Diving Rapture of the Deep! aDrunk Diving Rapture of the Deep! Jack Stringer ‘ele like someone sticking « knife in my koee,” suid Marc Kaiser nearly 3 days after he had “surfaced!” From 200 feet below sea level in the thick walled hyperbaric chamber at Duke Uaiversicy- "There were shooting pains everywhere, a my knees, shoulder, a hips... Kaiser was one often divers fom NOAA who was realed into «wo small pressure chambers for days wo help cesearchers study nitrogen narcosis or "eapeare of the deep’— ‘condition similat 10 inebriation whieh ould seriously affece a dives’ safer ‘Kaiser compated nitrogen gaccosis 9 the effects ofa chcee double-martai lunch, "You may believe yoo are functioning normally but you'ee not," he said. "You're acting as it you ate incoxicated and ic takes a consider: ale amount of concentration «0 perform simple incellecual and mechanic! tasks “Toa diver, who mast constantly be i top shape physically and mencally in the alien and. sometimes hostile undersea environ ‘mear,a moment's inectention,a few seconds delay, a slighchesitation when prompcaction iscaled for, can spel disaster. The divers ar Doke were oexpose themselves to nitrogen nazcosis to study this desdly malady and pass fon what they learned to fellow divers fhroughout che world, The diving stedy was financed by the commercial diving firm Oceaneering later ‘ational, lnc. of Houston. NOAA provided fine divers, and a weath diver was recruited fom the Navy. Peter B, Bennett, ditector ofthe Duke University’s F. G- Hall Environmental Labo- ratory which houses the woeld famous hypex- beric chamber, said the divers breathed a special alrogee-oxygen mizure Daily Tests "Each day, che divers’ performance ability was cested to measure how well che diver could remember, do simple erithmeti, nd other inellecrual ests," he said Researchers believe hae aierogen sub. jected toundersea pressure affects the chemn- ical propersiesof the nervous system, esult- ing ina feeling of intoxication and impaired Intellectual and mechanical abilities. At pres- Above, Lt. (jg) Jobm W. Blac: luell quickly adepted 20 nitrogen narcosis, and fulod 0 experience many of ibs Symptons of intoxication. cnt, shisintosicaed state males i impos tile for divers to complete simple sks, foch as welding, a depts deper chan 150 feet ‘Although esearch dives och asthe one st Duke Univesicy ate cbviouly import nilesones fr eerestonal vers, they have 2 wider sigalficance Pessenly, compresied ait diving stops at abou 150 feet because ofthe narcotic effect of the nitogen. However, when the Duke Sualy proved tha some divers ca adapt 0 the atten end work effects at depine seater tan 150 fee breaing compressed Sits commercial application was apparent Compresed air now can be subtud for the expensive non-narcoric ellum-oxygen, reat ceding diving cons witha {ag diver safer. Problems with Helium ‘The problems of teasporting and storing lagge arpounts of helium gas also are major rawbacks, paricuaely for offshore oil sigs “Aside from the sofery factor, compressed aie iseasier wo deal wih, are docs noclave some ‘of the intrinsic problems bellum has indeep diving operations Diving at deeper depths is incressingly important for the economic stability of the United Scates, Resources such as petroleum, minerals and food are gradually cunning out as the world poptlstion increases dramar- ically. The ocean floor which equs about 70 percent of the planet should help restore these deplesed resources im the years co "There is no quettion thatthe oceans are ‘our greacese untapped resource,” Bennett sid. “Any way we esa learn to adape olive sand work under the seas is sigaificant seep to the present and fueute utilization of the ‘The test went better than Bennect and Dr. David. Youngblood, principal invest- {gator for Oceaneecing International, hed ancicipeted. “There were wo phases of improvement,” suid Youngblood. "The first fone occurred after a Few hours, and chis we believe co be an adjustment c the stare of narcosis tad nots rue reduction in narcosisDanger In The Depths "Ac greater (than 100-fo0t) depths the majority of compressed ir divers show impairment of thoughe, judgment, rea soning, memory, and ebility 0 perform ‘mental ormowr skills... The diver may have feelings of elation aod well-being (esphoria) and a sease of detachment From the environment accompanied bya dangerous overconfidence, an uaconttoll lable desize eo laugh, and a tingling and ‘vague numbness of the lips, gums, and legs. These may be an inability co make ‘correc ane rapid decisions orto concen- trate effectively ona tsk. Errors may be ‘made in recording or compiling dats or computations. Novices, especially, may ‘develop terror rather thas euphoria. Na cofis is # significsar danger co divers because ie aot only increases the risk of accident but diminishes che abilicy to ‘cope with aa emergency.” Exceeptand chart from NOAA Diving Mana Narcotic Effects of Compressed Air Diving (60-100) Mild impalement of peformance on vapacied aks. id eophosa 200 «0 (100-165 fe) Laughter ant loguaciy ena be overcome by self contra es fimrion ad overeonhidene Gestation enor. ast ‘lepine, hallacoatons impaired jedgenene (165-230 Fe) Canvvial group atmosphere, Maye tetoe retcson in some. “Tallaive. Dasines por? ecasonally. contrlled laugher spprosching heel a se. 0% Severe impairment of intellcral performaoce. Manual dexterity less ect, (230006) Gross delay in sespomse co cen, Diminished conceneation, Meal confusion. lressed wavy sensitive, Le, sounds sem louder 300 19 Seapefoction Sevcie paiement of practical activity and jlgmoae. Meovalsbnocmelisis sd memory dle Deteiorston a ‘of intellect aod pereptive facies. 