The stat about nitrogen narcosis hitting shallower than I thought

I always figured narcosis was something you only had to worry about past 100 feet. Then I read a writeup from the Divers Alert Network that said some people start feeling effects as shallow as 60 feet. That blew my mind because I've done plenty of work around 70-80 feet and just wrote off any weird feelings as being tired or cold. It was a specific case study they had about a guy in the Gulf of Mexico who made a dumb mistake at 85 feet and the only explanation was mild narcosis. Now I watch myself way more careful on those medium depth jobs. Anybody else had a moment where they realized they were probably narc'd but didn't know it at the time?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_rowan1mo ago

That's actually wild how many things sneak up on us like that. Reminds me of how we don't notice our vision getting worse in low light until we can't read a menu at dinner. It's always the gradual stuff that gets you before you even realize it's happening.

the_charlie1mo ago

Get your eyes checked every year, even if you think they're fine. That gradual dimming is usually just a new prescription waiting to happen.