Narcosis, Nitrox and Trimix

[SmileMon]

Hi,

Sorry for the long post, but that issue was loaded and still fresh in my mind right now so I've included all the details I remembered...

I had my first experience with Nitrogen Narcosis today, it took me by surprise although it was the dive plan.

I got down to 70 feet, felt ok, was a bit shaky (I'm always shaky when I dive after work), then my instructor signalled down for all of us to get to 100 feet, went there and didn't know what I'm doing there..

Then he reminded me that I've asked to try my pony reg at 100 feet, so I took a few moments to relax and took my reg out, tried the pony reg and all I got was water mixed with some air, so I switched back forgetting that I actually need to purge the thing (I was purging with what ever left in my lungs instead of pushing the purge button), then some water went into my mask and I didn't understand why I see all fuzzy, then I remembered that I'm not supposed to have water in my mask so I cleared it.

I wasn't even diving Air, I was diving 30% Nitrox, is it worse with air?

I was checking my guages every few seconds and didn't understand what the numbers were saying except for a rule I've set to myself before the dive that once I get to 1300 PSI I start surfacing if fuzzyness like this happens.
The instructor was more responsible than I was and I've found myself doing the safety stop at 60 feet feeling still fuzzy and warm and not knowing exactly what happened.
Eventually I surfaced with 1500 psi.
I have to say that we continued with the dive plan after that experience, which involved going through a hole in the wreck to the other side, landing on the sand and looking at the prop of the wreck, the prop was really nice but I remember that at the time I didn't really care about the prop and was more interested to check that my buddy is close by and he wasn't lost..

He said I performed well under those conditions, but I can't help but think that Narcosis is ok if you're ok, but bad if some kind of emergency happens.

What do the experienced divers do here when they want to go lets say to 130 feet?
How come NAUI allows you to go to 130 feet if you're getting narced beyond safety?
What am I supposed to do if I'm narc'ed, breathing Nitrox, I will never notice any of the oxygen toxicity symptoms or even know what they mean...

I asked him about Trimix, he said that he can take me through that course, but Trimix has its drawbacks too, like cold hard breathing and other risks that he'll go through in the course. In your opinion, is this something I want to persue or Narcosis is like alcohol, the more you drink the more resistant you are to its effects?

After the dive I described it as a nightmare, exciting, fun, panic, fuzzy, nice and weird and that I never want to experience it again (the responsible me was talking), but when we got back to the dock the first question I had is when do I have another narcosis experience... I think I'm infected with the diving madness..

One last thing, after the deep dive, about 1 hour SI, we had a night dive, I still felt like I'm a little bit narc'ed is that normal or just shock?

I appreciate any input you can give me.

 

[Cacia]

it is karmic debt for posting the breastfeeding thread.

Sounds like you were having some narcosis but don't rule out a medical condition if you are still not feeling right.

 

[TSandM]

The answer to your question about why agencies say you can go to "x" feet is that we are all different in our susceptibility to narcosis. And it can vary from day to day, and condition to condition. It is not a benign state. It can seriously affect your ability to cope with anything out of the ordinary. My Fundies instructor told me a story about his inability to function under narcosis at 100 feet that chilled me.

The willingness to submerge, even after you've realized how impaired you can be, and how dangerous that could be, is the diving addiction.

I'm an ER doc, and I see the people who have "adapted" to high alcohol levels. They can walk straight and talk clearly, but I would not ride in a car with any of them. Similarly, I think people who "adapt" to narcosis can improve their level of function, but I'd still not buddy with someone diving air beyond a certain level. MY level is 100 feet. Others may vary.

You got a great experience in seeing what narcosis can do to you, and how it feels, without running undue risk. Now you have a respect for depth which will serve you well.

 

[SmileMon]

Right now I feel great catherine, so I guess its not a medical problem..

I do respect depth right now, I didn't think its going to be that big of a problem to me but the combination of the thermocline (8 degrees) and the narcosis did wonders, I was cold and confused..

Next time I'm taking my vest, replacing my pony reg and be mentally prepared for it, I thought its going to be like alcohol, and I'm always under control with alcohol, I don't drive under its effects though.

I was under control with the Narcosis too (fact is, I continued my dive plan, just didn't really "see" the fish and was more staring at them), but the fact that I didn't realize what the numbers ment on my guages makes me wonder...

And what's wrong with the breastfeeding thread? I thought it was very interesting.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Hi,

I asked him about Trimix, he said that he can take me through that course, but Trimix has its drawbacks too, like cold hard breathing and other risks that he'll go through in the course. In your opinion, is this something I want to persue or Narcosis is like alcohol, the more you drink the more resistant you are to its effects?

