smoking pipes

[immerlustig]

hi,

i was wondering how smoking a pipe affects freediving. i'm talking about normal tobacco and the smoke is not inhaled into the lungs.

links to articles, etc would be ideal.

thanks a lot in advance,

roland

 

[ADR]

I imagine that someone who smokes a pipe but does not inhale into the lungs would learn the mouthfill technique quite quickly as they have already mastered filling the cheeks with the throat closed and then can move the smoke out their nose which requires controlling the soft palette and throat separately!!

Not that I condone smoking of any type!:naughty

 

[jome]

Hmm, I wonder if equalizing with smoke would help keep the eustachian tubes open better. Would that be allowed in the rules? Inhale, pack, mouthfull from the pipe, go... At least it would look cool...Add a 1920's style swimsuit and moustache, and you would be all set

 

[Groenberg]

Smoking of any kind belongs to the worst things you can do for your freediving.

When you inhale the tar-containing smoke gets in you lungs and the tar kind of seals many of your pulmonary alveoli.

But even if you don't inhale the smoke, you will have Carbon monoxide (CO) getting in your blood. CO binds way stronger to the hemoglobin of the blood than O2 does. And this lower capacity for O2 of course will effect your freediving.

So for every freediver with the slightest bit of ambition smoking is absolutely no option. :rcard

 

[ADR]

hey simo

I can imagine you with bald head, a handle bar moustache, a monocle and pipe going for a mouthfill at 50m rofl

....maybe we can add this to the "invent a record" thread?

 

[Erik]

So for every freediver with the slightest bit of ambition smoking is absolutely no option. :rcard

Depends how you define ambition I suppose. Ambition is relative and on a continuum, like many things. I agree that we're better off without chemicals in our bodies no matter who we are, but smoking sheesha without inhaling is much safer than inhaling pretty much anything.
There are a few fairly incredible freedivers out there who smoke: a Brit that approaches 6 minute statics and does 55 metre+ freedives, and immerlustig is an outstanding diver.
I quit 14 years ago after 14 years of smoking and encourage anyone to quit if they have any ambivalence at all about it
Peace,
Erik Y.

 

[jome]

hey simo

I can imagine you with bald head, a handle bar moustache, a monocle and pipe going for a mouthfill at 50m rofl

....maybe we can add this to the "invent a record" thread?

Heh, at least it would be a fun video. Put some vintage B/W effect in there and a dramatic narration in the lines "The divers harness the power of the savory blend of XXX-brand tobacco, to give them the extra boost to perform these incredible feats"...Well, I'm not too adpet in the early last century talk...Maybe someone native speaker would come up with better lines...I think I saw a video of sprinters or long distance runners once, where they smoked cigarettes before the start and it was actally believed back then to give an edge Might be just my imagination or some SNL skit...

 

[case]

you could do some real cool bubble rings too...

 

[Adrian]

I think it would be good for getting some camo on the teeth, just before shooting, the fish won't be dazzled by the spearo's anticipating smile.

 

[fpernett]

Hi Roland
I think in the same way as Erik. It's everyone decisition.

Pipe smoking had been considered as harmful as cigarrete smoking. But there is no paper about pipe smoking and freediving, and as far as I know there is no paper either about cigarrete smoking and freediving.

I can't tell you with 100% of certainty because all that I know is from my knowledge about the effects and from a few papers about smoking and scuba diving.

The main effect on bronchial wall is the inflammation. It makes that you produce more mucus, and the mucus can plug in some bronchi with the risk of ascent barotrauma (very rare). The inflammation and the bronchoconstriction(narrowing of bronchi) also make that breathing get more difficult and the energy cost of it becomes bigger, increasing Oxygen consumption. The difficulty in exhalation also affects residual volume and can increase lung volumes, an this can increase the risk for DCS.
The amount of CO in the lung of a Smoker is very low to produce clinical effects, but it can displace O2 from hemoglobin and affect the arterial concentration of it.
As I told you before, all of this is mainly theoretical and can't be taken as the plain truth. In fact, there is a huge difference of immune response in smokers, that many people smoke all live long without any noticeable problem.

Hope this help

ps: Here is two papers that you can read for detailed explanation: (but the first is quit difficult to obtain)

Dembert ML, Beck GJ, Jekel JF, Mooney LW. Relations of smoking and diving experience to pulmonary function among U.S. Navy divers. Undersea Biomed Res. 1984 Sep;11(3):299-304. 2: Buch DA, El Moalem H, Dovenbarger JA, Uguccioni DM, Moon RE.

Cigarette smoking and decompression illness severity: a retrospective study in
recreational divers. Aviat Space Environ Med. 2003 Dec;74(12):1271-4.

 

[immerlustig]

thanks frank, very interesting indeed especially what you say abou the co.

roland

ps: i'm not smoking and even though the idea of smoked bubble rings is brilliant i won't start with it

 

[petex]

i did stop smoking and after3 weeks 3min41 s was my best static
1week 3 tobacco a day and i could 2min 30s and not easy
but now i stopped and going for the longer times

 

[fpernett]

Correction: The CO is not mainly in the lungs but in the blood

 

[SanderP]

What's more harmful for freediving, smoking or drinking alcohol? I know both do bad, but is a few beers at the weekend a big deal?

 

[petex]

beer is always good!!! relax and enjoy small things of life

 

[fpernett]

My best dynamics are "lubricated" the night before with a cup of good red wine

 

[petex]

how big is your "cup"......(just teasing)

 

[Queer4spear]

I smoke and can hold hold my breath for almost as long as anyone in the group I spearfish with. 90% are non smokers. Some are in trmendous shape physically.

I find i crave a "smoke" alot less but only occiasionally when diving all day, I dont know why ?
I believe the breath hold factor for recreational freediver/spearfishermen is more mental than it is physical.

I know when I relax, after about 20 minutes in the water, my breath hold is much longer. It is even longer when stalking a yellowtail in the kelp beds. I think I focus on other things and physiologic concerns are not paramount during these times of consciousness. This is where SWB becomes so dangerous.

Anyway, I smoked to long now to quit, I will try to enjoy the hell out of myself and "Die before I die"......

 

[blues_diver]

a really REALLY old thread related to this topic:
[ame="http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?t=25947"]freediving and cigarettes[/ame]

(man, i haven't posted in a long, long while... good to be back)

 

[Oliver El-Daly]

No words!