Winter diving in cold water is the worst, when you ascend from the "warm-ish" bottom at 50F past the thermocline and hit the 40F water in the shallows. I can usually do a 60 minute NDL dive without peeing, but just barely and sometimes painfully so, and only if I make sure to pee right before I splash. So glad I don't have to deal with that anymore. I don't even want to imagine doing deco in those conditions without a p-valve.
Question P-valve or "adult" diaper
- Thread starter JohnN
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You can stay pretty toasty in a drysuit, even ascending from deep in Lake Superior, if you choose the right weight of underwear. My suit is a DUI crushed neoprene (with neoprene fold-under wrist seals and neck seal), underwear is DUI Thinsulate, and liner is some type of polypro. I wore wet gloves (and a wet hood), though, so my fingers got a bit cold sometimes.
But, truthfully, at the end of some of the dives, I was doing a bit of a jig as I unzipped my front-zip suit, happy to have the emergency pee protection just in case.
Keep in mind, these were air dives (rather than helium dives), which don't get you as cold (I understand).
No, not dehydrated. I endeavor to stay well-hydrated. Pee color beforehand always confirmed.
rx7diver
It's doable. Maybe it's the drysuit vs wetsuit factor. I've done up to 2.75 hour dives and many 2 hr dives in ~40F water. I just make sure to go immediately before a dive.
Now then, I did some dives in Hawaii with a 3 mm shorty. I was on a 3 dive charter. I was cold and had to go about every 15 minutes. Not fun.
Same here, I pee all through the dive. I don't think I have ever not plumbed in with a drysuit. With as cheap and easy as men have it, I don't see why anybody would use a diaper.
My pre jump routine is to always drink a half litre bottle of water to ensure I’m not dehydrated. Normal runtimes are around 2 hours and I’ll expect to pee often at deco as it gives me something to look forward to. Always make sure I pee before returning to the boat as I’ve then time to sort my crap out post dive.
The getting out of the drysuit routine includes another half litre of water to flush the pee valve though; several mouthfuls of water from the bottle to blow through the pee valve hose whilst standing on the dive lift.
The getting out of the drysuit routine includes another half litre of water to flush the pee valve though; several mouthfuls of water from the bottle to blow through the pee valve hose whilst standing on the dive lift.
No valve, diapers. Personal preference - can go 3-4 hours without peeing.
Your biological needs largely depend on your physiology and proper hydration.
The best way to stay hydrated is to watch your pee color - it should be light yellow. If that's what you got, you don't need any excessive drinking before diving or exercising. If you're dehydrated, drinking excessively prior to exercise may not help as much. Moreover, if you want "catch up" on hydration and over drink, you may dilute your sodium levels and end up with hyponatremia. Thus, it is best to stick with continuous water intake throughout the day (~1 gallon or 4 liters for men and slightly less for women). It is my personal preference and I avoid drinking more than necessary before diving.
After the exercise, you gotta replenish those electrolytes. Also, depending on your health status/age, you may need additional supplements that help hydration, e.g., magnesium.
Your biological needs largely depend on your physiology and proper hydration.
The best way to stay hydrated is to watch your pee color - it should be light yellow. If that's what you got, you don't need any excessive drinking before diving or exercising. If you're dehydrated, drinking excessively prior to exercise may not help as much. Moreover, if you want "catch up" on hydration and over drink, you may dilute your sodium levels and end up with hyponatremia. Thus, it is best to stick with continuous water intake throughout the day (~1 gallon or 4 liters for men and slightly less for women). It is my personal preference and I avoid drinking more than necessary before diving.
After the exercise, you gotta replenish those electrolytes. Also, depending on your health status/age, you may need additional supplements that help hydration, e.g., magnesium.
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Even with all the glue and prep (and Rock Tape), it’s still significantly more comfortable than marinating in your own urine in a squishy diaper. Yuck.
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