Condom Catheter Recommendations?

[Wibble]

I use both Rochester Widebands (Bard). Work well, painful to remove without "Apeel - medical adhesive remover".

I also use Conveens. These are more convenient (yay!) and come in a smaller package (obviously for enormous!). They roll on and come off more easily - less painful to remove than the Widebands.

Recommend a Pee Valve Connector with the valve in it. One end goes on the catheter; catheter rolled on to Fred (name changed to protect the innocent); kit up in drysuit and plug in the pipe end into the connector on the catheter.

 

[formernuke]

Wide bands here too. Make sure you manscape and get the adhesive removal wipes, makes removal painless.

 

[broncobowsher]

Wideband.
Half the tip trimmed so what is left matches the barb on the quick connect.
manscape.
One (day) and done. Consumable item, no reuse.

 

[Wibble]

Used to trim the end then found it wasn’t necessary. Never trim it nowadays.

 

[lexvil]

I use wide band and trim the tip, it really helps with preventing the “kink shut down”

 

[Jaaron82]

I’m in the same boat I just got a drysuit and will be installing a pee valve as soon as it gets delivered. So wide band seems to be the general consensus of condom cath’s , with a quick disconnect. Any insight on how to flush the system when done with a day of diving? Bottle and solution used ?

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Rochester Widebands here on the rare occasions I dive dry these days. However whenever I do I am always plumbed up.

 

[Wibble]

I’m in the same boat I just got a drysuit and will be installing a pee valve as soon as it gets delivered. So wide band seems to be the general consensus of condom cath’s , with a quick disconnect. Any insight on how to flush the system when done with a day of diving? Bottle and solution used ?

A bottle of water.

Drysuit to the waist, stand on the boat lift or somewhere quiet in the car park, bottle of water to hand. Pull the catheter off the quick release on the outside of your suit; shake off the 'liquid' in the catheter and put it away (take the catheter off later). Shake the hose and make sure the quick release is 'clicked', i.e. is in the "on" position.

Take a large swig of water and keep it in your mouth; pull up the hose and blow the mouthful of water down the pipe, keep blowing so air runs through. Repeat 6+ times.

All rinsed clean and sorted.

When removing the suit, half disconnect the quick release to the "off" position (I leave the screw valve always open). This prevents any drips getting inside your suit. Roll up suit.

When you get home, hang the suit up and pull the pee pipe outside of the suit (this is where a "convenience zip" comes into its own). Click the quick-release "on". I blow through a couple of times to get any odd drips out (which is just water from your rinsing). I keep the pipe outside my suit allowing it to dry out. I like to use a "Hangair" which is a big hanger with a fan to blow air into the suit to dry any dampness (not from the pee valve!), especially if there's any suit leaks or normal condensation.

I occasionally dip the top of the hose and quick release in some Chemgene/antiseptic, but not by habit. Similarly I'll occasionally take the quick release valve off and give it a soak in strong Chemgene.

In the many hundreds of times I've done that, there's never been a smell from the pipe which means there's no bacterial growth.

 

[broncobowsher]

My quick connect is a dry break. When disconnected it seals shut. Between that and closing the valve on the suit I don't make a mess taking the suit off or moving it around. Later I will use a 2OZ syringe to flush everything with disinfectant. Put the little quick connect in and squirt. If traveling, mouthwash. If at home, some stuff I got with the condoms (forget the name) from the medical supply house. Or if cleaning the rebreather a slurp from the bucket with the sterlmime dissolved in it. After the water rinse a couple of air pumps of air to clear the line.

 

[stuartv]

Bard Rochester Spirit Style 3 Wideband

Bard Rochester Spirit - Silicone Male External Condom Catheter (Style 3 Wideband)

I think Styles 1 and 2 are less desirable. I forget which is which, but I think one of them only has adhesive for 1.5" (i.e. not a wideband). The other is a wideband (3" of adhesive), but the Style 3 is wideband with more/stronger adhesive.

Search around and you can find a "sizing guide" that you can download and print out. Then order 1 or 2 each of the estimated size and the next sizes up and down. Try them on. Leave them on for a while because taking them off right after you put them on is a bitch. Once you're sure of your size, stock up in bulk. A little too small is better than a little too big.

Be sure you order a couple of 45mm, whether you need them or not, to give any of your buddies that forgot theirs and need to borrow one.

For cleaning:

I dissolve a Steramine tablet in warm water, put the male part of the QD in, so the female side is open, and use a big syringe to squirt the liquid through until I've used all the liquid. Probably 2 to 3 cups, total. I normally only do that after every dive trip - not every dive day.

https://www.amazon.com/Syringes-Scientific-Measuring-Watering-Refilling/dp/B07C71C1LH/

Steramine Multi-Purpose Sanitizer