PADI AOW - Narcosis Training?

[sigxbill]

Most AOW isn't really much training. That is why the dives are called "adventure dives." They are just experience dives with the warm fuzzy feeling of being with an instructor. It is questionable if one "deep" dive actually increases one's qualification to dive 12m deeper. The way 'deep' is traditionally taught with the whole calculation thing is kind of a silly exercise - so no - you didn't miss anything.

The most popular mantra of deep air divers is that narcosis affects other people differently, and the same people different on different dives - except for me - and that I can learn to dive narced. Narcosis is real, and if one is being honest with themselves and is in tune with their bodies, one can consistently start to feel the beginnings of narcosis buzz within AOW deep depths. Only you can decide if diving narced is for you. I had completed many classes and hundreds of narced dives of denial before I finally decided to be honest with myself.

Cheers

 

[EireDiver606]

I think you will find narcosis affects you differently in different conditions and temperatures and at different workloads as much as at different depths.

Also visibility.

 

[EireDiver606]

And on different days, your personal susceptibility can change dramatically.

The real issue is understanding that you are impaired, the the amount of impairment you are experiencing, and what is needed to mitigate that impairment. I learned this from mentors a considerable time ago, and actually how to deal with narcosis was not really covered in the Deep class I took.


Bob

You can’t really “deal” with narcosis as a lot of divers think. No disrespect, just in case newer divers think you can get used to it. Just breather a better gas.

 

[boulderjohn]

My main problem is that I've never been drunk, so it's unclear to me what the described "drunk" feeling is like. I felt the same at depth.

In my experiences, I have never felt anything like being drunk. In fact, I don't feel different at all. As I said, the only times I have realized I was suffering from narcosis was when I was aware enough of what was happening to realize I was being particularly stupid. I will describe the most glaring example so you will know what I mean.

I was inside a wreck in Chuuk, with a buddy and a guide. I was wearing a conventional regulator set, with the standard over the right shoulder regulator hose, octo under the right arm, and console clipped on the lower left. Our guide led us through a hole in the bulkhead, and I saw a small pipe hanging down from the upper right side. I very alertly saw that it would be easy to catch the regulator hose on it, so I resolved to be careful. My buddy went through next, and, sure enough,he snagged his regulator hose, pulled it down to free it, and went through. I went through, and I caught my regulator hose. When I felt the tug, I thought, "I've caught a hose. Which one is it?" When I figured out it was the regulator hose, I wondered if I should pull it up or down to get it free. At that point I thought, "These are really easy questions. I should know the answer to them. I must be narced."

So I would judge that I was seriously narced at that point, but I felt perfectly fine. If I had not snagged that hose, I would have reported that I had not had a trace of narcosis during the dive.

 

[rsingler]

When I took my Deep Specialty dive to 130 feet, passing 120 for the first time was associated with a distinctly prickly feeling on the back of my neck. It was different enough that it made me anxious. I thought to myself, if I have to dive like this all the time below 120', I don't think I'll do that. I didn't really even want to do the second dive. I didn't like the feeling.
But I wanted the cert, and didn't want to waste my money, so I went right in for #2, feeling kindof resigned.
Long story short, I didn't feel a thing the second time, and thought, "Hey, this is a breeze." But when my Instructor gestured a little more brusquely the second time, for me to check my SPG and NDL, it dawned on me that I was still stupid.

 

[Bob DBF]

You can’t really “deal” with narcosis as a lot of divers think. No disrespect, just in case newer divers think you can get used to it. Just breather a better gas.

Well, better gasses were not available at the time. Thinking you can deal with narcosis is a bit different than actually making the dives. There were a lot of divers that managed narcosis to do the dives they needed to do at the time, I believe Costeau was one of them.

Today there are choices in gear, gas, and training that was not available decades ago, and I have no problem with divers using the modern conviences. I would do tech training myself if I was still doing the bigger dives, but it's getting less frequent for me to break 130', I am getting a bit older and restrain myself more as time passes.


Bob

 

[TMHeimer]

I haven't been deep diving for a long while, but don't recall feeling any different at 100' or 130', etc. when I was doing those dives. But I may have been narced. Who knows, I am always concentrating on collecting shells, so maybe never noticed.--everybody's different.

 

[Bob DBF]

I haven't been deep diving for a long while, but don't recall feeling any different at 100' or 130', etc. when I was doing those dives. But I may have been narced. Who knows, I am always concentrating on collecting shells, so maybe never noticed.--everybody's different.

I was told by one of my mentors, the real problem with narcosis is not knowing you are narked, then finding out during an emergency that you are. That surprise may last long enough to kill you.


Bob

 

[EireDiver606]

I was told by one of my mentors, the real problem with narcosis is not knowing you are narked, then finding out during an emergency that you are. That surprise may last long enough to kill you.


Bob

+1

 

[DerekR]

I was told by one of my mentors, the real problem with narcosis is not knowing you are narked, then finding out during an emergency that you are. That surprise may last long enough to kill you.
Bob

Back in the '70's, one of our "advanced" dives was to bounce to the max depth that we could follow instructions. I had zero indication that there was any change, except that I felt more serene and confident - all the way to the point that I forgot to put the regulator back into my mouth after blowing tiny bubbles! The safety diver literally put their hand over mine and guided it back into my mouth. I didn't feel drunk. I didn't feel anything in particular, except calm, serene and stupid! And it all happened quite suddenly and within 20 feet.