Too shallow to get narced?

[freeflowigb]

That isn't proper, you shouldn't have to exert any effort to get air out of your regulator. Turn the knob all the way out and enjoy this feature. It is meant that you breath from the regulator when the knob in the easiest breathing setting. If the second stage leaks air when the knob is all the way out, then it isn't adjusted right. The knob should be slightly at the edge of leaking air but doesn't leak air when open all the way out. You can turn it in just enough to stop any air leak but only just enough to stop the leak. You turn it in all the way if you are on the surface and the second stage is out of your mouth, using snorkel for example, but all the way out if you are breathing from the second stage. Exception will be when you are swimming against current where the current is causing pressure on the diaphragm and making the second stage leak air (I never had to do this before).


At the end, your turning the knob to make it harder to breath from the second stage may very well be the reason you were struggling and going through what you went through especially if you know and felt you had to exert an effort to breath from the SS.

That’s really insightful, gotta love SB, I learn something new every time I post here, thanks!

It never really free flowed on me in open water. But I was playing with it in a 10 feet pool, with the knob all the way out. As I pressed on the purge button to simulate a FF, it would very often not stop, until I turned the knob back. Even if I turned the reg mouthpiece facing the floor. So that’s why I made it a rule for myself to keep it turned only about 30%.

I don’t know if it is not well adjusted as I had the whole system assembled by this dive shop specialist, but I guess I will take it to him to take a look at it.

Anyway, that might explain why I often have this shortness of breath even in the shallowest waters, barely moving. Although I have decent aerobic endurance, I’ve been running to improve my breathing, but the problem seems to be much simpler - one turn of a knob away.

 

[Compressor]

You got great advice from many folks above. Your breathing should be relaxed, slow and deep. So if you feel you are not in that mode, stop and slow down. If it isn't right, then ascend until you get a better control of your mind and physiology.

 

[Jacobyz]

You got great advice from many folks above. Your breathing should be relaxed, slow and deep. So if you feel you are not in that mode, stop and slow down. If it isn't right, then ascend until you get a better control of your mind and physiology.

I “second” Boltsnap and Compressor. This is why Scubaboard is such an awesome resource!!

 

[freeflowigb]

You got great advice from many folks above. Your breathing should be relaxed, slow and deep. So if you feel you are not in that mode, stop and slow down. If it isn't right, then ascend until you get a better control of your mind and physiology.

Couldn’t agree more. The issue is that normally I dive in a group of 4-5 people, so even when I want to stop and just relax and catch my breath admiring the anemone fish, I don’t want people to wait for me, make them worry or get separated. And we rarely dive close to each other, so the latter is more likely.

 

[BoltSnap]

The issue is that normally I dive in a group of 4-5 people, so even when I want to stop and just relax and catch my breath admiring the anemone fish, I don’t want people to wait for me, make them worry or get separated. And we rarely dive close to each other, so the latter is more likely.

Diving is all about "slowing down and stopping to smell the roses"

 

[KenE]

Couldn’t agree more. The issue is that normally I dive in a group of 4-5 people, so even when I want to stop and just relax and catch my breath admiring the anemone fish, I don’t want people to wait for me, make them worry or get separated. And we rarely dive close to each other, so the latter is more likely.

Communicate with your dive team, I would bet that at least one other would like to slow down a bit too. They also want you to get the most out of the dive as well. So, talk about it, you will all be safer if you talk about all issues encountered during diving good or bad. I agree with others, your breathing should be easy and not labored. I adjust my second stage just before putting it in my mouth. Then I know where it is set and only close it a bit if I get a free flow. I then get it adjusted before my next dive. Happy diving!

 

[BoltSnap]

It never really free flowed on me in open water. But I was playing with it in a 10 feet pool, with the knob all the way out. As I pressed on the purge button to simulate a FF, it would very often not stop, until I turned the knob back. Even if I turned the reg mouthpiece facing the floor. So that’s why I made it a rule for myself to keep it turned only about 30%.

That's the venturi effect, you use the venturi adjustment to control that, not the "cracking pressure" knob. What regulator do you have?

Anyway, that might explain why I often have this shortness of breath even in the shallowest waters, barely moving. Although I have decent aerobic endurance, I’ve been running to improve my breathing, but the problem seems to be much simpler - one turn of a knob away.

I know other people who did what you did thinking it will save them air, and complained to me that they had chest "pain" after the dive. I asked them to do what I suggested to you and their issues with chest "pain" went away.

 

[tursiops]

Research was done in the 1990s on the effects on N2, particularly when it starts to impair behaviour. The finding suggested some people were susceptible from an little as 15m (45ft).

In addition, not remembering the dive -- as he reported -- is another sign of narcosis.

 

[Johnboy70_99]

There was about 1 knot of a current down there, but it went with us, so I was not really moving much. And my camera is just a little Olympus tough 6 without a housing (surprisingly it worked at that depth), so I am not really sure about that. But thanks for the idea, CO2 narcosis sounds like an option. And apparently way more dangerous than nitrogen narcosis.

Fyi I have heard a few stories of the tg-6 “working fine” below its 50 feet depth without a housing, and then suddenly failing catastrophically and becoming a brick and ceasing to function forever. You may want to invest in a housing so that you don’t lose the camera.

 

[freeflowigb]

That's the venturi effect, you use the venturi adjustment to control that, not the "cracking pressure" knob. What regulator do you have?






I know other people who did what you did thinking it will save them air, and complained to me that they had chest "pain" after the dive. I asked them to do what I suggested to you and their issues with chest "pain" went away.

I use ScubaPro g260 with mk25 FS