Not a lot of difference, though I did manage to get more time in deep water here in NZ. The water in the blue hole felt pretty good after spending summer in the lake.
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Dealing with Narcosis on Deep Dives
- Thread startertcrusson
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
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Not a lot of difference, though I did manage to get more time in deep water here in NZ. The water in the blue hole felt pretty good after spending summer in the lake.
Thanks Dave.
Kars, actually I don't think an "oh shit" moment is what defines narcosis for me. I had "oh shit" moments with and without narcosis, in various dives.
The effects I experience specifically with narcosis are: 1. disorientation, 2. a lack of rational thinking, and 3. an enhancement of any emotion.
Examples:
3. if I'm happy I feel ecstatic, if I get scared it translates into panic. In all the dives where I reached the panic state, it was because of a bad bottom turn so I was surprised by where I ended up after the turn (surprise -> fear -> panic). On the dives where I did a good bottom turn and was facing the expected way, the ascent was very nice, even when still narc'ed.
2. If I am able to think "that's OK, I just need to calm down", then I am most likely not narc'ed. I can think that someone is waiting for me at the surface, when I actually know that this person is not even in the water. If I my rope is the closest to the arch and I see another rope, I don't even realise that I'm facing the other way. I once finned up thinking I was getting further away from the surface.
1. On the way up, I often lose track of where I am. Worse: I can even forget completely about the rope and not see it, only seeing what's behind it.
In other words, narcosis removes my ability to: "recognise the futility of such emotion and revert to focusing on the things I CAN DO". Now it may not be the case with everyone, maybe I am more hit by narco than others. However I need to find a way around it, as I'm not exactly sure how I would react in case something unexpected happens that requires rational thinking. E.g. getting entangled in fishing line.
Kars, actually I don't think an "oh shit" moment is what defines narcosis for me. I had "oh shit" moments with and without narcosis, in various dives.
The effects I experience specifically with narcosis are: 1. disorientation, 2. a lack of rational thinking, and 3. an enhancement of any emotion.
Examples:
3. if I'm happy I feel ecstatic, if I get scared it translates into panic. In all the dives where I reached the panic state, it was because of a bad bottom turn so I was surprised by where I ended up after the turn (surprise -> fear -> panic). On the dives where I did a good bottom turn and was facing the expected way, the ascent was very nice, even when still narc'ed.
2. If I am able to think "that's OK, I just need to calm down", then I am most likely not narc'ed. I can think that someone is waiting for me at the surface, when I actually know that this person is not even in the water. If I my rope is the closest to the arch and I see another rope, I don't even realise that I'm facing the other way. I once finned up thinking I was getting further away from the surface.
1. On the way up, I often lose track of where I am. Worse: I can even forget completely about the rope and not see it, only seeing what's behind it.
In other words, narcosis removes my ability to: "recognise the futility of such emotion and revert to focusing on the things I CAN DO". Now it may not be the case with everyone, maybe I am more hit by narco than others. However I need to find a way around it, as I'm not exactly sure how I would react in case something unexpected happens that requires rational thinking. E.g. getting entangled in fishing line.
Finally something I'm good at!
Now I just need to learn how to equalize heads down and go as deep as needed to prove I can hold some narcosis as well
My only real narcosis moment happened on a very slow dive (equalisation problems). I think stress may have been a factor as it was my first depth competition. The dive (45m free immersion) was the deepest I'd ever tried by quite a margin (maybe 10m?). On the way down, I slowed and then went head up for equalisation. I somehow came to the conclusion during the dive that I only needed to reach the bottom plate; once I'd done that the dive was over. When I got there, it did dawn on me that I had to go back to the surface, but at no time did it occur to me that it was particularly important or that I should perhaps do so expediently. It ended up as a 2:40+ dive, so ~0.5m/s all up. I was okay, but if it was near my limit things could have been a bit dodgy.
I didn't know that. This news makes me nervous.
Chrismar - you appear to be the opposite? What you doing late February and can you equalise at faster than 2mtrs per second? LOL
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Dave is still talking about reasonable speeds, but it should be interesting if he decides he wants to get off the sled to hug a Taniwha.
I've never had the pleasure of a sled dive, so I say bring on the teabag-dunking (not teabagging, so don't get excited Jase). Taupo has some mean thermoclines though. I wasn't liking them in the weekend at all!
I've never had the pleasure of a sled dive, so I say bring on the teabag-dunking (not teabagging, so don't get excited Jase). Taupo has some mean thermoclines though. I wasn't liking them in the weekend at all!