Do you pee less with drysuits than with wetsuits?

[DANDM]

Diving makes us want to pee more (most of us pee in our wetsuits, or lie trying!). DAN explains it's caused by immersion diuresis, caused by water pressure and cooler temperatures. I'm considering buying my first drysuit and I was just really curious, as you stay drier and warmer with drysuits, do you feel less of an urge to pee compared to when you wear a wetsuit (assuming same dive conditions and similar comfort)? I'll definitely add a pee-valve if I do get a drysuit, but I'm just really curious of people's experiences! Heck, lets add a poll.

 

[drk5036]

I really want to know the answer to this as well!!

as a person who has NEVER (honest!) peed in a wetsuit, I am wondering how long I can reasonably estimate to go in a dry suit. One hour wet is no problem, but by the 70 minute mark I’d prefer to be on the surface.... Haven’t had the chance to do a long duration dry suit dive yet.

 

[Superlyte27]

The urge to pee is the same as the mechanism is still present.

Don’t buy a drysuit without a pee valve.

 

[irycio]

Don’t buy a drysuit without a pee valve.

Too late . But I do need it installed badly.

Still, I'd say that a drysuit with heating would reduce your urge, since temperature decrease is a contributing factor on top of the pressure.

 

[Whitrzac]

In my experience, yes. I come out of the water a lot less hungry too.

 

[DANDM]

In my experience, yes. I come out of the water a lot less hungry too.

Diving is the only sport that has made me gain weight. Maybe a drysuit is a good way to balance haha

 

[kelemvor]

When I got my first drysuit, I included a pee valve. Although I attach the catheter each time, I rarely use it. I've been thinking about skipping it. When I dive without the drysuit, I go every time I dive - usually multiple times.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

For me it's pretty much the same frequency wet or dry.

 

[MrVegas]

I usually try to avoid the too much information threads, but here goes. I was really worried about this when I bought my drysuit earlier this year. (A relatively inexpensive bilaminate with no extras.) However, I have found that the need is much less -- how would you say it -- "immediate" in a drysuit, so I voted less. Honestly, hasn't really been a problem at all. That being said, most of my dives are an hour or less. One thing too is that the more I use the drysuit, the easier I find it is to get in and out of it -- in fact, easier than a wetsuit.

I did have one instance where a dive buddy had driven to a quarry, drank a whole bottle of gatorade, and then put on a drysuit and went in. About 30 minutes later, he thumbed the dive and made a very fast surface swim back to the bathroom. (I think there was a lesson learned there.)

 

[Invader]

I don't dehydrate (therefore need to rehydrate) in a drysuit NEARLY as much as a wetsuit because the water isn't touching my skin, wicking moisture from my body. I can go multiple dives and intervals without needing to go, and only minimal gatorade drinking (maybe 1 12oz per interval).

That said, my suit does not have a valve, but Seaskin can put a 'Convenience Zipper' for you to use on the surface.