I was certified as a diver by NAUI in 1978 and I also had to learn to breathe from a tank without a regulator on it. The old method of cupping your hand above the air source worked easily, so I too would like to see this revisited.

I think it can and should be done without any other props, such as straws, shopping bags, etc. Using a shirt is barely acceptable since the time spent getting it off and ready would be precious. The only question I have is I recall being instructed not to try putting the source of the air in our mouths to get a watertight seal, since the pressure in a SCUBA tank would be enough to basically overinflate your lungs and could cause serious injury. I don't think I would try it with a tire valve, even though the pressure is much much lower. I'd still use my hand cupped above the valve, with the thumb running along the chin beneath the lips, and the fingers along the upper lip.

Adam said they got nothing wrong with the original underwater car. Again, I will say, he got his rig for testing moving the window down wrong. The friction coefficient of rubber or plastic on glass is MUCH higher than water on glass (when the weights on rubber/plastic mat hit the bottom of the window opening while trying to open the window.

am wondering say you just happened to have a plastic baggy and a straw you could possibly catch the air in the baggy and inhale the air through the straw.i know that some people either get mcdonalds or some other fast food so you could also possibly use a cup. i know that this is not exactly along the lines of the myth but it would be a plausible way of breathing the air from the tire.
ShamanSage

If anyone thinks they can effectively breathe through a straw, prove your theory. Sit in a comfy chair, insert a straw in your mouth, pinch off your nose and see how long you last while trying to breathe normally. My guess is that most will last less time than they can by simply holding their breath.

More effort will be expended in trying to draw air than your metabolism will benefit by the air drawn. Unless the air is under pressure at the other end of a small diameter conduit (pen, straw, etc.) the breathing effort will be too high. Mind you this experiment will carried out at a condition of basal metabolism, not the worst case condition given in the original scenario. To test that condition, run 100 yards, then stick the straw in your mouth and pinch off your nose.

Good Luck!

After watching the episode, I had the same thought that otehr seem to have had. I am a manager for a tire installation company. Although I have to admit that the "taste" and "staleness" of the air in a tire will probably make a person choke and gag, making breathing impossible, I have to point out a few things. 1 - You could have used a long vavle stem to allow for actual contact to the mouth. 2 - You might want to touch on the fact that if you have Nitrogen inflation in your tires, it will kill you to breathe it directly. And 3 - after assuming that you could stay calm and cool enough, you DO have 4 tires to work from, so make sure that they all match in size, valve stems, and inflation for the maximum ability to breath from them!

i was curious to see if anyone on the show has seen the movie "strange brew". it came out in the 80s i think but in the movie the two main characters survive under water for a couple hours by drinking the air in the empty beer bottles strewn about their van that had sunk to the bottom of a river... just a thought

I think Adam did a good job testing the myth. He even attempted to get air 3 times (!!!) after stabbing the tire. It was a valiant effort. Some have suggested using a straw or cupping hands around the air flow. How would you keep water from going into a straw or keep water out of your hands? Plus, what action hero carries a straw with them?=0)

Revisit the myth, but this time get Sydney Bristow to take a stab at it.

I'm not a huge James Bond fan, but I've seen 007 do the tire breathing trick ... and he never used supplemental equipment. His stunt diver probably did, but that's different .

For those who say they should have just dropped the tire into the pool, how do you suggest keeping the tire mostly upright, the way it would be if your car was forced into the water by enemy agents? Build tire-holding rig, or just leave tire on car -- I know which one I would consider a simpler solution.

quote:

Originally posted by ghost_wolf_:
I Think you have the wrong person doing this myth. Wouldn't it make more sence to have someone who is trainned in "free-flow" regulator breathing? At least Jamie should be trainned in that.

have you ever tried to breath through a straw it is impossible to get enough air. if you don't believe me try it your self and plug your nose.

actually if he had put his head up on the tire and wait enough for the air to fill his mouth there wouldn't be any water left.i think he should check this out.

like many people have already stated, i also believe tht Adam should have put his mounth on/around the stem of the tire, or the cut in the side. most people have retorted that "you need to puch the stem down to let the air out."

