PSAI Narcosis Management course - 73m on air

[CDNScubaMoose]

My (non-expert) suspicion is that he wouldn't be adding more N₂. At 3m (from a 73m dive) I suspect he'll still have positive offgasing gradients. Rather, he'll be removing inert gases with less efficiency.

Oops - my bad, that is what I meant to say. I guess I'm still working on learning to word this type of concept correctly.

Thanks Tortuga68 for your answers. I did read the entire thread but it was a bit heated at times so I apologize for asking this again but, what are the practical issues of surfacing with a stage bottle that you referred to? I recently did a chamber dive and I know that narcosis definitely has an effect on me at depths shallower then I suspected so I can understand your desire to want to manage this better. My solution to this is that I am seriosly looking at a trimix course in the future as I don't personally belief that one can truly learn to manage through narcosis to the point of being able to handle a situation where the brown stuff hits the fan (although perhaps your reasoning is that by better managing narcosis earlier in the dive you are attempting to prevent the brown stuff from hitting the fan in the first place). So final question for you (at least for now - and keep in mind that this is coming from a non-trimix diver who is thinking about going done that route) - what is your reasoning that trimix doesn't offer you enough benefits with your current diving? I know myself that anything over 35m has me impaired to the point I am now concerned about my judgement. What depths do you plan on diving in the near future (I think you said you were diving in the 40-50m range with your advanced nitrox and deco course)?

 

[Blackwood]

what are the practical issues of surfacing with a stage bottle that you referred to?

Maybe cleaning it up (i.e. stowing the stage reg)? It's much easier to do under water than bobbing on the surface.

 

[Hank49]

Instead of trying to pick holes in what I say, why don't you share your own viewpoints where they differ from the ones I express - that would be a little more constructive, don't you think? It's gets a little tiring when people just 'demand' answers to their questions, especially when many of them have either already been covered or are irrelevant

Thanks for sharing your experience. Unfortunately, sharing this type of info on Scubaboard will get you in a s**t storm of criticism. The only mistake you made was staying on and trying to discuss it after your first, informative post.

 

[Tortuga68]

Haha, you might have a point there Hank! But actually I enjoyed the thread for most of the time, and got a couple of PMs from people who are interested in the course but didn't want to get caught up in the '****storm' - so it was worthwhile

Oh, and I have a confession to make - Simon So, the second instructor on the 73m dive, WAS on trimix. Only Mark and I were on air. But I would have done the dive if Simon was on air just the same

As I understand you said you have no plans to dive to the depths that you went to in your PSAI class if this is the case, what do you feel are the accepted limits of air? Or rather to what depths do you plan to dive outside of this class on air?

What depths do you plan on diving in the near future (I think you said you were diving in the 40-50m range with your advanced nitrox and deco course)?

From a 'personal safety' perspective, I would be happy to do 66m on air on a deco dive, based on 1.6 PPO2 - with the correct gases, equipment, stages, dive plan and of course buddy

But it's more common for me to dive to 45-55m because that's where theres stuff to see in the Philippines, which is where do most of my diving. Plus you can get a decent bottom time to have a look around and enjoy the dive

Thanks Tortuga68 for your answers. I did read the entire thread but it was a bit heated at times so I apologize for asking this again but, what are the practical issues of surfacing with a stage bottle that you referred to?

What Blackwood said - on the final ascent I am turning off my stages, stowing the regs, unclipping the stages from my harness and clipping them together, ready to undo the last clip and hand them up to the boat when I get there

what is your reasoning that trimix doesn't offer you enough benefits with your current diving? I know myself that anything over 35m has me impaired to the point I am now concerned about my judgement

If I was doing wreck penetration, overhead environments, cold water and/or limited visibility - all of which contribute to narcosis impairment - then I would reconsider it. I just don't think it's necessary for the type of dives I do... Open water, 28 degrees, good vis, no penetration, no overhead (apart from deco ceiling)

 

[rjack321]

Although you didn't seem to have actually done anything on this course except hold onto a line and track your gauges, I'm glad you have some new found "narcosis management" skills.

8. I don't see the need currently, I found this more interesting. As I said I don't have any reason to do trimix diving at the moment ie there's nowhere that I am diving now that has sites that would make trimix beneficial IMO

Even with these "narcosis management skills" though, you still have zero training and understanding of trimix, its to be expected that you wouldn't know what the benefits might be, even as shallow as the 40m range...

 

[Hank49]

But it's more common for me to dive to 45-55m because that's where theres stuff to see in the Philippines, which is where do most of my diving. Plus you can get a decent bottom time to have a look around and enjoy the dive

I've done a lot of diving there also. There are some unreal deeper wall dives that, with the right tide...they just "turn on" with large pelagics cruising through. 50 meters and big schools of jacks, snapper...hammerheads if you're lucky.
Done some on a semi live aboard with only an air compressor onboard, or just hanging out in the country in Antique...only air.
I understand the benefits of trimix and the safety factor. But I won't miss those type of dives just because it's not there. I also agree that you can't really "train" for narcosis. Sometimes I get hit way worse than others. Why? Who knows?

 

[Tortuga68]

Yeah I've done Verde Island wall, only down to 50m, but it goes to 90m or so - really nice dive. But mostly I dive around Puerto Galera and there aren't a lot of pelagics there unfortunately, it would be really cool to see some of the things you mention

Although you didn't seem to have actually done anything on this course except hold onto a line and track your gauges, I'm glad you have some new found "narcosis management" skills.

Even with these "narcosis management skills" though, you still have zero training and understanding of trimix, its to be expected that you wouldn't know what the benefits might be, even as shallow as the 40m range...

Well why don't you start a thread titled 'Why trimix fixes everything' then you can post your sarcastic smarta** comments there instead of in my thread, where you have contributed nothing else

 

[Mike Edmonston]

Well why don't you start a thread titled 'Why trimix fixes everything' then you can post your sarcastic smarta** comments there instead of in my thread, where you have contributed nothing else

Tortuga,

I don't see how Rjack was insulting you. There's a saying that states: "You don't know what you don't know"

I would also assume that since you have no Trimix training, you would not know the why's and how's of that gas. That is not an insult.

I have no formal surgical training, therefore I don't know how to remove an appendix. It's a fact, not an insult to me.

I know that we are just "screen names" on the boards, but you might want to refrain from alienating people. Rjack actually knows what he's doing, and you can learn quite a bit from his experience. Maybe one day you'll end up diving with board posters, and it would be nice to start on a happy and friendly note.

Cheers,

 

[netmage]

I know that we are just "screen names" on the boards, but you might want to refrain from alienating people. Rjack actually knows what he's doing, and you can learn quite a bit from his experience. Maybe one day you'll end up diving with board posters, and it would be nice to start on a happy and friendly note.

Diving...?

He's still just hanging on a line....

 

[Mike Edmonston]

Diving...?

He's still just hanging on a line....

I've been known to hang on a line for HOURS during a dive..

I've even been lazy enough to use a Jon line once or twice

Admit it... You're guilty too

Cheers,