Got Narced at Gilboa - and I thought that I would 'share' (Another Long post)

[Windknot]

Sorry I didnt respond sooner, My notificaitons are all screwed up on this board and didnt realize that you had posted.

How deep -

Only 84'

How Cold?

Dunno, I'm at work and dont have the numbers on my Dive Manager Program here....(Great place to print off the dive summary w/graph using THEIR color printer).....my best guess/recollection is that it was in the mid 40's to 50's at depth.

 

[Windknot]

Glad to offer the post.

I have never been one to hide my feelings (ergo my impending job change....LOL ) nor am I unwilling to admit when I did something wrong.

This board has been an outlet for pacification for me and I have always felt that those who share thier fears, foibles and Foul-ups provide those who have not experienced them a better understanding of what can happen and hopefully better prepare them in the event that it should happen to them.

I can assure you all....as long as I keep screwing up, I'll keep letting you all know :teach:


Wind

 

[Windknot]

Ok.......... I lied, I did have it on my work computer...

Temp at max depth (84') was 41 Deg F

(I was in drysuit with only 5 dives on it...probably was under inflated)




Wind

 

[Rooster1]

Thanks Windknot for the info, the reason I ask is because we were supposed to go to Gilboa next week and specifically train for functioning with Narcosis. The plan was to be 4 students on air+1-2 instructors and about 4 Dive masters on nitrox who are to act as the safety net in case a diver gets in trouble.
Dive was to be to 120 + feet, about 40 degrees and ride the dive table time to the limit. This was to see at what point the divers would be narced if at all and the severity. To see if we could manage ourselves and equipment and throw in a math question to be measured by time. This was part of an Advance class and deep diving to get us the experience of Narcosis so as to experience it first hand with a safety net there instead of learning on your own. Needless to say I am kinda relieved that this will not be taking place next week. Next week just some advance classes and training at Whitestar in Ohio.

 

[Aquamaniac]

Ive been diving for 5 years now, many varying levels (yes im still a newbie).

Until now I was a "macho" man who had never been nark'd.
I dropped to 120 at about 55 degrees last weekend in a quarry, not the first time, and nothing abnormal.
All of a sudden........Where the F*** am I ?????????

It was good to experience it,however spooky it was, now I know what to look out for, glad I was with a good buddy. (thx JL).

The lesson was: Dont ever think your imune, now matter what your experience.

 

[rmediver2002]

We would do 190' wet pot (chamber) runs at the Navy school once in SCUBA and once in surface supplied with each class. We would have two instructors as safety on the SCUBA dive. The day of the deep dives we would not do any physical training with the class. I always assumed this was mostly so muscle strain / injuries would not be mistaken for DCS after the dive.

One day they needed a last minute safety for a surface supplied dive ( these are only two individuals, usually students but one needed a make up dive) I volunteered to make the dive.

At around 160' on decent I could feel the narcosis coming on, most dives you could concentrate through the sensations but this time I felt it just keep increasing in intensity, I developed numbness in my lips and began to feel paranoid I also remember my vision and hearing being affected... By the time we began our ascent (it seemed like an eternity to me...) I was quite consumed with the sensations I was experiencing and don't think I could have performed any complex tasking required...

I did discuss this matter with some staff at the school and reviewed some reference material on research conducted at NEDU on inert gas narcosis because the effect was so much more intense than any I had experienced to that point.

CO2 within the divers tissue can and will increase the effects of narcosis, this was most likely the cause of the increased severity of the narcosis in that instance.

Lesson learned for m... I remember when I began diving they said you could develop a tolerance to narcosis by conducting work up dives but this opinon has become the subject of much debate more recently...

Great thread...

Jeff

 

[MikeFerrara]

Comments on the free flow incedents mentioned a few posts back?

 

[Popeye]

MikeFerrara once bubbled...
Comments on the free flow incedents mentioned a few posts back?

What does it mean?

You guys have terrible gear techs up there, or need a PADI cold water diving specialty.

Dunno what this means:
"One from our group on dive #2....he was at around 85'. He tried to breathe it on the way up, but the air got so cold that he couldn't breathe it anymore....ended up a near disaster...his buddy (another AOW student) had a good deal of previous diving experience and saved his proverbial arse, but it wasn't pretty on the surface or the surface interval."

What is "air too cold to breathe" mean, and how does it relate to poor training?

This does show one really cool thing though:

If the original poster had a $1000 dollar trimix ticket, and a END of 100, let alone 130,

HE STILL WOULD HAVE BEEN NARCED.

Once again showing the foolishness of an arbitrary limit.

Maybe, just maybe, a little experience with narcosis would have given him the necessary tools to handle the situation, or recognise it earlier.

Note Rooster 1's encouraging post, and keep in mind you specifically state such training is useless and dangerous.

Now -there's- an instructor preparing students for the real world, and training of this type will reinforce

BOTH YOUR POINT AND MINE.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Popeye once bubbled...


You guys have terrible gear techs up there, or need a PADI cold water diving specialty.

Have you dived in cold water much? Some of the equipment and techniques divers are using don't work well in cold water especially if it's a little deep. It usually isn't the tchnicians. Ya know maybe I can't prove it but sometimes I get the impression some classes are almost specifically geared for the tropics. fault.

There is no PADI cold water diving specialty other than Ice Diver.

Dunno what this means:
"One from our group on dive #2....he was at around 85'. He tried to breathe it on the way up, but the air got so cold that he couldn't breathe it anymore....ended up a near disaster...his buddy (another AOW student) had a good deal of previous diving experience and saved his proverbial arse, but it wasn't pretty on the surface or the surface interval."


What is "air too cold to breathe" mean, and how does it relate to poor training?

I think in short it means that he was unable to handle a minor problem that he was supposed to have been proficient at before he received his OW card.

 

[Paco]

Thanks everyone. This is one of those threads we talk to new member about when we say that there is so much to be learned here.