Safety stop : to do or not when panicked?

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I'm sure of it. I know I've been narced, although not as badly, at 105' on the Radeau in Lake George in similar conditions, which is why I wouldn't go back there on Nitrox. CO2 build-up could have been a contributing factor too, as it's extremely narcotic.
Thanks for your reply. Narcosis seems to explain most of what happened. We Still made a couple mistakes as it was pointed out. Any other People were narced in a similar manner?

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---------- Post added August 23rd, 2015 at 09:29 PM ----------

Unless it was free flowing, that gas was being inhaled. If you weren't working hard on that dive (fighting a current, e.g.), then it must be that you were not as mentally comfortable as you thought you were. It, too, could be related to narcosis.

That's something to consider when planning your next deep dive. Also, keep it in mind during your dive to check your breathing pattern.
Good point. One thing I Just realized I might not have mentionned is the fact that I was breathing very hard and felt m'y regulator was not giving me enough air... to the point that I played with the ajustement knob... I was breathing as if I Just ran a long sprint.

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Thanks for your reply. Narcosis seems to explain most of what happened. We Still made a couple mistakes as it was pointed out. Any other People were narced in a similar manner?

Envoyé de mon SM-G900W8 en utilisant Tapatalk

---------- Post added August 23rd, 2015 at 09:29 PM ----------


Good point. One thing I Just realized I might not have mentionned is the fact that I was breathing very hard and felt m'y regulator was not giving me enough air... to the point that I played with the ajustement knob... I was breathing as if I Just ran a long sprint.

Envoyé de mon SM-G900W8 en utilisant Tapatalk

Next time you have that feeling, know that it's time to thumb the dive, or at least pause get your breathing under control, and, in either event, watch your gauge like a hungry hawk.
 
I'm sure of it. I know I've been narced, although not as badly, at 105' on the Radeau in Lake George in similar conditions, which is why I wouldn't go back there on Nitrox.

Not sure I understand... are you saying to use trimix for a 105' dive?

CO2 build-up could have been a contributing factor too, as it's extremely narcotic.

Yes, exactly! Here's something interesting about that...
 
Assuming the air is plotted from A.I.? Curious, does it look weird to anyone that during the first 2mins of the dive the air usage during descent appears the same as bottom? wouldn't you expect this to ramp up during this time? or is that typical with colder dives? does it indicate discomfort/stress before the dive, slow leak even?
 
Assuming the air is plotted from A.I.?

Yes this is an Oceanic Atom 3.1 air integrated computer

---------- Post added August 23rd, 2015 at 10:01 PM ----------

Curious, does it look weird to anyone that during the first 2mins of the dive the air usage during descent appears the same as bottom?

Very smart.... I didn't realized the air consumption seems very linear throughout the WHOLE dive...
 
I am stunned! Can't believe it... My computer tells me that I had 1000 psi when I started the ascent... I was at 500 psi at 65 feet...
This doesn't match my memory at all. I know I am going to look stupid but I do want to understand what hapened.

You were Narked! Glad you checked the gauge when you did and headed for the surface.

The cold and excitement could have had you breathing faster but shallower and the CO2 buildup probably brought on the panic. If you are going to burn through a lot of air make sure you are using long deep breaths so your body can get rid of the CO2. About 1.6 between 120' and 60', were you using your BC inflater a lot trying to maintain your ascent rate? Filling and emptying a BC can use a lot of air.

As for narcosis, it can give all kinds of interesting symptoms, but being unaware (narrowing perception), slow, and stupid are are the real killers, IMHO. That's why I mentioned work up dives earlier, You can learn to manage narcosis and thumb the dive before your perception narrows so much that you loose your ability to monitor pressure, depth, and time in order to follow your plan to surface. This is a place a mentor can help a lot.



Bob
--------------------------------------------
I may be old, but I'm not dead yet.
 
The warm, happy, euphoric narc is pretty rare in cold, dark water. What is far more common, at least here in the PNW, is free-floating anxiety and tunnel vision -- lack of situational awareness. One of the things my husband does with the deep dive for his AOW class is to tell the students they are to log their depth and pressure at five minute intervals through the dive. Funny, at about 80 feet or so, most of them start forgetting to do it . . . That's narcosis, and can end up with severe anxiety when somebody realizes they are much deeper than they want to be with the amount of gas they have left, just as you did.

It was good that you did not panic. It was good that the ascent was controlled, and that you made a conscious decision not to do the safety stop, although it appears you probably could have, if you could have calmed yourself at that point.

You nailed most of the lessons here. A dive plan should include a gas plan, and although I do not plan all dives on rule of thirds, as Joel mentioned, I do always calculate a "rock bottom", or the amount of gas that needs to be reserved to get me and my buddy from the deepest point of the dive to the surface, sharing gas. Had you been a little more distracted, you might well have ended up in that situation -- did your buddy have enough gas to get you home? These are important things to consider, particularly on very deep dives like this one.
 
I am just wondering if narcosis could explain the panic and the difference in my perception and the reality...
I did a deep class a few months ago and found I had no idea after the dive what my pressure or NDL was during the actual deep portion of the dive. However the instructor did, so things worked out. I'm not really all that excited to back under 100 on air.
 
I had a similar experience about 174 dives before you did. I have never doubted that I was narc'ed but the CO2 thing was also probably happening. Dark and cold will also cause stress which added to your anxiety. Preparation is the best solution. The thought of the panic cascade effects can add to your anxiety. Plan for the possibility. " What will I do if X happens?"
 
Look up minimum gas or Rock Bottom. Had your buddy come to you needing to share gas at that depth, with only 500 psi in your tank you would have run out long before you got to the surface. I wouldn't consider doing that dive without some helium in the mix and either doubles or my rebreather. You're both lucky.

He hit the surface with 400 lb. so I guess he could have loaned his buddy some too.
 

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