Smoking and Deep Diving

[biggsy]

I am curious as to what effects smoking and CO2 can have when diving below a 100' or diving in general.

I am asking because I recently did my first dives below a 110' and I had smoked a few cigarettes on the way to the dive site. We made our first drop on a wreck in the gulf that was 145’ and had some good fish on it. Our plan was a short time on the bottom with no deco, 5 minutes I think. I started my descent and this is where it gets fun. My head started getting cloudy at 100' and then at 110' I was thinking this does not feel right, so I started to inflate my BC to stop my descent. The narced affect this had on me was beyond anything I had expected. My head never cleared and I was foggy and loopy until I hit the surface. From the start of the descent to the surface the dive took 12 minutes. It felt like 12 hours. I am glad I have a lot of diving experience or I dont know I would have handled this. This dive taught me a lot and the rest of the day I was fine, making dives to 125 and 108 with no problems. I was more aware of my surroundings and really focused on what I was doing. The bad thing is my buddy was ahead of me and I was not in the position to track him down and tell him, hey I am going up, I don’t feel so good. So he was long gone. I made the ascent by myself. Well there was a real nice school of Amberjacks keeping me company.

Max depth was 135' on 28% nitrox.

Here is what I know. I had an increased breathing rate once I hit a 100’, to the point of hyperventilating. I relaxed as much as possible knowing this was not good and when I ascended the breathing did get better. I had smoked 3-4 cigarettes in a 2.5-hour period on the way to the site. I was diving on 28% Nitrox. I have since given up smoking, but for educational reasons I am curious if there was a buildup of CO2 that made this narc feel worse than before or if this was brought on by something else. I had been to 100’; this feeling just took me by complete surprise. I should have just come up when I felt it and focused, but I couldn’t, it overwhelmed me. Thank god for not panicking!

I have spoken to other people and the know people that dive deep and smoke and don’t have any problems. Me, I just made the decision to quit. I had a good reason to!

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

biggsy

 

[Dr Deco]

Hello John:

Oxygen transport is often reduced because of the carbon MONOXIDE formed during smoking. Whether this has any effect on nitrogen narcosis is difficult to tell. In your particular case, it might be a player.

Dr Deco

Dr Deco :doctor:

 

[Otter]

With poorer O2 transport due to smoking AND hyperventalation, might there also be an increased level of CO2 -- which I have read is 130 times more narcotic that N2?

 

[Dr Deco]

Interesting point. Do not really know

Dr D.

 

[biggsy]

I spoke to people about the effects of getting narced on a deeper dive and I thought I was prepared and that I knew what to expect. Now, if someone had said, it's like doing 10 shots of tequila and then sitting for 10 minutes, wait for the room to spin and the get on this bicycle and ride it in a straight line, that would have been a more accurate assessment of what getting narced felt like…At least what it felt like to me. Being that I am a social drinker, the effect was overwhelming and like a punch in the face. Quite interesting, but now I know what it is like and I know how to handle it and being that I am not smoking it is not an issue and the sensation should not be as intense. I just thought sharing my experience with others might explain it and maybe prepare others.

Thanks!

biggsy

 

[Saturation]

With poorer O2 transport due to smoking AND hyperventalation, might there also be an increased level of CO2 -- which I have read is 130 times more narcotic that N2?

I'll pitch in for Dr. D.

Poor 02 transport would certainly make the patient breath faster for more 02, however, air at depth is hyperbaric 02 and is often used to treat CO poisoning providng more 02 than hemoglobin can deliver by supersaturating plasma.

There must be some elements of extra exertion or a bad regulator. C02 buildup is unlikely with hyperventilation, maybe HYPOventilation unless there was a problem with the work of breathing of this regulator at depth. Then, despite breathing fast, the C02 would not have been eliminated fast enough especially if one was doing more activity on descent.

C02 alone commonly gives a panic sensation, like one cannot breath or catch one's breath.

C02 however, can interact with N2 narcosis and potentiate the effect.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1902340&dopt=Abstract

 

[SDAnderson]

Not to hijack this thread, but...

The bad thing is my buddy was ahead of me and I was not in the position to track him down and tell him, hey I am going up, I don’t feel so good. So he was long gone. I made the ascent by myself.

Buddies descend and ascend together - and your experience is a perfect example of why. Not to be overly harsh, but you needed a buddy on this dive and didn't have one.

Solo diving on your first dive below 110ft. Tsk, tsk.

Glad to see that things worked out and glad to see that you're going to give up tobacco. It wasn't easy, but it's been just over 3 years for me. You'll definitely feel better.

 

[H2Andy]

ten months for me, and i DO feel a lot better

 

[biggsy]

I would have preferred to have him there, but it did not happen. I wasn't going to push beyond my limitations either, but if I cant control my movements and everything is in slow motion, I dont have much of choice either. Lesson learned, no need to beat me.

Two weeks now and I still feel gross, but diving last weekend went superb and all the dives were 103-108 fsw.

As far as the regulator goes it was brand new. Scubapro MK25 550. I think it was me just trying to suck harder because it did not feel like i was getting any air. Again the whole sensation was what was distorting everything for me.

biggsy

 

[Zippsy]

Smoking and narced on deep dive???? Where the hell did you find waterproof cigarettes? How do you light the things? How do they stay lit? This whole thread boggles my tiny brain.