Drysuits and pee valves

[formernuke]

This is based on my personal experience and that of people I know and dive with.

As you know from my previous thread I'm installing a pee valve in my drysuit. There have been several people expressing concern and indicating that they are getting turned off the idea of dry diving because of the pee valve and what it entails.

You DO NOT NEED A PEE VALVE to dive dry. I dove dry for years without one.

Lets do some math 130 feet recreational dive 33 feet a minute ascend rate with safety stop. Your back on the surface within 10 minutes add a few more to get on boat on back to land and remove gear, get to the bathroom. You can relieve yourself without much issue. No need for the pee valve.

I'm installing one because I'm starting tech training soon and therefore anticipate having deco obligations so I will not be able to just safely ascend and go (unless I want to visit the chamber) and really do not want to go in my undergarments.

In sort unless you are doing dives or diving in remote locations where you cannot get to a place to go, no need for the pee valve. Drysuit diving is great and I prefer it to a wetsuit, if I ever make it to warm clear water I might still bring a drysuit because I like the way it dives.

 

[lexvil]

I disagree, in general first I vastly prefer diving a wet suit but not enough to be that cold for that long. I prefer to be comfortable which starts with warm and follows with internal comfort being it lack of cramps from low hydration to the desperate rush to crack open a dry suit to pee. Once people get over the fear associated with hooking up to the pee valve actually find out just how enjoyable long dives fully hydrated actually can be, well they rarely look back ( this is a male centric view, the stuff women have to do for a pee valve is nuts) you don’t need a pee valve and if you’re one of those who won’t pee in your wet suit (if you say so) you can easily get by without one but you are missing out on the best dives by limiting your time and hydration.

it’s just fear of the weird, sort of how many feel about diving in the first place

 

[Heka]

I don't have one and haven't had any internal leaks in my drysuit
Most of my dives are under an hour so no problem, maybe when my dives start to be close to two hours I'll install one. But i need to get heated vest before that happens.

As I've dove only twice in a wetsuit when in OWD class it's wild to hear how many of wetsuit divers do their business into their suit.

 

[formernuke]

I disagree, in general first I vastly prefer diving a wet suit but not enough to be that cold for that long. I prefer to be comfortable which starts with warm and follows with internal comfort being it lack of cramps from low hydration to the desperate rush to crack open a dry suit to pee. Once people get over the fear associated with hooking up to the pee valve actually find out just how enjoyable long dives fully hydrated actually can be, well they rarely look back ( this is a male centric view, the stuff women have to do for a pee valve is nuts) you don’t need a pee valve and if you’re one of those who won’t pee in your wet suit (if you say so) you can easily get by without one but you are missing out on the best dives by limiting your time and hydration.

it’s just fear of the weird, sort of how many feel about diving in the first place

So we disagree as to which exposure protection is best (one of things of this sport is personal preference).

We do agree that you don't have to have a pee valve in a drysuit though. I'm doing out of necessity you seem to use one as preference for recreational dives.

I vaguely remember a old 2008 or 2009 post from @TS&M (may she rest in peace) about women and the she-p..... women with those definitely deserve the highest respect.

 

[Marie13]

This is a very recent article that goes into minute detail on using a She-P

Tips for using a female external catheter - by Julie Cerrato

 

[Storker]

IME, if you can't hold it for an hour or so, you may be overhydrating or overdoing the coffee. Or you're suffering from excessive immersion diuresis. If you can hold it for an hour or so and make sure to take a leak shortly before zipping up, you generally shouldn't need a pee valve, nor peeing in your wetsuit.

Me, my (guided) wetsuit dives have - on average - been shorter than my (local) drysuit dives. And neither have been longer than an hour or so more often than just occasionally.

 

[Stoo]

This is a weird thread. For those of us that dive in water that is actually 'cold' versus 'cool', diving wet just isn't an option unless you're planning on limiting your diving to a few weeks each year. It's not a question of comfort, but one of safety. Hypothermia is a real thing.

As for having a pee valve, as others have said, there really isn't a huge need for one for most recreational dives. All of my drysuits have valves installed (I have four drysuits) except one of them. However, I probably only connect the thing about 15% of the time. When I do, it's because I am doing a "big" dive or because I am planning on doing several dives in a day, and the weather sucks. To expand, a big dive would be one where there is a bunch of deco to do, and so the total time is likely long. The second example would be when I go to BC to dive every fall. We generally go in October, and it's always cool, and often drizzling. There's a lot to be said for climbing in to your suit in the morning, and keeping it on all day.

Not connecting the pee valve has no downside at all. I use Halcyon balanced valves. The have a scew-down cap that seals 100% of the time, as long as it's kept clean. Having said this, I've had many dives where I didn't "plug-in" and wished I did...

 

[lexvil]

So we disagree as to which exposure protection is best (one of things of this sport is personal preference).

We do agree that you don't have to have a pee valve in a drysuit though. I'm doing out of necessity you seem to use one as preference for recreational dives.

I vaguely remember a old 2008 or 2009 post from @TS&M (may she rest in peace) about women and the she-p..... women with those definitely deserve the highest respect.

No, we agree on which exposure protection is best, a dry suit, I prefer the wetsuit but it sucks for exposure protection if diving nontropical temps.

We’re you can dive dry without a pee valve it is limiting, people are gripped with fear over the concept of the pee valve and the attachment attachment, those people make up all sort or reasons for not using one and they tend to dehydrate them selves, I know I did both but I have been diving for 49 years what is called “tech” was called diving, I still dive and did the San Francisco Maru, single tank with hang bottles for deco, that’s recreational in my personal book.

 

[Celt]

I dive dry and have a pee valve fitted. But if I can get out of the water inside 3 hours I won’t wear a catheter.

 

[Stoo]

I dive dry and have a pee valve fitted. But if I can get out of the water inside 3 hours I won’t wear a catheter.

LOL.... A man of "faith" clearly!