What is the best way to prevent nitrogen narcosis?

Limiting deep dives beyond personal experience limits is the best way to prevent nitrogen narcosis. Nitrogen narcosis occurs due to the increased partial pressure of nitrogen at depths greater than approximately 30 meters (100 feet). When divers descend to these depths, the effects of narcotic gas increase, potentially impairing judgment, motor skills, and cognitive functions. By adhering to personal experience limits, divers can reduce their risk of reaching depths where nitrogen narcosis could impact their performance and safety.

Diving within limits that are familiar and manageable helps ensure that divers can effectively respond to any unexpected situations that may arise. Additionally, training and familiarity with dive environments can help build the necessary skills and comfort to manage deeper dives safely, should a diver choose to pursue them later.

The choices that focus on inexperienced divers, higher oxygen concentrations, and staying at the surface when feeling dizzy do not address the causative factors of nitrogen narcosis directly and can lead to unsafe diving practices. While careful consideration of companionship and overall dive health is important, these options do not provide a proactive approach to mitigating the physiological risks associated with increased nitrogen levels at depth.