A Hot Tub & A Good Cigar.

What a great place for a cigar smoker! The hot tub is the perfect backyard smoker’s refuge! 

A few years ago we sold an Olympic Hot Tub to a crusty old character who owned a sand & gravel company on the Eastside. He was tough as tough could be from dealing with all of the big construction bosses & his own drivers. To relax, he loved to indulge in a nightly cigar. His wife, though, was not thrilled by having cigar smoke & odor in the house.  So, he bought a hot tub from Olympic and sat outside every night smoking a stogy.  If it rained, he held up an umbrella to keep it going and puffed away.

Cigars are gaining in popularity.  There are hundreds of websites and blogs devoted to cigars. There’s even a cigar magazine, Cigar Aficionado. Celebrities from Groucho Marx to Arnold have been photographed with their trademark cigars. Arnold even had a smoking tent outside of the capitol in Sacramento so he could smoke in peace.

Cigar lover? Think how much better a good cigar would taste while soaking in your backyard hot tub.

Think of the benefits, too.

1.      No need to put a propane heater or to your garage and install huge outlet fans so your wife doesn’t smell the odor. Some man-room-a cold garage!

2.      You have no clothes on so there’s no lingering odor about your person!

3.      What a great way to relax with the guys-smoking cigars in a steaming hot tub.

4.      Happy wife if she hates cigar smoke.

Some hot tubbing smokers have reported that their cigars get soggy, the burn becomes uneven and the wrapper peels in the hot tub. Yes, it’s probably a sure bet that hot tub soaking  eventually ruins a good cigar.  So, to overcome that problem, here are a few tips on how to soak & smoke gleaned from passionate hot tubbing cigar smokers:

1. Don’t hold the cigar over the tub. Let your arm/hand hang over the edge. It’s not always easy when its really cold but it saves your cigar from a “steam bath”.
2. An umbrella is advised when it’s raining if you’re not under a permanent cover.
3. The right spot is important. Always sit “upwind” so the steam will move away from you.
4. Take a robusto or corona to the hot tub, say experts. The bigger cigar gives the steam more time to act on the cigar. Or, better yet have a 2nd cigar that comes in fresh instead of 1 bigger one.
5. Keep a towel handy in case your hand gets wet you can dry it off quickly before you ruin your cigar.
6. Rig up an ash tray in the tub ( ?). Suggestion from Don of  Texas on Puff.com.  “Get a bucket and put bricks/rocks in the bottom and float it in the hot tub and use that as your ashtray. Then you can be anywhere in the tub and ash as you please! Hanging a weight from a rope from the bottom of the bucket would probably be even more stable as the center of gravity would be lower.” Or, attach a SmartBar tray to the side of your tub where you can place a real ash tray.
7. Monitor how you feel. The hot water will increase your heart rate and circulation. You may you feel the cigar’s effects much faster than when sitting in an arm chair. Watch out for dizziness.

That’s all I know on the topic. I know there are a lot of hot tubbing cigar smokers out there. Any readers hot tub with a cigar? Send us your tips!

RES SEVERA EST VERUM GAUDIUM.  Latin for true pleasure is serious business.