Is a marine head a "must" for you?

[Kimela]

I have some issues with peeing in the water. Sometimes I can, but most times I can't. (have 235+ dives and it seems to be getting easier - but still an issue). I also can't predict what my stomach is going to do in the morning. I usually work afternoons to evening, so I sleep in late. Diving on vacation generally means getting up at 6:30 for an 8:00 dock time and my stomach doesn't know what the heck I'm doing awake! I also have a touch of IBS. I was also thinking of women who are still menstruating and may have a need for privacy if things happen while on a dive boat. So ... how important is it to you that a dive boat has a marine head?

 

[Imla]

Coffee. Usually triggers the stomach to think it is morning.
And... She-P For those days where no toilets are available.

 

[drl]

I won’t dive cold water (I.e., dry suit) from a boat with no head. I don’t like to pee in my wetsuit (I peel it off and “check the ladder” between dives) but it’s not an option in a dry suit! I know some women use a she-p but my Lake Michigan dives are not so long that it’s necessary as long as the boat has a head.
Periods are no longer an issue for me but they were when I started diving, what a nuisance! I managed without a head when necessary but it sure is nice when there is one!

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

Just realized this was in the "Womens Forum"...I'm not a woman, don't identify as a woman, never been a woman, ...but my wife is and we have had this issue come up.

The dive boats we have been on have been occupied with divers of all ages. We prefer small, fast boats, that usually will not have a head. I'd say that my wife and I fall about in the middle of the age average in our late 40's. I pee in my wetsuit and have no issues with that, my wife does too. They do stink after a few days, but a good rinsing with shampoo usually helps that. Our problem is with stomach issues. She has had her gallbladder removed so sometimes nature calls, actually demands, without warning and a head would be nice. The great thing about a dive boat is everybody has been subjected to the same moment at one time or another...unless they are brand new. Our dive op at our regular dive location does a surface interval at a beach club with full facilities so relief is available if you can make it to the SI.

But then, there are the other moments..... she watches what she eats for breakfast, we don't drink to excess, and generally up our pro-biotic intake in Mexico. Even taking those precautions, I have had to lose the wetsuit, drop the shorts, and take care of business. The wife has had to as well. Its a little embarrassing, but far better than shitting yourself. Usually it is met with other older divers with stories of "It happened to me when..." We have seen everything from hungover 20 somethings to 70 year old divers do the same thing. To me, its no different from people getting sick on the boat and chumming the water. It happens, its not a big deal, and as long as your not shitting on someone else...no harm, no foul. Natures call is natures call and sometimes she plays embarrassing games. Not so embarrassing that I would pass up diving because of no toilet on the boat. I promise you everyone on the boat would prefer you do a ladder check as well. It sucks...but only sucks for a moment....

I know I have seen other threads on menstral cups...but I cant help you there.

Jay

 

[mcohen1021]

Just realized this was in the "Womens Forum"...I'm not a woman, don't identify as a woman, never been a woman,

^^ HAHAHAHAHAHAHA Heyyyyy Kaitlyn's in da houuuuuuuuseee!

 

[Kimela]

@Jayfarmlaw - what you describe is what I fear! I'm NOT doing the warhammer (I wish I could unsee the video I watched to find out what that was!!!!!). There's a dive op I'd like to dive with but alas, no marine head. They do stop someplace during the SI to use the facilities. That might be good enough for me. But like your wife, I'd have to watch what I eat - more likely, not eat breakfast - to be sure I could make it through to the SI and then the end of diving for the day. I would love to dive a 6-pack but up until now I've been afraid that nature would call and I'd be left with a mess!

I'm on a Facebook group called Girls That Scuba and I created a poll to see what the women on the group thought. So far I have 120 responders and 20% won't dive on a boat without a marine head. Another 18% say it would be nice but it's not a deal breaker. Of course it's still a small sampling.

 

[Dogbowl]

I’m not recommending this but when my tummy gives me trouble, which is more often than not, I pop 1 or 2 Imodium quick dissolves as prophylactic. It stops all my intestinal movements. I do this only for when I absolutely don’t want to unexpectedly need to go, like while flying. I can’t go while flying. Just can’t.

Haven’t had issues yet with diving, although I don’t eat anything that could possibly cause me trouble: dairy, coffee, alcohol, greasy food, too much food, etc.

I don’t like diving from big boats so I won’t ever have a head in the boat.

 

[outofofficebrb]

I would only need a marine head if I needed to "go big" or am menstruating...Otherwise, I'm fine going in the water. Without a marine head, though, I always worry if I will need to "go big" or not - I can't always just clear out my system in the morning on command! I also worry about emergencies, especially because of new foods or bacteria from traveling.

 

[DiverGC]

Fortunately, I have not encountered digestive issues so a head is nice but not required. I recently started transitioning to using a menstral cup and it’s been amazing. There’s trial and error to finding the correct cup and learning to use it but I can go up to 12 hours without worrying about it(individual results vary, combination of cup volume and how much you bleed). This has eliminated all concerns I have about head access during menstration. MeLuna has a large variety of sizes although there is plenty of information online to help find the cup for you.

 

[Dogbowl]

I would only need a marine head if I needed to "go big" or am menstruating...Otherwise, I'm fine going in the water. Without a marine head, though, I always worry if I will need to "go big" or not - I can't always just clear out my system in the morning on command! I also worry about emergencies, especially because of new foods or bacteria from traveling.

I know people who go every morning at 6am. Rain, wind or shine. Such obedient bowels. I can’t even get up every morning at the same time.