket rules like "no diving without redundant air" "No diving if you have had one beer in 24 hrs" "no diving if you don't have 02 on your private boat". It is just too much for people to try and nanny everybody else. Makes me crazy.

There is ALWAYS something you can attend to in your own life, if you are in the mood to attack safety concerns, on any given day. I like to remember that I have way more impact on my own life than on anybody else's.

Well said.... It's wierd that you should word your response like that because I've stated to a lot of my friends about issues, most of which are not related to diving, that I'm really worried about people taking away others rights to think freely and make choices for themselves. Without getting into to much specific detail I just cant' belive laws being passed lately that restrict peoples ability to make decisions for themselves.

Decisiosn are what lifes about boat diver should be able to set their policy divers have the choice on what boat to dive. Life should be about choices

 

[OHGoDive]

I am not trying to be controversial, but I think reasonable people could see how one beer at lunch during a 2-3 hour midday break is at least as safe as people who get smashed the night before, don't sleep well, and dive in the am.

I just don't like the 0-tolerance stuff that seems to comfort some people. Because people lose touch with reading their own body once they surrender their judgement to the "rule makers"... And start just trying to live "in compliance".

I do agree that it is a thing to respect if an operator has a rule about diving on their boat and not drinking...

If you are on your own boat and think you can handle one over several hours with lunch, well...it's a free country. (still, sort of) Diving does not endanger others near to the scale of driving a vehicle, so unless you never have one and drive home...then the logic seems pretty flawed in my mind.

I have probably had 5 beers/ total miday in 20 years on dive days, so please don't assume I am a big mess. I just hate it when people post "if you do X and then X...you are a moron". Some people like their rules, I guess, it keeps things simple for some to follow along that way. Just don't make judgement so easy that you don't get any practice actually thinking situations through!

If some of us don't constantly hold our ground around here, this board would have blanket rules like "no diving without redundant air" "No diving if you have had one beer in 24 hrs" "no diving if you don't have 02 on your private boat". It is just too much for people to try and nanny everybody else. Makes me crazy.

There is ALWAYS something you can attend to in your own life, if you are in the mood to attack safety concerns, on any given day. I like to remember that I have way more impact on my own life than on anybody else's.

Can I get an amen!? :yelclap:

 

[Cheekymonkey]

Bah, I think this is a dead tpoic, no arguing this.