P valve & condom catheter 101

[BabyDuck]

how annoying are the skin prep remnants once the adhesive is off? does it come off with soap & water, or baby oil, or what? will it make you stick to your underwear?

 

[Gombessa]

For widebands, I've found that the following procedure works well:

1. Shower the night before, not the morning of the dive.
2. On the morning of the dive, apply the catheter.
3. After the dive, or in the evening, peel to remove.

If you mess up while donning and try to remove it immediately, you're in for a world of hurt.

 

[laurin]

For widebands, I've found that the following procedure works well:

1. Shower the night before, not the morning of the dive.
2. On the morning of the dive, apply the catheter.
3. After the dive, or in the evening, peel to remove.

If you mess up while donning and try to remove it immediately, you're in for a world of hurt.

Yeah, there's a world of difference between putting a Wideband on before or after a morning shower... And you can't really "just try out" a Wideband for the fit and expect it to come right off.

One piece of wisdom I learned (luckily) during a cool-down dip from the boat before the actual dive - the quick disconnect needs to double-checked that it is pushed all the way in with the clicking sound. Otherwise it may appear to be connected, but will actually restrict or completely prevent the "flow" pretty bad and in the worst case pop off and leak. I managed to get on the ladder and push the QD in through my fusion, and get rid of the "balloon" without too much embarrassment, but I'd imagine that would lead to a pretty interesting dive...

//LN

 

[Randy43068]

Just one thing that hasn't been mentioned -- be sure to rinse the tubing and valve after diving with alcohol. I have read about some really nasty, resistant urinary tract infections coming from the use of p-valves. One of our SB members ended up in the hospital for something like ten days on IV antibiotics as the result of one. A catheter tipped syringe makes doing this easy.

I don't dive with alcohol...



Good point.

 

[Randy43068]

For widebands, I've found that the following procedure works well:

1. Shower the night before, not the morning of the dive.
2. On the morning of the dive, apply the catheter.
3. After the dive, or in the evening, peel to remove.

If you mess up while donning and try to remove it immediately, you're in for a world of hurt.

I hate those stinkin' widebands. I still use 'em, but hate 'em.

 

[Gombessa]

I hate those stinkin' widebands. I still use 'em, but hate 'em.

Quite honestly, I think this is the only possible attitude towards widebands that is psychologically healthy.

 

[jridg]

I use the coloplast Conveen - sticks very well, not too bad to remove.

One thing I have found that makes like VERY simple is to route the tube, then tape things down to the outside of the undergarments (tube, end of cath) to my leg. This keeps everything in line and prevents kinks.....

 

[CamG]

Greetings fellow p-valve divers. I have learned a few things in the past as well. I choose to use the wide bands, very sticky but not ever had a blow off. I have had kinks and every possible kind of failure except the illustrious blow off. I have had my quick disconnect separate during a dive, I wondered why the resistance was gone. Well it did not take long at 120' to figure out what had happened. Coldness settled in and the laughter and mockery on the dock was quite interesting.
I always pressurize the system before I dive! I use it pre-dive not in the walk ways but in a discrete location. This has all but ended my kinking issues and I drink insane amounts of water with no worries. Diving bliss has been restored!
I shower and put the cath on when all is dry. I warn this will ensure a proper adhesion but it is not easily removed and I do not try to remove it till the end of diving for the day. On two occasions I had to remove it before use and it was very, very, unpleasant and painful.
Ditto on the shaving not an option but a must. If you don't you will after you remove your first cath. That is what is left that was not pulled out.
My overall experience is that despite the trials it has been the single best thing I have done for my diving. No more holding or will I make it's. NO MORE DEHYDRATION! That is really a huge DCS consideration, drink water and use the valve.
Safe diving all and good luck with the P-valves!
CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!

 

[hudson]

how annoying are the skin prep remnants once the adhesive is off? does it come off with soap & water, or baby oil, or what? will it make you stick to your underwear?

It goes away on its own. The only remnants are blotches of adhesive residue - I use the adhesive removers to get rid of that if I'm not taking a shower right away and feel like it. Don't even really need them if I've used the skin-prep wipe.

So no wipes=unnecessary pain, adhesive-remover-only is still a bit uncomfortable, skin-prep-only is gold. Ultraflex (and widebands too I imagine) are sold in a version with the skin-prep wipes included, I think it's a few bucks more. Do yourself a favor and get that one.

 

[cyrilgrey]

FYI, rubbing alcohol does not sterilize.

Most people are familiar with alcohol wipes before an injection, the point of this is not to sterilize the skin but to swirl away surface contaminants before injection.

If you're looking to sterilize the tube use something made for this purpose or dilute bleach in water, followed by a fresh water flush.