The Bladder Issue

[sailfinn]

Recently on a tech dive I found myself with a full bladder and a ceiling that seemed as if it would definitely outlast my bladder's patience. Longest 13 minutes of deco I have ever done, short in normal circumstances, but when you are fighting to keep your dry suit dry, seems like forever.

So needless to say the 13 minutes was spent thinking of the solution to the problem. Which seems I have two options, since diving a wet suit in these waters is NOT one of them, I am faced with the 'she-pee' I think its called... and DEPENDS!

I can research specs on these all I want, but what I really want to know is personal experience. I am not fond of the idea of 'Depends' on a dive... at all. The she-pee captures my interest (primarily because there aren't many other options!) But I would love some opinions from other WOMEN who have been faced with the bladder issue in technical diving, as I don't take to cutting holes in my drysuit unless I know its worth it and it is functional.

Thanks!

 

[BluewaterSail]

I recently purchased a dry suit, and had a Halcyon p-valve installed at the factory. I use the She-p and also wear adult diapers as a backup until I am sure that I have my technique totally under control. I want to hydrate well, then pee whenever I want, and this alllows it.

It does mean another thing to think about and do in the morning on diving days, but its really not so bad. I get all set up at the hotel or home before setting out, and then I just pop the quick disconnect into the tube on the dry suit when suiting up.

I do recommend the she-p. There is a facebook site that you might find interesting:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/11351962910/

Linda

 

[TSandM]

I've been using the She-P for several years. There is a learning curve, and you will have failures, as the guys do, too. But overall, it is MUCH better than swimming in sloshing diapers.

I would, sadly, recommend going with a simple unbalanced valve. You will have to prime it, but at least you won't deal with check valve failures.

 

[Sam Backo]

Get a thicker wetsuit lol

 

[BabyDuck]

just had a week of cave diving without a she-p failure...

i use baby huggies with the sides folded back instead of a depends as backup. tech divers love redundancy, right?

yes, they work. yes, you'll have failures, but they work flawlessly much more often than not. there are several really long threads on here with lots of great info to get you up to speed.

 

[pink_fins]

I use a night time Poise pad with an adult diaper. If I was a a lot younger I might have tried the she-pee, but at my age forget it. The arthritis makes my hands stiff at times....
I also bring some wipes and a throwaway grocery plastic bag for disposal.
If I had to pee while doing the first dive, I can just replace the thick poise pad and be on my way....
This is so much easier than having to rip the drysuit off and run like some of the guys I dive with....

 

[Kinkydiver]

My girlfriend uses the depends and an aditional pad for extended dives. She has looked at the she-pee and wasn't interested. Also since it is another leak point for her drysuit, she didn't want a pee valve. For what it's worth, I use the depends too but I don't have to use them very often.

 

[TracyN]

I just recently bought a drysuit and I have decided not to cut a hole in it for she-pee access. Being a nurse I have the bladder capacity of a horse so I just go before the dive and if I have to go during the dive I just hold it. Until I start diving stages my dives aren't long enough to justify cutting a hole in my drysuit nor wearing depends. I have found that most of my urge to pee comes from being submerged in the cold water. Now that I have the drysuit I am warm and I don't get that urge as much.

 

[TSandM]

I agree that the typical recreational dive doesn't require a p-valve (although sometimes they are awfully nice). But I do think that, without one, the diver is likely to reconsider that cup of coffee in the morning, or that extra bottle of water on the boat, and that is sometimes not a good thing. And when you get into cave dives that run two hours or more, I don't care if you have a nurse's bladder, you are going to need to pee!

 

[tkdgodess]

I dont know what to do either. I can hold it barely at this point, 70-90 min dives. I wished i could pee twice. I have tena ultimate pads but have not used them yet. Im half way thru normoxic trimix and hypoxic is paid for. I wonder if any she pee users have had thier perinieum torn twice in childbirth. I dont know if it will actually fit me, and the device is an effort to get locally. Im going to be padding it on an upcoming trip because i cant get my undergarments washed if i soil myself. Lol. Dive better be good if that happens......