Dry suits...Pee valves or Depends

[ruready7]

The first drysuit I ever owned had nothing for bladder relief...and I swore I'd never have another one without it. My new one just has a zipper in the lower front, and I find that's fine for the diving I do...I don't do any tech diving, just SCUBA and air, so I can easily go the length of a dive between "pees". But, I do a lot of multiple-dive days, and peeling off a dry suit between every dive to relieve myself got very old very fast. So, the zipper works fine.

One thing I have noticed is that it's much easier to hold the bladder in a dry suit than in a wetsuit...not sure why, maybe the cold water down the back and over the kidneys. I know many divers just let fly in the wetsuit when they need to...but I can't bring myself to do it...I know, I know, but I just can't. So, I took an old drysuit pee zipper and installed it in my wetsuit. If I feel the need to go while in the water, I open the zipper and turn my back to my buddy. Very quick, and I feel much more comfortable for the rest of the dive.

I've never used a p-valve...can someone explain exactly how they work? It might be an option for my next drysuit, and I'm due for one soon. The word "catheter" doesn't thrill me, though!

Possible reason for being easier to hold bladder in drysuit vs wetsuit....the wet suit is tight and compresses against your bladder...drysuit doesnt.

 

[Chernish]

Now, the choice of diapers vs pee-valve is personal preference.

Could it be that all the previous discussion was about a misunderstanding then?
Nappies is NOT "no pees". Nappies=diapers.



Cheers!

 

[Blackwood]

Possible reason for being easier to hold bladder in drysuit vs wetsuit....the wet suit is tight and compresses against your bladder...drysuit doesnt.

Or, more likely, because you are warmer.

Eliminating excess fluid is one of the body's first reactions when it gets cold.

 

[The_DivePirate]

Hello everyone!

Does anyone have experience installing a P Valve on a neoprene drysuit? Is it possible and is it any different than installing it on a shell dry suit?

I am a warm water recreational diver and I want to move to tech longer and deeper dives and move to drysuit diving. I am planning on purchasing Poseidon's new Flexisuit. The material of the suit is "3 mm HD neoprene super stretch with a very durable Armatex nylon on the outside."

I know this is not a thread regarding Dry Suit Selection, I am providing this info beause I am looking for information regarding P Valves on neoprene suits of this type.

Any info guys and gals?

Thanks allot.

Actually it is quite easy, get a hole punch pop a hole around the upper thigh that is the size of the unit in question.( not that unit. LMAO the p-valve silly) After the the hole is punched in the suit install the p-valve. I use a little aqua seal around the hole too insure a good seal and no leaks. Not a big deal and is a quick process. Good luck,
Joe

 

[MMac]

I tried a Depends before having a p-valve installed on my new drysuit. It worked well when it was time to take a leak. What I didn't think about was "suit squeeze". It squished all the urine out of the Depends and soaked my undergarmet. I even tried two on the next dive. Forget the Depends. Go with the p-valve or drink less fluids

 

[Tom Winters]

When I got my drysuits, they didn't have p-valves in them. I got a LOT of grief from my wife - "Oh, you can't hold it during the dive like me?" Plus, strapping into a damn Depends is not a cool visual - although I had a friend in NYC who was into that diaper stuff with his 15 year-old wife, but I digress.
I can hold it on 999 dives out of 1,000. It's that 1,000th dive - you don't know where 'zactly in countdown cycle it's going to happen.
I used Depends while I waited for my p-valve to show up. Well, I just wore the damn things - I never quite trusted them all that much to let fly in them. I don't really trust the p-valve either - the connections are all solid, but it's going to be a real leap of faith the first time I take the whiz quiz and actually use it.
Charles at Fill Express had Steve Gamble put a relief zipper in his drysuit. He refused to deal with a p-valve. The relief zipper is probably ok almost all of the time, but I'll pass on that and keep the p-valve approach.
With the Depends stuff - soon enough, we'll be getting that senior citizen coffee at McDonald's and getting zipped into our nappies before a big day at the shuffleboard court.
Why rush it?

 

[elan]

Yesterday's dive for 79 minutes just made me more sure about investing into the valve in the near future. A diver bolting to the surface from 100' would probably be envy of my speed which I was bolting to the nearest bushes at after surfacing. SHKVAL torpedo was smoking aside watching me heading to the shore. And the understanding looks of my fellow divers gearing up. But at this moments you can understand how simple P can make one a happy person.


I do hydrate a lot, otherwise I'm a candidate for a great headache. Have been there few times until I realized that dehydration is the cause.

 

[NorthWoodsDiver]

I spent over $200 on the P-valve and quick disconnects (plenty of spares too) for my suit and another $100 on a case of catheters and installed the system myself. Its single handed the best diving investment I have made besides cave training and the drysuit itself.

 

[Sas]

I'm starting to feel something for the ladies here. Are you girls mad at the boys for scrapping over this yet.(discussing).

I have a p-valve and am female. Last year I dived for a few months with nothing and had to end a few dives to pee (my bladder is thimble sized I think as 70mins or so seems to be my max dive length without needing to go ). Sometimes I think I came close to breaking some kind of speed record to get to a bathroom after a dive

I did not want to wear nappies so a few months ago I got a She-P and P-Valve. Anyway diving in a drysuit with a p-valve is just so much more comfortable and I no longer dehydrate myself on diving days (yes I did that last year, and I do know how dumb that is). Actually last weekend I figured I was only going to do a 60min shore dive and a 40min boat dive on a boat with heads so I did not set it up. 75mins into the shore dive (that was still going strong) I was *desperate* to get out to go to the toilet so I had to end the dive . Moral of that story is I won't leave my She-P at home again even when I only think I'll do a short dive!

I have one buddy who has a drysuit now and has no issues not having a p-valve as he doesn't get the urge to go underwater. Everyone is different I guess but I think if anyone has to end a dive to pee, or gets to the stage where it is uncomfortable underwater because they need to go, really should go with nappies or a p-valve.