First time getting narced...Yipes!

[tiggrr]

Was it the nitrogen or was it the anxiety? Or which came first?

It's hard to tell if one is anxious....

Dave C

The anxiety was already there. Nitrogen made it worse.

 

[bamamedic]

I'd recognize a "Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy" quote anywhere!

Getting narced is like getting drunk. If you don't know what that feels like, just ask a glass of water.

 

[sporket]

I was given a simple task during my AAO on a deep dive, doing simple math at 95'. I was wearing a 3mm suit & hood in 55 degree water. I felt cold to the BONE. So a didn't care less what my instructor wanted me to do and I spent no time trying to solve the problem. Was I narced?

 

[tiggrr]

I was given a simple task during my AAO on a deep dive, doing simple math at 95'. I was wearing a 3mm suit & hood in 55 degree water. I felt cold to the BONE. So a didn't care less what my instructor wanted me to do and I spent no time trying to solve the problem. Was I narced?

No, you were an ice cube. Ice cubes can't do simple math at 95'.

 

[HullBlister]

OK, I'm new (EAN trained). I have read this whole thread. I saw 2 posts that mentioned what seems (rightly or wrongly) to me to be obvious; that less nitrogen in enriched air = less nitrogen to cause you to get narced.

This doesn't seem to jive with all the posts claiming enriched air does not help you stave of NN.

I would appreciate it if someone could please explain this to me.

Thanks,
Blister

 

[wedivebc]

OK, I'm new (EAN trained). I have read this whole thread. I saw 2 posts that mentioned what seems (rightly or wrongly) to me to be obvious; that less nitrogen in enriched air = less nitrogen to cause you to get narced.

This doesn't seem to jive with all the posts claiming enriched air does not help you stave of NN.

I would appreciate it if someone could please explain this to me.

Thanks,
Blister

Whether you subscribe to the theory that oxygen affects narcosis to the same degree as nitrogen or not, the small amount of oxygen in the mix is of little consequence so the standard answer is no, nitrox does not reduce narcosis.

 

[HullBlister]

Whether you subscribe to the theory that oxygen affects narcosis to the same degree as nitrogen or not, the small amount of oxygen in the mix is of little consequence so the standard answer is no, nitrox does not reduce narcosis.

OK - nitrogen at depth = nitrogen narcosis (very simplified I know).

For argument's sake, there is 21% O2 and 78% N2 in a given volume of air.

If we increase the O2 to 32% we can then assume that the N2 has been effectively reduced to 67%. Obviously if you have EAN36 (or higher) that much more N2 would be displaced.

If there is less N2 then why isn't there a lessening of the narcotic effect of the N2. Less drug makes you less high...

I'm just tryin' to get more smarter...

Thanks!
Blister

 

[wedivebc]

OK - nitrogen at depth = nitrogen narcosis (very simplified I know).

For argument's sake, there is 21% O2 and 78% N2 in a given volume of air.

If we increase the O2 to 32% we can then assume that the N2 has been effectively reduced to 67%. Obviously if you have EAN36 (or higher) that much more N2 would be displaced.

If there is less N2 then why isn't there a lessening of the narcotic effect of the N2. Less drug makes you less high...

I'm just tryin' to get more smarter...

Thanks!
Blister

Yes but how deep can you go with 36%? Are you likely to feel narcosis on air at that depth? The deeper you go the less O2 you can add to your mix therefore the less effect the oxygen offset would have (if any).
Any effect of reduced narcosis from nitrox is negated by the small amounts you would have at depths where it mattered.
Now if you really want to experience the effects try diving a rebreather to 100ft and letting the PO2 swing from .4 to 1.3. Then you will really feel the difference oxygen makes.

 

[peterbj7]

I'd recognize a "Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy" quote anywhere!

I hope Douglas Adams would have forgiven the deliberate mis-quote, but it seemed so appropriate!

On the question of oxygen narcosis, authorities are divided on whether it actually exists, and if it does what its extent is. I believe its effect is negligible at recreational depths, so that at a given depth there will be less narcosis with nitrox than with air.

But theory dictates that below about 50 mtr air used as diluent in a CCR becomes more narcotic than when used for OC, and even at 60 mtr using air in a CCR I've never noticed any significant effect. So maybe my experiences aren't typical.

 

[HullBlister]

Yes but how deep can you go with 36%? Are you likely to feel narcosis on air at that depth? The deeper you go the less O2 you can add to your mix therefore the less effect the oxygen offset would have (if any).
Any effect of reduced narcosis from nitrox is negated by the small amounts you would have at depths where it mattered.
Now if you really want to experience the effects try diving a rebreather to 100ft and letting the PO2 swing from .4 to 1.3. Then you will really feel the difference oxygen makes.

Now I understand.

Thank you.

Blister