How deep is too deep for Ow diver?
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Tekdiver10
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After OW it was hard for me to get down about 60', because of the cold, limited experience and problems with gear. In on Cozumel on my second dive there I hit 81' with no problems what so ever. I will always remember that dive. Later that week I hit 91' and I could feel the nitogen was effecting my judgement a little, but not much. I feel that the 60' "limit" is fine where it is, due to the fact that divers can start feeling nitrogen narcosis at 60'.
I'm sure that you're probably starting to become affected by N2 in as little as 15 feet of water, but it will vary immensely as to when people actually start to notice it.
Keep in mind that the RSTC set the OW standard at 60fsw and all the members agency's follow suit.
Take the AOW class and maybe even a Deep diver specialty to really gain an understanding of the potential dangers before dismissing them.
Kevin Parkhurst
IDEA Instructor 3402
Take the AOW class and maybe even a Deep diver specialty to really gain an understanding of the potential dangers before dismissing them.
Kevin Parkhurst
IDEA Instructor 3402
Where are you getting this information?
From a physiological standpoint, increased N2 pressure over "normal", which if you consider to be at regular atmospheric pressure, would have some neurological impairment at just about any level above normal (and in theory, any depth below zero since partial N2 pressures increase over normal as soon as you start descending). The slowing of nerve impulses from inert gases under pressure on the body is not unique to N2, but occurs with other biologically inert gases too (but not He). Whether this neurological impairment can be considered significant or not is a matter of perspective. Consider taking a sip of alcohol. The amount would likely to be insignificant to be considered legally impaired, for example, but there is still a physiological effect nonetheless.
Much of this information can be found on Medline.
Much of this information can be found on Medline.
As a follow up to this, I was reading a recent paper regarding the study of increased N2 pressures (resulting in higher dissolved N2)on cell membranes. The study out of St. Petersburg hypothesizes that the increased solution of N2 in the blood will affect cell membranes as N2 is dissolved in these membranes, possibly affecting how nerve impulses are formulated and/or propogated. Studies of Nitrogen narcosis on rats have also shown that the use of some flavanoids such as Quercitin have had a resistance effect. My guess is it has somehow to do with the anti-oxidant effects of the quercitin, but I am only speculating on this.
IndigoBlue
Contributor
When I teach new basic O/W students, I explain to them regarding the 60 ft standard, but then I encourage them to use 50 ft as their maximum instead.
Then I encourage them to seek a nitrox course if they want to dive from 50 ft to 100 ft.
And I further explain that 100 ft to 200 ft is in the realm of normoxic trimix [TMX 21/35] and that 200 ft to 400 ft is in the realm of hypoxic trimix [TMX 15/40 etc] and that these depths are technical diving depths, from 100 ft on, even though the literature reflects 130 ft as an arbitrary nebulous standard.
We teach all of these courses at our facility, therefore it is a good orientation for them, so that they appreciate the depth limits of 50 ft, 100 ft, 200 ft, and 400 ft respectively, and so that they will seek the appropriate training for the type of diving they are interested in doing.
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