What is the Shallowest Depth at which You Notice Narcosis?

[rivers]

Warm, clear water I don't notice it. In the UK, it depends on the conditions. If it's dark, current is running a bit, I'll notice it around 85 ft and I'll be pretty narced when I'm at depth (which could be 100-115ft). I spent a good portion of one dive chasing a jellyfish with my torch when I should have been providing light for my buddy as he put up his blob. If there's lots of ambient light, no/light current, then about 100 ft or so, but it's very mild.

 

[DiverAmy]

I really enjoyed reading this. I feel fine to 75 ft. I feel oddly often by 85-95 feet, just a little off, like something isn't right. At 100 ft. I sometimes get that "dark narc" thing where I start flashing on "I'm gonna lose a fin" or "why the hell isn't my buddy closer and more aware of the DANGER, DANGER, DANGER!" as soon as I slowly ascend to about 85 ft. that goes away. My most pronounced episode was coming through a swim through in Little Cayman that started at about 60 ft. and ended at about 120 ft. on the wall. I didn't panic (although I felt panicky), instead I just led us slowly up to 80ish and then to 65ish.

My buddy/hubby once was acting like a fun drunk on a Jupiter drift dive. My son and I stayed at about 75 and he was about ten ft. below us. I signaled over and over for him to ascend and level and he was like, "lah, lah, lah" when we discussed it after, he concluded that he was narky. Lucky him, his narky is happy which fits his optimistic personality. Mine is "impending doom" which fits my anxious personality pretty well.

 

[KevWind]

This is an interesting thread I have very little experience at depth I have been to 111 and did not notice any, but then again is not that part of the symptoms ( lack of awareness)? In any case I suspect that since it is a biochemical reaction, it would logically be different for every individual personal biochemistry.

 

[Bob DBF]

My problem is that I don't usually feel narked, however I will be. That seems to be the real issue with narcosis, just because you don't feel impaired does not mean you are not impaired. The actual problem with narcosis is that it may not present itself until an emergency occurs and the diver is, at that point, so impaired he cannot respond properly.

Back when I first started diving deep, and to this day, I just assume I am impaired below 100' and used memory tests about my gauges and awareness of surroundings to determine how bad off I am. When I can't "keep enough balls in the air" I head up to a safer place. I can acclimate to narcosis at depth over time, it isn't that I'm not impaired, but learn to function better within the constraints at hand.



Bob
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That's my point, people, by and large, are not taught that diving can be deadly, they are taught how safe it is, and they are not equipped with the skills, taught and trained to the level required to be useful in an emergency.

"the future is uncertain and the end is always near"
Jim Morrison

 

[Lorenzoid]

In an earlier comment I mentioned the analogy to drinking alcohol, and of course there's the tongue-in-cheek "Martini's Law." But does anyone know how closely, if at all, the actual physiological analogy to drinking alcohol holds? If narcosis really is physiologically analogous, then it seems reasonable to believe that people who dive on a regular basis would not notice any effects from "just one drink," i.e., a dive to 100 feet or so. I guess it can't be all that physically analogous because narcosis isn't cumulative; if you ascend, it immediately dissipates with little to no lasting effect. Has narcosis been well studied by the scientific community? What are the theories? This thread makes me want to read/learn more. Links?

 

[rongoodman]

I don't really notice it at 100' in the Caribbean, but the last time I was on the Radeau in Lake George, at 100', pitch black, and cold, my short-term memory was definitely affected. I'm looking forward to seeing it again next summer on the Prism, with 21/35 as diluent.

 

[AfterDark]

I usually don't really "feel" narc'd. It's when I try to do something outside the usual that I realize I'm having trouble. On one dark, cold 80fsw dive on the wreck of fishing trawler I did feel dizzy and apprehensive for no reason I could think of; after stopping and getting control of my breathing I was able to continue the dive but the apprehension never didn't go away until I broke thru the thermocline into the warmer, sunlit water.

Must be getting old.

 

[drbill]

I'm going to refer only to depths at which I felt noticeably narced, since if I don't feel narced I can't really tell that I am. I've felt narcosis as shallow as 107 fsw, very noticeable at 151 fsw and felt little to no narcosis at depths of 200 fsw (all on air). Narcosis at the "shallower" depths was after periods of lower diving frequency and no deep diving. When I was routinely diving to 180-200 fsw, I truly feel my body/mind acclimated well and there were no noticeable effects of narcosis (despite undoubtedly being slightly narced).

 

[SailNaked]

I don't feel anything until about 145 ft, but I was definitely narced at 70ft once, I looked at my gauges about 3 times before I realized that I had no idea what my depth and air were, and that if I was going to look at my gauges so much maybe I should know that.

 

[keyshunter]

I've done some really stupid things between 90 and 100 feet. But I don't feel any different. That's why I rarely go down there without helium, and never in a cave any more.

Well, narcosis is always a very good excuse.

At one point. I was doing a lot of deep air. I usually begin to notice the effects of narcosis at about 140 feet. It does vary with both depth and severity on different days, and in different conditions. However, I am sure that, for me, narcosis is present at much shallower depths, since we regularly demonstrated narcosis in students at 75 feet.