600 1) Hallucinations ( sleohol. (Deve from Edmonds, Lowey and Penaefather 1976) Reasoning nd immediate memory affeceed more chan motor eooetinason Si chats rections, Delayed fespoosec© visual and vitor tim rolriting, euphoria, hyperescicbilty. Almost ttl loss ila 0 those cxuind by hallacnogeniedeuge rather shan Some Divers Adape “The second period of performance im- provement occurred after several days in ‘which 2 laege percenmage of the divers showed a sigoifcane improvement in theit tear scores, an improverencbelieved to bes true physiological adaptation co high wiero- ‘gen pressure Some individuals showed no improve- ment zed comained in state of significant narcosis throughout the study. Others still felt che narcocic effece of the nicrogen, but ‘could conetl it, and towards the end of the study, showed significant improvement. Because the volunteers were all tetined divers, they were accustomed to diving, bat ‘ot necessarily being enclosed in a pressure chamber for 9 days. Ie was nor, therefore, ‘uausvalexperience for chem, bucie was quite ‘unique to have een people living inside rwo chambers, six in « 0-footdiamecer sphere ‘and fourina cylinder 124 feetlong and 10% feet wide. The chambers were intercon tected by a tiny ciel chamber, Dr. J. Morgen Wells, director of he NOAA Diving Olfice in Rockville, Md, ad fone of the volunteer divers said that they ‘were tying to belp solve a physiological and challenging problem: Will divers adape t comptesied aie intoxication? Until now, Tiee if any daca existed as to che effects of adaptation tothe nascosis at depths greacer than. 150 feet for more than 5 successive days, Wells said that the results of the rest indicated the need for thorough screening ‘and pretesting of divers prior o conduct ing operstionsl dives at 200 feet for an ‘extended period. “Mose of the divers were responsive ina umber of testing eeu," he said. “Four divers, however, like Kaiser, suffered from the ‘bends’ shorty after leaving the char. ber oF during its ‘sscene Life in tho charaber included aid-morning snacks from clini clan Norma Mann and a birthday erty “Narked” for 5 Days Diver Robert Smart, commander in the NOAA Corps sid, "Tstayed justashappyas ‘abug ins rugfor straight days." Whea the 38-year-old officer finally got back to the surface and was allowed to see some of the graded results of some of che wests,hediscov- fred thar he was one of the most “narced” people in the group. “Thad no idea that my efficeacy had been Impaired thae much," he ssi. Nercosisreallybegins to manifest ieself ac sbous 130 feet. Diving mach deeper thaa 130 feet wsing scubs, the risks of narcosis snd other risks are greatly increased, ‘Smart acknowledged chat narcosis begins to take affect in a very subtle manner which ‘was evidentia the diary he kepewhilein the chamberMonitoring she tect 42 Dr Peter B. Bonnet, but the major sctvity ata simalated 200 foot below sea level wat reading. Participanss included (fist row) ‘Steven Urick, i. ig) Jobm W. Blacksvell,Le(jg) Robere W. ‘Maxson, Car.Jobm C. Albrighs, (second row) Cée. Robert V. Smart, Mare Kaiver, Lt. Stemton M, Ramsey, William Phoel, Dr. Pad Barry, and Dr. J. Morgan Wells Interspersed with his philosophical rea- soning concerning the development of the human nervoes system and irsadapeation 0 environmental conditions, there were strange, equivocal fantasies in which he had become « primitive, club-wielding cavemen. “The effect I felt,” Smare suid, "was defi nicely moving me beck.” ‘Macho But Risky Smart believes the results of the Duke stuiy wll belp keep a few diversalive."I'sa ‘macho thing," he said,"to dive to 150 feee. row know the risks! ‘When Marc Kaiser came ont of the cham- ber, he sad he really fle good, But 68 hours ler when he got out ofthe plane st Mieimi rport, he had “shooting pains ia hiskaees, shoulders, hips, and everywhere. ALNOAA'sdiv. office in Miami, Kaiser vwas put on “Table 6," a decompression sick- ness eeatment schedule for five ereatments lover a 2-week period. The sixth treatment ‘was on the osteompelicis able ac 45 feet for 110 minuees. Today, Keser is ing his bike 20 miles daily, hangs for 10 minutes by his feet in his inversion boots, and does at least 30 situpe from that position. He suffers a0 i effets ‘The youngest diver in the group, 22-ea old Steve Urick said ic was his first satura tion dive. "Ducing the fies 5 days, evecy- thing amused me," he said, "When we began four ascent, I realized chat Ihad been aarted (On the third day of Usick's ascent, is eg ‘went cumb, and he was put an the labora 1077's Table Gand rundown 060 fee: res ing 20-minute periods of oxygenand 5 of. ‘These were gradually deeressed to 30 feet where he had the seme breathiag periods far 5 mioates. “My incerest and willingness to conti diving has not been affected," Urick said. "I am, however, more concerned about Since it was found that some divers can dive under water ae geeater depths without breathing more expensive gas lke beliam- oxygen, he safery and cos effectiveness for ‘commercial or recreational diver is appar- enc. If compressed air is ased, al thae is ‘needed is» compressor.