I, however, say, is it not possible to put your mounth around the stem, clench it with your teeth, and press down all while having a seal to suck in the air from the tire?

Hmm, I'm not to sure if you can or can't.
Theres a possiblity the air whole will be to small for your lips to keep on while breathing air. Also there could probably be too much air in the tires for you to breathe out?
Maybe this myth should be tested.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by mythmod:
Can you breathe the air in your tires if your car goes underwater?

I am a retired special forces soldier and take great pride in my survival knowledge. Adam's attempt to breath air from a tire is entirely possible. The "correct" method for breathing air from a tire is to use anything from the vehical to collect the air as it floats towards the surface. This could be anything from a ball cap, a tennis shoe,a t-shirt, a funnel or even your own cupped hand. Simply collect a pocket of air and come up from the bottom to breath it in. Also if you plan on staying underwater for more than 2 or 3 minuets, use a pen or pencil to press in the valve stem core so you do not "waste" the air. Keep up the good work guys!!!

It looks like Labrodorit echoes the same thought I had: Adam was attempting to breathe the air with his head naturally upright. This means that the air collects at the top of your mouth whereas the water remains at the bottom -- where your esophagus connects.

If you face downward into the rising bubbles, I'd think you could collect a pocket of air at the back of your mouth (now the "top") such that your esophagus is not submerged. So long as you breathe in no more than you have incoming bubbles, you should be able to breathe out of that pocket.

Now the tricky part might be breathing out. You could exhale through your nose, hopefully disturbing the air pocket minimally; but I'd be curious if one could exhale through the mouth without significantly disturbing the pocket.

I've done the Jacuzzi breathing thing too.
We used to sit under long enough for the lifeguard to come check on us.
The trick is to position your mouth ABOVE the stream of bubbles and let them build up in your mouth pushing the water out. One there is no water in your mouth you can slowly inhale.
If you were to cut off the stem and use it as a straw that would let you make a water tight seal as well. In through the mouth; out through the nose. No need to break the seal.
Totally Plausible.

quote:

Originally posted by graiz:
I'm pretty sure it's possible to do and I agree that it was busted a touch too soon.

In a jacuzzi pool I learned to breath the air from the bubbles at the bottom of the pool and while I didn't get it on my first couple tries by creating a perfect seal I'm able to stay under for minutes at a time.

While a tire valve is different from a jacuzzi it's the same idea... High pressure air from a small hole.

I would suggest starting small with a bicycle in a kiddie pool. Work your way up to a motorcycle before you try a car. James Bond started small too.

quote:

Originally posted by deltad2:
Unless the air is under pressure at the other end of a small diameter conduit (pen, straw, etc.) the breathing effort will be too high.

Hmmm, pressure at the other end of a small diameter conduit... that sounds a lot like a valve stem on a tire. So you are saying that it IS plausible. Less work to breathe with the pressurized air. Just let it inflate your lungs.

Adam has a knife, most cars nowadays have leather seats. I feel jeans or even a thick shirt "might" be able to hold the air easily enough. I feel a leather seat cover might work better, and hold more air, enough to allow Adam to breathe from a depth of 100 feet, as much as from a deep river bottom.

Why on earth would anyone want to breath from the car tires????? Thats the part i dont get..

What most of you are overlooking, and being trained divers, Adam and Jamie should both know, is that it is very hazardous breathing air that has been compressed by a shop-type air compressor. Because of their design, Shop-type compressors leave a fine mist of aerosolled oil in the air, the breathing of which can lead to serious health problems. The compressors that are used to fill scuba tanks are of a different design altogether, to keep this from happening. So, If Adam had been sucessful, he would be inviting disaster anyway. If they do attempt to re-visit this myth, I seriously hope they take this into account.

And, by the way- you BREATHE, you do not breath.