N2 Narcosis or O2 Tox?

[Doc Harry]

Thanks for input Diving Dox, String, Wildcard, howarde, amascuba, texdiveguy, Dandy Don and realdiver7.

I don't have a lot of experience - just over 100 dives - and I've experienced N2 narcosis only once before. Since I was playing with nitrox I thought I'd better fully understand my experience as I explore my personal diving envelope.

Funny, the first time I experienced N2 narcosis I really felt confused. I couldn't understand the numbers on the compass dial or computer.

This time I did not feel confused - I seemed to be running numbers in my head with ease - but physically my body had a very strange sensation.

Thanks String for the clarification on END and EAD.

Amascuba, I agree, I've probably been narc'd on other dives but task loading was such that I didn't notice it.

So 20 out of 100 of my dives were below 90 feet and I've only noticed N2 narcosis twice. Is that typical?

Thanks again.

 

[String]

Not abnormal.

Doesnt mean you werent narced - it just means you didnt notice. Especially if you didnt know exactly what to look for.

You may well find now you notice it more as you're more aware of the symptoms.

 

[Cacia]

classic narcosis.

I don't think O2 tox presents that way.

Narcosis really hits me around 80- 100 ft. I only give myself ten minutes at 100 feet, because I know I will not be clear. I am high diving at 100 feet, almost always.

In AOW, they do this exercise where you play with a puzzle or do some math at depth just to emphasize the point to you that you are impaired even when not aware. Try it sometime. Do some long division on a slate and then try it at 100 feet. My compass really can confuse me at depth, on something simple shallow.

 

[DandyDon]

I have never felt a hard narc, and I've been below 100 many times, too far once. For me, it's always a subtle feeling that I just remind myself must be there, as I never notice it. Perhaps conditioning from my hard drinking days long ago...?

Anyway, it varies with different dives. You'll learn to deal with it with practice.

 

[Diving Doc]

So 20 out of 100 of my dives were below 90 feet and I've only noticed N2 narcosis twice. Is that typical?

Thanks again.

Never know how when how hard this is gonna hit. All you can try and do is prepare as well as possible and cope when it does!

In my experience, there are very few divers who realise they are narced, and i include myself

 

[victor]

The first symptom I notice is anxiety, not necessarly for myself, but a general heightened level.

On one dive it hit at about 80ft and it hit hard, :11: normally it is not noticable until I am below 100. I was tired, probably not properly hydrated. I was breathing hard, uncomfortable, finning like mad, arms going, but going nowhere, buoyany control non-existent.
The only thing that was missing was the jaws theme tune running through my head.
Thumbed the dive and called it a day.

I was fine the next day.