Pee valves?

[Cave Bum]

Had my inaugural dives with my Halcyon today.

PS - you leave it open at all times, other than if it fails, so placement relative to where you might need to reach it to open it up might be somewhat mute.

Well, not most of us... Most, of those I know, keep the bolt closed until they need to use it.

 

[raysh]

P-Valve absolutely , dont really matter which as long as it`s balanced. better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it, i dive alot in Lake Superior and most are deco dives. It is a just one thing that can make a dive that much more comfortable not having to hop around after the dive trying to get your gear off and wee. Cath`s are cheap just watch out for the glue . plus you can cruise over to your buddy during deco and get a little payback for shutting down your air.

edit: ez to cut the hole in drysuit get a piece of copper tubing and sharpen one end use that to make a perfect hole.

 

[zahgurim]

I have a ballanced SI Tech on my Pinnacle Evo2.
Got it when buying the suit, as it was much cheaper as an installed option instead of buying/installing myself later.

Being able to take a leak without getting out of the suit is worth every penny.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Halcyon balanced valve. Had Superior dry suit repair install it when I sent my suit in to have a leaking seam repaired.

 

[StreetDoctor]

No problems so far with the dive rite balanced valve

 

[ianr33]

Why do y'all seem to have balanced valves? I have a very simple unbalanced valve that I bought from a Decostop member. It works just fine. What advantage does a balanced valve have?

 

[divad]

what valve you using? shop install,owner install?

The book "Wetsuit and Drysuit Maintenance and Repar" from Airspeed Press has detailed, illustrated, directions for making and installing a balanced or unbalanced, automatic or manual, inexpensive pee valve. If you're interested in that sort of thing.

 

[Camerone]

Why do y'all seem to have balanced valves? I have a very simple unbalanced valve that I bought from a Decostop member. It works just fine. What advantage does a balanced valve have?

It's easier to use a balanced valve. In deeper waters, if you haven't "primed" the system, so to speak, it can be very difficult to get flow started through an unbalanced system.

It is extremely bad for your body's plumbing to have back pressure from trying to pee, and can lead to infections, injuries, an air bubble going back "up" the plumbing, etc.

Balanced valves allow inside the suit air pressure to help equalize the flow pressure. I often don't have to pee at the start of the dive, but during the BT, the need may strike... and it's never a problem (well, unless the hose is kinked. Ouch.)

I strongly prefer the newer generation of one-piece balanced valves from Halcyon, OMS, and Dive Rite over the old style "T" connection types. The new ones are much smaller, and without the annoying inside T piece, there's nothing to get caught up in the fabric and suit pieces inside the drysuit.

BTW - someone suggested cutting a piece of tubing to help install the valve. Try a spent .45 shell casing and a block of wood instead. The flat back of the empty shell makes a great surface to hit, and it drives right through the material really easily.

 

[Colliam7]

Halcyon balanced valve. Had Superior dry suit repair install it

Ditto here. I feel better having someone like Suprerior cutting holes and taking responsibility for them not leaking. The only thing I haven't done yet is trim the length of the tube, so it doesn't coil and kink the catheter tip.

 

[SeaHound1]

So how do they work? If you don't put on the cathether do you shut off a valve from the outside or is there a "check valve" that prevents the ocean from coming in?