I want to pee in my drysuit, but politely.

[themagni]

I want to get a relief valve installed in my drysuit. My current plan, which is "pee right before the dive and then once you get the suit off" is getting more outdated as my dives get longer. (What can I say? With the gym next door I've been going to spin and yoga. Oxygen's for suckers.) My options are to move to astronaut style or to get a p-valve. I've got two small kids and so I'd feel more than a little funny if Daddy started wearing diapers.

My suit is neoprene, so fairly thick, and the exterior is made of Gator-tech, so there's a small grid pattern on the surface. (It's tough-wearing; there are lots of rocks and barnacles on the shoreline here. In fact, if I'd had a shell suit on the last dive it would have been shredded but I can't decide if that story should go into "diving humour" or "accidents and incidents -> near misses")

What are my best options for getting a valve? The online shops are only about $20 less than the shops in town, one FLDS selling the Halycon for $175. (For that I'd prefer to shop locally.) I noted that the divemaster and two other people had that same valve installed, or at least one where the exterior was cosmetically identical. I don't think it would be that hard to install it myself as I'm pretty good with tools. I talked to the shop about it, but I'd like to know if there are problems with models on the market, if there are parts that wear out, what I should look out for, etc. I know that there are consumables that get replaced on each dive day, but that's all I know. They also only sell one type, so if it's not ideal then they wouldn't exactly be forthcoming and suggest another shop. (Although they did say to get the consumables from the drugstore by the box since they're way cheaper that way.)

Once I've got it, what do I have to do to get the best use out of it? I remember reading "remember to prime for a happy time" but that's about it. How do you make sure it doesn't fall off during the dive?

Thank you.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Unless your bot was randomly generating the above post, your best bet is to ship your suit to Ron.

Ron works here:
Hood Sport 'n Dive!

Ron will install a valve and have it back to you in record time, his work is guaranteed, and his prices are competitive.

Make sure you tell him you want a quick disconnect in the line. It makes connecting your plumbing to the suit's plumbing much quicker and easier.

If you don't remove the condom catheter following your dive, remember to get extra long board shorts, or be prepared to encounter strange looks when your quick disconnect hangs down out of one of your shorts legs. Alternately, use it to write your name in the sand, and really impress chicks.

Next - the "three P's" --

"Politely" - it is considered gauche to stand on shore and talk to someone casually while peeing. They may not notice, however, your valve will start emitting fluid down the leg of your drysuit, and people might wonder why. Wait until your valve is covered by seawater before using it.

"Prime" - one of the bigger requirements. After connecting plumbing and donning suit, after walking out about waist deep prime your hose. Alternately, after jumping off the stern platform of the dive boat, while still at the surface, prime your hose. Otherwise, as you descend your hose may decide to react like any unequalized space, and you can standby for a blow out.

"Prevent" - blow-outs, that is. See "Prime" above. The other wisdom involves a zen-like attention to variances among condom catheter manufacturers. Some are relatively easy to remove. This no doubt counts as a plus to non-diving users. Others require acetone and the loss of a layer of skin to remove. These are the ones you want....especially if you're going to don the condom catheter in your hotel room, drive to the boat, and wear it all day through 2 dives, a long surface interval, and a long trip back to the dock. The adhesive becomes less reliable over time, so buy the condom catheters that offer you the best "grip" if you want to avoid a really cold, damp decompression period on your second dive of a long day.

It also helps if, when you release, release slow at first rather than like the proverbial race horse. Once the plumbing tube is filled and the valve is open, go for it. Rinse out the suit plumbing with fresh water each time you rinse your drysuit.

Life is good.

 

[TSandM]

The Halcyon valve is a very nice one, with very low flow resistance. It has a cap with a set screw, so it's difficult to lose, and it tightens down nicely if you are not using the valve. It is a balanced valve, so you do not need to prime. (The downside of balancing is that some folks have had trouble with leaking through the duckbill inside the valve.)

If you are installing on a neoprene suit, you need to compress the area where the valve is going to go quite thoroughly before installing (otherwise, when the suit compresses at depth, the intallation may leak). Making a wood block of the appropriate size and shape, and putting it on a vise will do it.

Depending on the suit, you may have to do some research as to what adhesive will hold well -- and if the outside of the suit is textured, you are almost certainly going to have to use some adhesive.

The site is down right now, but one of the funniest (and most informative) threads on diving in the entire internet is on the Deco Stop, on something like "Secrets of the condom catheter".