Question Ever experienced Nitrogen Narcosis?

[sourdough]

There are several things I feel worried about in diving, sharks sneaking up, alligator surprise, and getting narc'd.

The Yuri Lipski story and others like it, where a diver ultimately kills themselves because they're out of it, that's terrifying.

My deepest dive has been to 60ft, and I plan on training for deeper dives, but I suspect that I'll have helium in the mix, so nitrogen Narcosis should be mitigated or unlikely.

My question is have you ever been surprised or caught off guard by nitrogen Narcosis and either snapped back to reality by someone else, or yourself? And what gas mixture were you diving?



That isn't the scariest narcosis I've seen, but still, it makes me shiver to imagine being overcome & unaware, forgetting about gas management like the two divers below.

 

[Groot]

As far as I know, for most people Nitrogen narcosis can be first felt or experienced to a significant degree between 30 and 40m. I don't feel narced at about 35m, so i would imagine that at 40 it woulnd't be much worse (thoguh i know some people get narced as shallow as 20m). In most of the horror stories about nitrogen narcosis, you can see the divers go beyond the recreational depth limits, making narcosis even worse. Essentially, as long as you stay safely within the limits, but more importantly respect them and know your own limits, I don't thing nitrogen narcosis as a major thing you really need to worry about.

I would also suggest that for your first few deep dives you go somewhere where you can't go any deeper than your max depth and go with an experienced buddy. That way you cans see how narcosis affects you personally, and if it turns out you get extrememly narced at that depth, you can't go any deeper.

 

[tursiops]

Which is exactly why the 60, 100, and 130 ft limits are set by PADI for OW, AOW, and Deep Diver. The training is designed to let you find out YOUR response to narcosis, which unfortunately does not translate to the same depth on every dive. At 60 ft, basically no one get narced enough to worry about. By 100 ft, narcosis is real for many folks, At 130 ft, pretty much everybody is narced a little...or a lot. You've got to know YOU.

By the way, I saw nothing in the first video that indicated narcosis. The second video, maybe, but clueless and task focussed is equally plausible.

 

[rick00001967]

gradually diving deeper depths is important to see how you are affected. although one day may be fine and another not so much.

i have never experienced anything that i would call narcosis, but it is tough to say whether i was ever affected in a minor way.

i do know two divers that have been affected. one now will only dive shallower than 100 feet. the other had an experience on a deep wreck that could have gone sideways had it not been for her training and experience and being able to realize something was wrong (although at the time she was not sure what), and due to her buddy paying attention and also realizing something was wrong. after ascending to a shallower depth, everything was fine.

 

[inquis]

Lol, the first just looks like they're funning around for the camera. Colors seem wrong to me for narcotic depth.

My advice is to extend depth slowly and with an experienced & attentive buddy. And stay away from cameras until good habits are ingrained. The second video could have easily happened at 60 ft -- distraction is real.

 

[kaylee_ann]

correct me if I'm wrong- doesn't narcosis come on gradually? like you won't be totally impaired all of a sudden with no warning...if it's like getting drunk, where you slowly feel the compounding effects of alcohol.
edit @Marie13 can you offer insight on this?

 

[KatieMac]

I've been mildly narced at about 98 feet. No big deal. I recognized it quickly, signaled to my buddy and went up to about 80 feet. Odd that I've done many dives to 100 feet and was fine. I might have been tired that morning.

For the record, I was diving 32% nitrox so knew my max depth was 100 and didn't go close. But I dove air a few days later to 110 and was fine.

It's good to be cautious. Terrified though?

 

[PatW]

I have dove to 135’ And a fair number of dives below 100’. But I really do not go that deep unless I have a specific reason and I keep pretty vigilant about my deco limits and my air pressure remaining. I really do not enjoy going because I take photos and there is more light and usually more life in shallower waters. Be that as it may, I have never noticed narcosis but being pretty aware and concentrating, it was probably there to an extent but not an issue. I think it varies with divers and circumstances. Thing is on an 80 cu foot tank, things can go south quickly at depth so I try to be alert to any possible issues.

You might want to alert your dive buddy to this concern and also the dive master. Doing so can give a bit of a backstop. You can also ask them to observe you for any possible signs of impaired judgment on your part.

 

[sourdough]

correct me if I'm wrong- doesn't narcosis come on gradually? like you won't be totally impaired all of a sudden with no warning...if it's like getting drunk, where you slowly feel the compounding effects of alcohol.

I've heard that it's not consistent, at what depth and how you're affected. Like if you took a single shot and woke up the next day like, what?

I won't post the Yuri Lipski video because it might be too sensitive, I'm not sure. But he just kept going and ultimately dies on the bottom with no indication that he knew what was happening or how to deal with it. Like his brain was just not operating normal.

An instructor told me a story about how he was on a set of two dives with a friend, and after the second dive his friend thought they had just finished the first dive and couldn't remember the second, he had blacked out if that makes any sense. I relate it to being blackout drunk I guess. Hard to imagine. I think the variability or inconsistency is the thing that unnerves me about it.

 

[sourdough]

I've been mildly narced at about 98 feet.

It's good to be cautious. Terrified though?

Terrified. Only because I've heard and read that it's not guaranteed to be a gentle mild curve that is easily recognizable.

I'll be safe, cautious, and don't freeze because of fears, I just take things slow & cautiously. For example if helium mixes significantly decrease risk, I'll probably go for that.