melissawest
Registered
When I was taking my OW course I asked my instructor if it s a massive disadvantage for a smoker like me to scuba dive, he replied As a smoker you probably won't encounter any medical problems while scuba diving. However some smokers notice they use a bit more air than non-smoking scuba divers. A voice inside my head tells me there has to be something more into that simplified reply. It is not a secret what smoking can do to the human body and what sort of disease it brings. If you are a smoker, the last thing you would want to read is a lecture on dangers of cigarette smoking; I get you I smoked since 2006. So I pretended I know better and proceeded with my training. I often occasionally see seasoned divers smoking before and after dives, they look perfectly happy, so I said to myself its a non-issue.
I m a fairly new diver and as expected I pay close attention to the details regarding my dives. After my first few dives I noticed my air consumption is just at par with others if not inferior. Other times I suck air like crazy and no I dont flay or fin too much , my buoyancy is good.
My husband and I made a deal to stop smoking together. He did I didnt. I admired his will and strength to quit a habit that he has since he was 18, he is 31 now. Obviously inspired and determined to do myself a favor I decided to stop smoking. I went cold turkey, no gums no patches, no miracle helper. I havent smoke for 3 months now. Naturally I feel happier, healthier and smell way better. No more masking that cigarette smell by putting more perfume or cologne.
After 3 months of diving hiatus (mostly because if the bad weather condition) I finally went to a diving trip. And then the most incredible thing dawned to me, quitting smoking made me a much better diver, my air consumption improved significantly!!! 50 minutes dive time, 25 meters max depth, surfaced with still almost half tank of air remaining!! I cant be happier  All 3 dives I did that day showed impressive amounts of air left, in my standards that is.
MORE AIR = MORE TIME UNDERWATER!!!!!
Apologies for the novel, I just feel the need to share my story to my fellow divers.
p.s The picture I got below is worth all the hassle of quitting smoking
I m a fairly new diver and as expected I pay close attention to the details regarding my dives. After my first few dives I noticed my air consumption is just at par with others if not inferior. Other times I suck air like crazy and no I dont flay or fin too much , my buoyancy is good.
My husband and I made a deal to stop smoking together. He did I didnt. I admired his will and strength to quit a habit that he has since he was 18, he is 31 now. Obviously inspired and determined to do myself a favor I decided to stop smoking. I went cold turkey, no gums no patches, no miracle helper. I havent smoke for 3 months now. Naturally I feel happier, healthier and smell way better. No more masking that cigarette smell by putting more perfume or cologne.
After 3 months of diving hiatus (mostly because if the bad weather condition) I finally went to a diving trip. And then the most incredible thing dawned to me, quitting smoking made me a much better diver, my air consumption improved significantly!!! 50 minutes dive time, 25 meters max depth, surfaced with still almost half tank of air remaining!! I cant be happier  All 3 dives I did that day showed impressive amounts of air left, in my standards that is.
MORE AIR = MORE TIME UNDERWATER!!!!!
Apologies for the novel, I just feel the need to share my story to my fellow divers.
p.s The picture I got below is worth all the hassle of quitting smoking