Handling Narcosis

[waterpirate]

Since we are talking about narcosis, Who can be a help to an admitadely math challenged diver.
I need laymans terms/ formula for computing the END when adding helium to the mix. Profiles will be within rec limits with no obligation. I have tried and tried, and I just can't get my brain wrapped around the math.
Eric

 

[dkatchalov]

After 15 dives on the same wreck in Vanuatu i had worked my way down thru all the ship except to the stern. When i dived the stern(non-penetration) i got down to a max of 64m and was fine to start with(~220ish feet i think) tho after a few mins i felt like i was on strong drugs(strong extacy mixed with NOS for anyone in the know), i can say it was truly spiny as. It was kind of a mental struggle in your brain to keep it focused on what your original plan was rather than swimming off after some brightly colored fish who just talked to you. That and i was getting interesting sound effects that are hard to explain.

After a couple of mins down around the 60m mark we raised to 55m to use up the other 10 mins bottom time(haha we were doing laps of the swimming pool so we were probably still a bit narked) tho i felt so much more sober than down that bit deeper. I was diving in a 3mm shorty in 26oC water with 50m vis and no current.

I'm assuming this is the Coolidge you were diving? If what you are describing was done on air, you are well and truly an idiot.

Was this done on a single 80 as well?

Do you know what you PPO2 was at that depth?

I understand the many pioneers of scuba (Gary Gentile, etc) diving Andrea Doria, etc. on air. These guys have a few more dives than "50-99" under their belt and they well and truly know how their body responds to deep air. But amateurs doing the same thing?

 

[dkatchalov]

Here's a question related to this topic.

I did two dives to about 105fsw yesterday. I did not feel noticeably narced at those depths. I could function normally and did not feel any strange urges to go deeper, longer, faster, etc. I also did not feel the sudden urge to donate my primary reg to an OOA fish swimming past me. Note that these are my first dives below 90fsw after completing my AOW two weeks ago (AOW only went to 90fsw given one of the guys was severly low on air and the instructor turned the dive).

So what are the more subtle symptoms of being narced that people have experienced?

 

[do it easy]

So what are the more subtle symptoms of being narced that people have experienced?

I like to donate my primary to the fish at 20'

I would say some of the subtle effects of narcosis are perceptual narrowing, such as fixating on the depth gauge or timer; lack of awareness, such as reading your SPG, but not registering/remembering what it reads; and just a general loss of common sense, such as abandoning the plan.

Some examples of narced behavior:

A group of us descended together along a wall and as soon as we got to depth, one guy started swimming towards the middle of the lake. He thought he was following the group, but in fact he as all by himself. Once we regrouped, I was leading the dive and looked over to another buddy- he was staring at his depth gauge. Later on he told me he was fixated on the flashing colon on the dive time. I got his attention and I flashed him a sideways OK. He thought I signaled a 3, so he flashed me a 4, and then a 2. (This was a mental exercise- before the dive we agree to go up or down. If we say up, then if I signal a 4, he should flash 5, etc.)

On another dive, one diver was leading the group and was responsible for turning the dive after 10 minutes. At the 10 minute mark, he just kept on swimming merrily along. We stopped him at 11 minutes. This was a simulated deco dive, but had it been a real dive, he would have blown the plan and probably just swam until he got cold or ran out of gas.

A friend of mine was diving stupid deep air (there's deep air and then there is stupid deep air). He knows he was on the wreck and did the dive, but he can't remember anything about it. He's not fuzzy about the details, he literally can't remember. I think the air at those depths had a similar effect as laughing gas.

 

[dkatchalov]

Very interesting post DIE, thanks.

On the first of the 105fsw dives I was fairly fixed (i.e. checking regularly) on my NDL. Just as well because my computer only gives me 16 mins of NDL at that depth and I signalled ascent with 2 mins remaining. But I don't think this was narced behaviour.

 

[Rickg]

I'm told that there have been some studies that indicate people who routinely drink alcohol (1-2 drinks a day) seem to be able to "handle" the effects of narcosis better than teatotalers.

Having never spent and extended period where I didn't routinely partake I have no point of reference to compare it to.

Rickg

 

[dkatchalov]

Interesting. I generally have 1-2 beers after work. Not every day, but maybe 4-5 days a week.

 

[Blind]

I'm assuming this is the Coolidge you were diving? If what you are describing was done on air, you are well and truly an idiot.

Was this done on a single 80 as well?

Do you know what you PPO2 was at that depth?

I understand the many pioneers of scuba (Gary Gentile, etc) diving Andrea Doria, etc. on air. These guys have a few more dives than "50-99" under their belt and they well and truly know how their body responds to deep air. But amateurs doing the same thing?

Yep it was the Coolidge, what a great dive aye. It was just me and a dive guide. I had single 80 with a 30pony. He had doubles and a pony. Honestly i know what your saying but i only did it as i had worked my way down to that depth and yes it was on air.

Haha, you must feel better for trying to burn an amateur like me for doing something silly but if you were diving that wreck with us you might see different. I love to dive and except thats its dangerous.

Oh and its 75 dives now and about half of them are solo.

 

[texdiveguy]

Yep it was the Coolidge, what a great dive aye. It was just me and a dive guide. I had single 80 with a 30pony. He had doubles and a pony. Honestly i know what your saying but i only did it as i had worked my way down to that depth and yes it was on air.

Haha, you must feel better for trying to burn an amateur like me for doing something silly but if you were diving that wreck with us you might see different. I love to dive and except thats its dangerous.

Oh and its 75 dives now and about half of them are solo.

Also post #20

Probably not your smartest move so far in your limited diving career.

 

[dkatchalov]

Yep it was the Coolidge, what a great dive aye. It was just me and a dive guide. I had single 80 with a 30pony. He had doubles and a pony. Honestly i know what your saying but i only did it as i had worked my way down to that depth and yes it was on air.

Haha, you must feel better for trying to burn an amateur like me for doing something silly but if you were diving that wreck with us you might see different. I love to dive and except thats its dangerous.

Oh and its 75 dives now and about half of them are solo.

Hey man, I'm not burning you - just expressing my opinion. I'm even more of an amateur than you (31 dives). I'd never do what you did, but to each their own I guess.