Cigars...

[awestholm]

I hate to ask this, as I'm sure it's a pretty dumb question with a pretty simple answer ("no, you idiot").

However, what's advisable as far as cigars go... ie, during surface interval (I assume a big NO!)? Minimum interval after a day's diving (I assume this is contingent on nitrogen levels, but some guidelines would be great)?

I've yet to even start my open water class, but I thought it'd be good to know up front... Just want to know how to avoid getting bent.

Thanks,

-- Alex

 

[Scuba_Vixen]

I hate to ask this, as I'm sure it's a pretty dumb question with a pretty simple answer ("no, you idiot").

However, what's advisable as far as cigars go... ie, during surface interval (I assume a big NO!)? Minimum interval after a day's diving (I assume this is contingent on nitrogen levels, but some guidelines would be great)?

I've yet to even start my open water class, but I thought it'd be good to know up front... Just want to know how to avoid getting bent.

Thanks,

-- Alex

The biggest fear you should have of getting bent from smoking cigars is from the bending, folding, spindling, and mutilating, you'll get from the rest of your classmates.

 

[MilitantMedic]

While Vixen has a point, I think the answer you are looking for is:

Smoking descreases your cardiopulmonary functioning (duh) and puts you at a FAR higher risk of a Pneumothorax. All that means is you now have a hole in your lung, the air (or in this case any breathing mixture) escapes you lung and into the surrounding tissue (Pleural space). You lung ends up collapsing and you have severe diffuculting breathing and possible death. You really don't want to get one, more so around me =). The treatment is to slice into your rib cage jam a forcep in open it up a bit then jam a big tube up next to your lung to drain out the air and blood, letting your lung "reinflate." (oh BTW I've done this to people without any pain killers!!{albeit not divers})

To prevent this, don't smoke and never hold your breath. (They'll teach you all of this in your open water class.)

All things considered I might prefer getting bent than a TPT (Tension PneumoThorax).

To recap follow safe diving procedures and don't smoke.

 

[Wildcard]

Smoking will also decrease your O2 % so your surface interval will be slightly longer. There is just nothing good to be said about smoking.

 

[dlndavid]

OMG, MilitantMedic, where'd you get that user Name?

 

[MilitantMedic]

LOL I thought it would be self-evident.

 

[Bob3]

My buddy's dad, an old USCG hardhat diver, would dazzle the onlookers by coming up with a lit stogie in his helmet.

I'd recommend just slicing a couple inches off a good cigar & just suck on the nibbie, it'll keep the nearby troops from lynching you.

 

[Wildcard]

A guy I did the IDC with thinks he has figured out a way to smoke under water. You fill your BC with smoke and wear a bunch of extra lead. Then when you need a drag, you take a hit off of your oral inflator and drop some lead!

 

[jagfish]

I hate to ask this, as I'm sure it's a pretty dumb question with a pretty simple answer ("no, you idiot").

However, what's advisable as far as cigars go... ie, during surface interval (I assume a big NO!)? Minimum interval after a day's diving (I assume this is contingent on nitrogen levels, but some guidelines would be great)?

I've yet to even start my open water class, but I thought it'd be good to know up front... Just want to know how to avoid getting bent.

Thanks,

-- Alex

Good question, Alex, I've wondered about this myself. A properly smoked cigar is done Clinton style, no inhalation. Depending on the smoker and environment, you might not even get a secondhand smoke effect (especially outdoors).

So the affects on the body are likely different that cigarettes. The nicotine is still absorbed, but the effects on the lung's ability to exchange gas might not be impaired since there is no smoke damaging those surfaces.

 

[awestholm]

Good question, Alex, I've wondered about this myself. A properly smoked cigar is done Clinton style, no inhalation. Depending on the smoker and environment, you might not even get a secondhand smoke effect (especially outdoors).

So the affects on the body are likely different that cigarettes. The nicotine is still absorbed, but the effects on the lung's ability to exchange gas might not be impaired since there is no smoke damaging those surfaces.

This is exactly why I'm curious... I certainly don't inhale cigars, so I wondered what effects the nicotine might have on deco. I would think the effects would be similar to excersize, in terms of heart rate, but I'm not at all qualified in these matters (or I wouldn't ask!).

All the same, I'm sure it's a bad idea... I just thought there might be a slim chance of being permissable.

Thanks to all who replied.

-- Alex