Have you ever been narced?

[H2Andy]

Have your narcosis symptoms ever been severe enough for
you to notice? If yes, at what depth? What were the symptoms? What happened?

The first time I [realized I was] narced was at 110 feet, diving the North Wall
in the Grand Caymans.

It felt a little like getting dizzy. Things seemed to start spinning slowly,
but not really spinning, just woozy. I remember thinking, "Darn, I am
going to pass out." Then I remembered nitrogen narcosis, and I thought,
that's got to be it.

I went up to about 90 feet, and sure enough, I felt good right away.

Since then, I have quit smoking, and have been down to 120 feet quite
a few times (121 feet is my max depth at the moment). each time, i have
felt that woozy feeling to one degree or another. also, i've noticed
that i slow down and that everything just seems "harder" to do: thinking,
moving, reaching for the line.

 

[Diver0001]

If yes, at what depth? What were the symptoms? What happened?

The first time I got narced was at 110 feet, diving the North Wall
in the Grand Caymans.

It felt a little like getting dizzy. Things seemed to start spinning slowly,
but not really spinning, just woozy. I remember thinking, "Darn, I am
going to pass out." Then I remembered nitrogen narcosis, and I thought,
that's got to be it.

I went up to about 90 feet, and sure enough, I felt good right away.

Since then, I have quit smoking, and have been down to 120 feet quite
a few times (121 feet is my max depth at the moment). each time, i have
felt that woozy feeling to one degree or another. also, i've noticed
that i slow down and that everything just seems "harder" to do: thinking,
moving, reaching for the line.

I feel as happy as a pig in proverbial poo-poo every pretty much every time I go deeper than about 120ft. (on air). I move slow all the time so I don't notice much of a difference on that.

R..

 

[DandyDon]

I'm glad that someone else brought this up. I've been down in the 100 to 135 foot range several times, and I have just never noticed any changes. Not happening, or not safe because it is and I don't realize it?

I've read that the effect starts slightly as soon as we submerge, and get straonger with increases in depth. Am I just dealing with it well, or what?

thanks, don

 

[archman]

It has always been my understanding that most people cannot tell if they are "narced" or not, unless they're REALLY NARCED. After all narcosis symptoms are fairly similar to those for drinking alcohol, and how many people believe their judgement is affected after downing a few beers?

I've heard (on this board) of instructors who took their advanced classes down deep and made them perform skilled tasks, in order for them to judge their impairment of brain functions due to narcosis. The argument was forwarded that clear-cut tests such as this were the only true way to hammer home the dangers of narcosis.

Personally I've never felt narced myself.

 

[Walter]

"The first time I got narced was at 110 feet, diving the North Wall
in the Grand Caymans."

That's only true if that was your first ever dive. It may be the first time you noticed symptoms, but it certainly wasn't the first time you were narced. There is a measurable impairment at 30 ft. I've only felt symptoms of narcosis twice, but I've been narced on every dive and so has every one else. That is, all dives not on heliox.

 

[H2Andy]

hmmmmmmmm.... ok, how about, "the first time my narcosis symptoms were severe
enough for me to notice?"

 

[plsdiver4377]

Just once that I positively know of. It was at 110' in Bonaire a week ago. I'm sure I have been before, but to a lesser degree that I didn't notice the change. The feeling was one of slight detachment (as if everything moved a couple of feet further away than normal). It was rather strange that when I moved up or down the feeling seem to disappear. My wife seems to 'feel' narced more often than I do, as well as a little shallower 90-95' range. I must say the feeling is extremely interesting and not unpleasant (at least in warm clear water).

 

[archman]

My wife seems to 'feel' narced more often than I do, as well as a little shallower 90-95' range.

Ha ha! Your wife is a "lightweight!"

I just had to say it!

 

[Warren_L]

Narc'd only once, on my first dive on the Keystorm just out of Rockport. At about 110'. My subsequent dive was fine.

 

[plsdiver4377]

Ha ha! Your wife is a "lightweight!"

I just had to say it!

Oh yeah! It doesn't take much for her to get a little tipsy either, :uptosome: but then I shouldn't be telling on her.