Air consumption - smokers vs non smokers

[NeilP]

I have always been under the impression that smokers guzzle more air than non smokers, it makes sense to assume this but it is not always the case, is it?

I know of a guy who smokes, is in his 40's and recently buddied a diver in his 30's. Both were of similar height/weight, fitness level, etc.
Both were using 12ltr 21%o2 and yet the smoker came back on the boat with about 50bar more than the non smoker.

I know other factors come in here, but I have experienced this beforehand where a non smoker uses more air than a smoker.

None of this is important, just wondered what your views are on this?

[Bunny]

Originally Posted by Epic

I have always been under the impression that smokers guzzle more air than non smokers, it makes sense to assume this but it is not always the case, is it?

I know of a guy who smokes, is in his 40's and recently buddied a diver in his 30's. Both were of similar height/weight, fitness level, etc.
Both were using 12ltr 21%o2 and yet the smoker came back on the boat with about 50bar more than the non smoker.

I know other factors come in here, but I have experienced this beforehand where a non smoker uses more air than a smoker.

None of this is important, just wondered what your views are on this?

It's not about smoking or not smoking, but about fitness. A smoker who is also a regular exerciser (and there are plenty of those around), will be fitter and will have a lower heart/work rate than a non-smoker who does not exercise. Hence the lower air-consoumption

[MattS]

It is not unusual for smokers to have lower breathing rates. My own rate is about 10l/min despite 20 years on the weed and working in a sedentary job. Maybe I am used to functioning with my lungs full of crap. I think that smokers adjust their diving style so that they don't have to work too hard. Lumping the kit up the beach is a killer though.

[Tony F]

I'd imagine that as there are so many factors effecting air consumption assuming a smoker is more likely to consume more gas for that reason alone would be erroneous. Smoking is generally a bad thing for one's health so it can't help, but with so many other factors involved in and of itself it wouldn't be correct to assume a smoker would consume more gas than a non-smoker.

Although I understand cigarettes are very difficult to light under water........

[NeilP]

Thanks for that, made things a little clearer for me.

For my sins, yep, I smoke.
The example I have given does not relate to me, but I seem to always end up with using a similar amount of air to some of my non-smoking buddies.
In addition, I tend to use LESS air than some of my smoking buddies also!


Haven't got around the art of lighting up at 30m though!

[Helen F H]

I think one of the major things with smoking is the fact that mucus is not cleared from the lungs as efficiently as non-smokers. This can block alveoli and cause a burst lung (the same reason uncontrolled asthmatics cannot dive). Nasty.

I recall on here someone saying that they were training for a marathon and when they were superfit their air consumption went up. Very strange.

[Fathoms Down]

Originally Posted by Porg

I recall on here someone saying that they were training for a marathon and when they were superfit their air consumption went up. Very strange.

That may well do with the fact that their body fat percentage went down. People with low body fat chill easier and so use more gas. This also explains why womwn tend to use less gas than men.

[Helen F H]

And probably why i use so little too

[And]

Jack Ingle said that women use less gas because they only need it to talk...

Made sense to me anyway

Andy

[Andy the Coastie]

I'm a smoker and my SAC is only 8 l/m,,,, but i'm also fit and dive alot.

We have just got a new diver on our call out list, he came out the FFL ( Froggie Frigging Lepper's ) last year and still runs around 50 miles a week to keep fit, have seen him running along with one of them smelly french fags....
He is 2 inches taller than me and a stone less......His SAC is over double to mine.

I think ya find that the more you dive the quicker the sac comes down and gets to a point where it will go no more.