Trimix isn't any colder to breath than air or nitrox and it's easier to breath.

 

[CameronMartz]

I asked him about Trimix, he said that he can take me through that course, but Trimix has its drawbacks too, like cold hard breathing and other risks that he'll go through in the course.

If you are accurately relaying what he told you about helium, then find a different instructor for Trimix. <g>

For what it's worth, I feel the effects of narcosis starting at about 80 feet. By 100ft on nitrox, I do not like the sensation at all.

Cameron

 

[Green_Manelishi]

Hi,

Sorry for the long post, but that issue was loaded and still fresh in my mind right now so I've included all the details I remembered...

I had my first experience with Nitrogen Narcosis today, it took me by surprise although it was the dive plan.

I got down to 70 feet, felt ok, was a bit shaky (I'm always shaky when I dive after work), then my instructor signalled down for all of us to get to 100 feet, went there and didn't know what I'm doing there..

Then he reminded me that I've asked to try my pony reg at 100 feet, so I took a few moments to relax and took my reg out, tried the pony reg and all I got was water mixed with some air, so I switched back forgetting that I actually need to purge the thing (I was purging with what ever left in my lungs instead of pushing the purge button), then some water went into my mask and I didn't understand why I see all fuzzy, then I remembered that I'm not supposed to have water in my mask so I cleared it.

I wasn't even diving Air, I was diving 30% Nitrox, is it worse with air?

I was checking my guages every few seconds and didn't understand what the numbers were saying except for a rule I've set to myself before the dive that once I get to 1300 PSI I start surfacing if fuzzyness like this happens.
The instructor was more responsible than I was and I've found myself doing the safety stop at 60 feet feeling still fuzzy and warm and not knowing exactly what happened.
Eventually I surfaced with 1500 psi.
I have to say that we continued with the dive plan after that experience, which involved going through a hole in the wreck to the other side, landing on the sand and looking at the prop of the wreck, the prop was really nice but I remember that at the time I didn't really care about the prop and was more interested to check that my buddy is close by and he wasn't lost..

He said I performed well under those conditions, but I can't help but think that Narcosis is ok if you're ok, but bad if some kind of emergency happens

What do the experienced divers do here when they want to go lets say to 130 feet?
How come NAUI allows you to go to 130 feet if you're getting narced beyond safety?
What am I supposed to do if I'm narc'ed, breathing Nitrox, I will never notice any of the oxygen toxicity symptoms or even know what they mean...

I asked him about Trimix, he said that he can take me through that course, but Trimix has its drawbacks too, like cold hard breathing and other risks that he'll go through in the course. In your opinion, is this something I want to persue or Narcosis is like alcohol, the more you drink the more resistant you are to its effects?

After the dive I described it as a nightmare, exciting, fun, panic, fuzzy, nice and weird and that I never want to experience it again (the responsible me was talking), but when we got back to the dock the first question I had is when do I have another narcosis experience... I think I'm infected with the diving madness..

One last thing, after the deep dive, about 1 hour SI, we had a night dive, I still felt like I'm a little bit narc'ed is that normal or just shock?

I appreciate any input you can give me.

As several others have pointed out, narcosis can vary from dive to dive and situation to situation. Same can be said for ox-tox and DCI; one day you are fine, the next you are not. Yes, as you stated, if all is well, then everything can be well even if you are narced. But if/when it turns to crap you want to be as clear headed as possible.

Helium will certainly alleviate much of the narcosis (depending on depth and helium content) but it will do nothing for skills. It also is expensive and tends to add to the equipment that you will need to carry; you do not want to use trimix in your drysuit so you'll carry a separate bottle for suit inflation.

My personal narcosis limit is 100 feet and even that is too deep under the right conditions; especially considering that much of the diving I do is solo. After one too many experiences with narcosis I became a trimix pirate. But that's another story.

 

[mogwai]

You will find that narcosis can vary when it hits. From depth to time to all sorts of things can affect this. Have been hit hard with narcosis a coupleo ftimes. Hard enough for me to think 'what the ******' and not very comfortable. Even went for one dive in the Red Sea got narced so badly at 30 metres that was ready to turn the dive when fortuntely enough my buddy did. Seemingly we passed a large shoal of Banner Fish at 28 metres but can't even rememember seeing them. Buddy had photographic evidence to prove it It happens, experience helps you deal with it. Sometimes you get hit worse than other times. Sometimes you may not even think you are narced. General concensus is even if you think your are not, you are to some degree. Think in general it is a case of learning to handle it, but thats just my thoughts.