Dive ops handling wetsuits

[fishi]

"The thread that won't die! (even if you pee on it)"

And it has become even more absurd than the Monty Python sketch, "I'm not dead yet!"
Some of us pee in our suits, some of us don't. The ocean is probably big enough to handle it. Some dive ops wash wet suits, some don't, make your choice, and enjoy your dives. Sheesh....

The ocean is big enough to handle it, but the dive boats are too small to sit next to someone covered with urine. Wet suits are designed to hold water against the skin and they do a very good job of doing that. Someone should invent a wet suit with a velcro fly.

 

[ggunn]

The ocean is big enough to handle it, but the dive boats are too small to sit next to someone covered with urine. Wet suits are designed to hold water against the skin and they do a very good job of doing that. Someone should invent a wet suit with a velcro fly.

Any urine on a diver from peeing his/her wetsuit has been so diluted by seawater that a human being won't smell anything, and if there were a velcro fly on my wetsuit I wouldn't use it at depth for a number of reasons which I think are pretty obvious. Painfully obvious, some of them.

 

[mathauck0814]

Any urine on a diver from peeing his/her wetsuit has been so diluted by seawater that a human being won't smell anything, and if there were a velcro fly on my wetsuit I wouldn't use it at depth for a number of reasons which I think are pretty obvious. Painfully obvious, some of them.

I don't know about that. There are definitely some days where the sun is beating on the deck and you can smell that there are too many wetsuit divers on the boat. My guess is their suits actually fit well and trap the urine next to their skin and it runs out on the deck when they get out of the water. Either that or the boats just aren't rinsing their decks after relieving themselves (but I tend to only dive on boats with facilities, so that raises even more questions).

 

[ggunn]

I don't know about that. There are definitely some days where the sun is beating on the deck and you can smell that there are too many wetsuit divers on the boat. My guess is their suits actually fit well and trap the urine next to their skin and it runs out on the deck when they get out of the water. Either that or the boats just aren't rinsing their decks after relieving themselves (but I tend to only dive on boats with facilities, so that raises even more questions).

Well, I have never been offended by anything I've smelled on a dive boat except for that guy that time with the cigar. If you don't want to pee in your wetsuit, then by all means don't do it, but berating those who don't hold that view is silly. Worrying about infection is way over the top.

 

[Skittl1321]

Worrying about infection is way over the top.

Well, it is possible. A friend got a bad staph infection from a rented wetsuit in Thailand. He did say it was kind of a shady, cheap, operation though- so maybe they slacked on their cleaning.

 

[fishi]

Any urine on a diver from peeing his/her wetsuit has been so diluted by seawater that a human being won't smell anything, and if there were a velcro fly on my wetsuit I wouldn't use it at depth for a number of reasons which I think are pretty obvious. Painfully obvious, some of them.

You would be wise to look for eels before you go.

 

[mathauck0814]

Well, I have never been offended by anything I've smelled on a dive boat except for that guy that time with the cigar. If you don't want to pee in your wetsuit, then by all means don't do it, but berating those who don't hold that view is silly. Worrying about infection is way over the top.

I'm not concerned about infection. I'm not even sure how that would happen. Locally, all boats have heads. On vacation, we tend to charter our own and I can't think of ever using a boat that didn't have a head (or was making short shore runs to sites where there was a head on shore for surface intervals).

My thought is that it's just easier to do it before you get in the water. Part of the pre-dive checklist, if you will.

 

[Skittl1321]

Well.... Go to palancar pier. Examine the dive boats. Often half the boat looks like escapees from the geriatric ward....

We were excited to go to the local scuba club meeting, as my other monthly meeting is quilting club. We figured we were much more likely to find young people in this club (we were thinking most people would be in their 40s). Nope- the average age was higher than the quilters. Mostly late 60s, one guy was getting close to 80. They were still fun to dive with though.

---------- Post added September 21st, 2013 at 11:23 AM ----------

It remains to be seen what percentage demand that somebody else clean it out for them for a few extra pesos a day.

I don't think most people demand it; but if the service is offered, I think most would use it! (I don't know if my op does this or not for non-rentals. Either way I'm good.)

 

[ggunn]

I'm not concerned about infection. I'm not even sure how that would happen. Locally, all boats have heads. On vacation, we tend to charter our own and I can't think of ever using a boat that didn't have a head (or was making short shore runs to sites where there was a head on shore for surface intervals).

My thought is that it's just easier to do it before you get in the water. Part of the pre-dive checklist, if you will.

It's situational, I guess. On the dive trips I go on in Cozumel, it's 4-5 hours between bathrooms. I have a cup of coffee before the boat, and I drink lots of water before and between dives. I dive in a skin that zips up the front under a shortie that zips up the back. One does what one has to do. It's (to me) not a big deal.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Stay well hydrated and mathauk shouldn't be able to smell much. Mathauk, your dive experienes seem to be limited.