i got narked

[creamofwheat]

So I went diving last night. We only hit about 80ft, perhaps 85 at the most. We were diving around the top of a wreck, at night, so it was all black. And I had never dove this particular wreck before. I was full of anxiety underwater, checking my guages every 30 seconds and worrying that i was almost out of air. i was paranoid i was going to lose my buddy, but i was more paranoid about my air and depth. everything was just paranoia paranoia paranoia. i remember thinking to myself a few times "WHY are you so anxious you weirdo? You've gone diving at night before, you've been deeper than this before, WHY ARE YOU ANXIOUS? You can breathe!!! see....in...out...in...out" Underwater, i just guessed it was because it was a creepy-falling-apart-wreck. But even in new environments, i tend to totally just relax. this was not my normal "dive style". anyway, once we were on the surface, it hit me: "duh, you were narked you idiot" but the thought never once occurred to me underwater. and narcosis really doesnt make sense at all. i mean, i've been to 95ft and have been fine, but it really got me last night at 80ft.

anyway, it was a learning experience for sure. now i think i may have a better idea of what to look for when it comes to narcosis. not exactly the relaxing and/or exciting dive i was expecting, but a new interesting experience, to say the least.

 

[nolatom]

could have indeed been narcosis, might've been just anxiety at a new situation, darkness, a little disorientation, might've been a little of both. It it got better when you ascended 10 or 15 then likely it was narcosis.

 

[ianr33]

It was narcosis. Thats how it hits me,nothing dramatic,just a sense of unease. I remember one dive at Mansfield Dam on Lake Travis,we were at about 90 feet,cruising along the face of the dam,pitch black and another 100 feet of water below us. I remember thinking that my buddy could just drop down into the blackness and never be seen again.That thought was with me all the dive. Took me a while to realise that it was the nitrogen talking .

In clear blue water I get the same feeling at 150 feet,a little voice telling me "hey,this is deep,you could die down here"

 

[ItsBruce]

What you describe are indeed symptoms of nitrogen narcosis. From what I understand, the circumstances of the dive play a part in its onset and symptoms. Of course, you will rarely realize it at the time. Next time it happens go up 10 or 15 feet (slowly) and see if the symptoms subside.

 

[ScubaSixString]

So I went diving last night. We only hit about 80ft, perhaps 85 at the most. We were diving around the top of a wreck, at night, so it was all black. And I had never dove this particular wreck before. I was full of anxiety underwater, checking my guages every 30 seconds and worrying that i was almost out of air. i was paranoid i was going to lose my buddy, but i was more paranoid about my air and depth. everything was just paranoia paranoia paranoia. i remember thinking to myself a few times "WHY are you so anxious you weirdo? You've gone diving at night before, you've been deeper than this before, WHY ARE YOU ANXIOUS? You can breathe!!! see....in...out...in...out" Underwater, i just guessed it was because it was a creepy-falling-apart-wreck. But even in new environments, i tend to totally just relax. this was not my normal "dive style". anyway, once we were on the surface, it hit me: "duh, you were narked you idiot" but the thought never once occurred to me underwater. and narcosis really doesnt make sense at all. i mean, i've been to 95ft and have been fine, but it really got me last night at 80ft.

anyway, it was a learning experience for sure. now i think i may have a better idea of what to look for when it comes to narcosis. not exactly the relaxing and/or exciting dive i was expecting, but a new interesting experience, to say the least.

I'll spare you the details, but lets just say I was somewhere I had no business being, at 85 feet, and my masked fogged up. If there is one thing I know how to do, its clear a mask. I'm quite comfortable with it. I couldn't see more than about 2 feet in front of me. It was dark. I was in a new environment. And I refused to clear my mask. When we decided to turn the dive and make our way out and up, my dive partner said (later on) i was off like a shot. I don't remember swimming any faster than normal.

I've wondered about the narcosis factor. I was task loaded, in a new environment, and a little anxious.

I've chalked it up to what I've heard termed "dark narcosis" or "cold water narcosis". Narcosis isn't always euphoric.

 

[countryboy]

Cozumel, 130 ft., warm water 100+ vis.. no *noticeable* narcosis..
New England, 120 ft, water ~55 degrees, 10 - 12 ft. vis, narced out of my mind..(U-853)..

I think the darkness / cold had more to do with it than the depth. But remember, it can happen at different depths for different days, conditions.

 

[Cacia]

I have had it where I did not recognize somebody that lived with me. It presented as an altered dream like state. But it did not feel bad. I think it is good to know all the different ways people experience nitrogen narcosis. Who needs drugs?

 

[Atticus]

Deeper dive on air, a little buzz, no problems.. Everythings cool.. Then I started thinking about my ascent and deco schedule and why I shouldn't be diving deep on air and whammo immediate hard narc. Psychological state has a lot to do with it.

So repeat after me... Trimix is good.. Trimix is good.. Trimix is good..

 

[String]

So repeat after me... Trimix is good.. Trimix is good.. Trimix is good..

Trimix is unaffordable... Trimix is unaffordable... Trimix is unaffordable...

Deep air will always be used while trimix costs near 10x the amount as air/nitrox for same dive.

 

[drbill]

I've dived to 182' with little noticeable narcosis. However the degree of exertion can influence the onset of narcosis by increasing the uptake of air (including nitrogen). My dives are generally very low exertion even at depth since I'm a videographer.

If you were anxious to begin with, in cold water (where air intake is usually higher), and exerting yourself on the dive you could easily experience narcosis when dives to deeper depths under less physically demanding or anxiety-prone conditions and warm water might not.