I don't know how babies do it...

[sigourneya]

Drysuits keep the water out, and your water in If you pee in a wetsuit, no one notices, becuase you are surrounded by water to begin with. If you pee in a drysuit and don't have either a peevalve or a diaper on, everyone will notice that you are wet when you should be dry. And women cannot use a peevalve, the usual way to hook up to them with an external condom catheter. Women aren't equipped for external catheters They do exist, but I think most women would prefer the diaper.



Over here, most people would spell it "talc." Not a problem, but some people might be confused about what exactly you should talk about after peeing in a diaper on a drysuit dive

Thanks for the clarification. Note to self, no drysuits!

 

[annasea]

Thanks for the clarification. Note to self, no drysuits!

You said it, sister!

I attempted my drysuit dives today and it just wasn't happening. I got soaked, my fin came off, my foot came out of the boot, I was taking in more water than air every time I inhaled on my reg... oy vey! I'll stick with 80 degree water temps twice a year and my 3mm wetsuit.

 

[TSandM]

annasea, two words: FIN KEEPERS. Fin keepers are straps that collapse the boot around your foot and keep it from coming off. I kicked off my boots in the beginning too -- it's a horrible feeling. And if you got soaked, the dry suit they rented you DIDN'T FIT.

Don't give up on dry suits. A good dry suit with properly fitted seals really IS dry, and warm, and very diveable.

 

[annasea]

annasea, two words: FIN KEEPERS. Fin keepers are straps that collapse the boot around your foot and keep it from coming off. I kicked off my boots in the beginning too -- it's a horrible feeling. And if you got soaked, the dry suit they rented you DIDN'T FIT.

Don't give up on dry suits. A good dry suit with properly fitted seals really IS dry, and warm, and very diveable.

Thx for the support, Lynne. I DID ask about fin keepers as you previously suggested. The response I got from the LDS I took the class with was ankle weights should work just as good. So I thought, "OK". I probably could have dealt with the fin and boot, but once I starting having issues with the reg and breathing... game over. Frankly, I think the hood was the culprit. There's nothing wrong with my reg or my breathing... the hood wasn't pushed far down enough is my guess. I wish I'd worn one in the pool so I could have had a sense of it in advance.

As for the suit, I DID mention your experience to the LDS and they didn't seem too concerned. The vibe I got from numerous people I spoke to at the shop about it was as long as I was warm, it was OK if I got wet. Maybe I should have pushed harder, but I knew there was nothing they could do anyway.

I didn't really see myself as a cold water diving anyway, I just really wanted to take NWGratefulDiver's AOW course. Maybe someone teaches something similar in warm water?

 

[jbd]

I didn't really see myself as a cold water diving anyway, I just really wanted to take NWGratefulDiver's AOW course. Maybe someone teaches something similar in warm water?

There is no other NWGratefuldiver. Bob is a pretty rare find and certainly worth the effort to master the drysuit if that is needed to take his AOW course. Please don't sell yourself short so quickly. You can do this. It may be a bit frustrating but with a few more attempts you will get it. There is a phenomenal group of divers up there in the PNW that I feel confident will help you in any way they can.

Identify the problems you had with this first attempt, figure out the solutions to the problems and then please try again. If need be, try again after that. Give it at least three or four more solid attempts before giving up. Bob really is worth it and you won't regret your sucess.

I've said this before, if Bob didn't live on the "wrong" side of the Mississippi River from me, I would take his AOW course.

 

[Jimmer]

Easy for you to say!!! You live in Florida, try diving under 9 inches of ice in a WETSUIT! lol

Thanks for the clarification. Note to self, no drysuits!

 

[NorthWoodsDiver]

Okay so I'm a guy and I never dive in a drysuit (yet) but I am very very familiar with catheters. I know most men use condom caths for use in drysuits but there is nothing wrong with using a standard insertable cath too. There are some important things to remember because causing damage to the urethra with cause strictures (scar tissue) which will impead urination or further cathing. I dont understand why you women dont just use an insertable cath, when you are inserting it there should be no pain and you control whats going on so there should never be a UTI (urinary tract infection) or any pain.

Have any of you women even tried to dive with a cath. its physically possible and even discreet assuming you installed the hose beforehand. for that matter you could even use the hose like men do, when watering trees after the dive (no need to squat).

some of you might find this funny and others may even find it offensive ut I am totally serious.

 

[a_siren]

I'm scheduled to take dry suit and AOW in October in the Northeast. *Really* not looking forward to the diaper aspect of diving dry. Suffice it to say, I like peeing in my wetsuit and do so freely. It eliminates one thing to worry about.

What is the greatest thickness of wetsuit that people use? Do people go thicker than a 7mm farmer jane plus a 7mm core warmer? I'm trying to figure out how thick I can go to avoid diving dry!

P.S. I don't mean to be a pansy, but there is no way I'm inserting a cath.

 

[Cacia]

I don't think there is any inserting going on. Not that I would know.

I'd be afraid I'd get a sudden urge to drive across the country.

Wow, I have to hand it to you all for being so committed, just the idea upsets me.

 

[TSandM]

Some female tech divers are using bladder catheters. It's more involved for women, because the catheter is internal, must be inserted using sterile precautions, and bypasses the sphincter muscle which is the safety valve for preventing reflux. Infection risk is real. I'd have to be doing very long dives before I would think about doing it, myself.