What nitrogen narcosis symptoms have you experienced?

[clownfishsydney]

I have done just over 4,000 dives and while I have obviously been narked on hundreds (say all my over 900 dives deeper than 30 metres), the only really bad experience I had was once diving to 48 metres (just under 170 feet) I experienced tunnel vision and an inability to read my computer or pressure gauge. I relaxed and breathed slowly and it got better, but I never went more than a few metres from the anchor before I decided to cut short the dive and ascend. On dives to 70 metres I knew I was thinking very slow, but that was about it.

Certainly like drinking alcohol, the more you do it the better you are able to take this into account and even handle it, even though technically you are as affected as a novice.

 

[Gareth J]

Certainly like drinking alcohol, the more you do it the better you are able to take this into account and even handle it, even though technically you are as affected as a novice.

I was told a long time ago, that you don't actually become immune with more deep diving. Rather like a regular drinker, you get better at function when you are effected.

On a chamber dive, one of the exercises was done at 50m, and then again on the surface. The interesting thing is that when we collated the results, most had better results from the test at 50m, than the surface. Talking to the chamber operators, and physiologists, this wasn't unusual. People had task narrowing and concentrated on the exercise more intensely at 50m, than they did at atmosphere.

 

[Photo Girl]

I was told a long time ago, that you don't actually become immune with more deep diving. Rather like a regular drinker, you get better at function when you are effected.

On a chamber dive, one of the exercises was done at 50m, and then again on the surface. The interesting thing is that when we collated the results, most had better results from the test at 50m, than the surface. Talking to the chamber operators, and physiologists, this wasn't unusual. People had task narrowing and concentrated on the exercise more intensely at 50m, than they did at atmosphere.

That's interesting you should say that. My aow cert class did an exercise touching the numbers 1 thru 25 written on a card out of order. The instructor timed each of us on the boat, and then again at 90 feet. I did it faster at 90 feet. They were teasing me that I must be permanently narked on the surface LOL.

 

[drbill]

For decades I dove within recreational limits and don't remember a single case of narcosis. Then I started deep air diving to 200 fsw, gradually working my way to that depth. I did not feel any significant narcosis and judged that my whether I could locate, frame and film moving subjects. After I stopped doing the deep air dives, I did a net salvage dive to 151 fsw and was quite narced. I couldn't film well. The narcosis disappeared when I went up to 80 fsw. A while later, I did a dive to 113 fsw and was also noticeably narced.

I think that the frequency of my diving (~ 350 dives/year) during the deep air diving period helped reduce the susceptibility for narcosis. Your mileage may vary. Today my dives are all well within recreational depths and no narcosis has been experienced.

 

[dmaziuk]

That's interesting you should say that. My aow cert class did an exercise touching the numbers 1 thru 25 written on a card out of order. The instructor timed each of us on the boat, and then again at 90 feet. I did it faster at 90 feet. They were teasing me that I must be permanently narked on the surface LOL.

If they make you repeat the exact same exercise, they're not testing your narcosis, they're testing your short-term memory.

 

[Seaweed Doc]

I haven't had consistent symptoms. In our cold, dark water, I've noticed I get kind of depressed at 100' or more.

I've not noticed that in clear, tropical water though. On one deep tropical dive I had trouble reading an analog gauge (were we at 130' or 140'?) on rental gear, but I suspect that has more to do with really needing to break down and get a reading lens added to my mask. That is, age more than nitorgen.

 

[Diver0001]

Just curious, because I have never been deep enough to experience narcosis. I have read various descriptions like "hearing jungle drums".

My usual feeling is a feeling of extreme relaxation; a relaxation that you never get in real life, even using drugs. The feeling of relaxation is very pleasant and it's the reason I still dive deep air. For myself and my regular buddy we share a similar reaction to deep diving and it's sometimes the objective of the dive.

We dive on a fairly regular basis to about 50m on air (I don't go much deeper than that very often any more). I know this is an unpopular thing to say these days but it's the truth so I'm not going to spin or deny it. Think what you want about it.

I should also make it clear that I am Trimix trained so this is a choice. I'll dive Trimix on deep dives where it's important NOT to be narced and to get work accomplished but this isn't always the case.

The symptoms of narcosis seldom hit me very noticeably before about 36m. Some days I'm ok at 50m and some days I'm turning the dive at +/- 40m. It's unpredictable but since I dive deep a lot with buddies who are also experienced with this then we are aware that calling the dive is part of the terrein.

 

[Photo Girl]

If they make you repeat the exact same exercise, they're not testing your narcosis, they're testing your short-term memory.

Good point. The numbers were printed in a 5x5 grid in no particular order. The exercise was to touch each number in sequence.

 

[BRT]

I've been badly buzzed while working hard at 70', almost certainly CO2. At 120 one time I almost could hear a buzzing sound in my head till I went up 10 feet. Other than that I am very aware that my short term memory gets worse with depth. I think it starts fairly shallow and by 150 it is really bad. I find myself checking my gauges, then checking them again cause I don't remember what I just saw.

 

[Jackie Treehorn]

I find myself checking my gauges, then checking them again cause I don't remember what I just saw.

I do this all the time. Heh.

Worst time i've been narc'd was on a penetration dive on the spiegel grove. We did the turn to go pick up our deco gas and i was just out of it. A team mate later said he was looking at me and i had a 1000 yard stare.

Anything past 110 and I try to put a bit of helium in my mix just to be safe.