Physiological effects of peeing in your wetsuit

[boulderjohn]

For those of you in the "never do it" camp....

When I am diving in warm Caribbean waters, I can often wait to get back on the boat.

When I get into a 7mm suit and submerge into a Colorado lake, the urge comes on pretty darn quickly.

 

[Blackwood]

For those of you in the "never do it" camp....

When I am diving in warm Caribbean waters, I can often wait to get back on the boat.

When I get into a 7mm suit and submerge into a Colorado lake, the urge comes on pretty darn quickly.

I often have to pee during a beach entry. And I pee before I gear up.

 

[rhadamantus]

really, people pee in their wetsuits. it is just a matter of time.

 

[Hemlon]

A) Does peeing in your wetsuit cause dehydration through the release of water from the body or is it better refrain until another source of water is available?

Urinating in your wetsuit has no effect on your hydration status. After water (keeping it simple) is brought out of the vascular system via the kidneys, it is of no further benefit to the body's hydration status.

The bladder is not much more than a pouch which holds urine prior to its release from the body.

Wetsuit, toilet, or back alley...it makes no difference.

 

[jullian_pdx]

There are two types of people with regards to wet suits.

People who pee in their wet suits and people who lie about it.

 

[Hemlon]

There are two types of people with regards to wet suits.

People who pee in their wet suits and people who lie about it.

That's original.

 

[texdiveguy]

I know this is probably a little too much research into this subject, but these questions came up during happy hour yesterday afternoon, and I'm curious to know what other people think.

A) Does peeing in your wetsuit cause dehydration through the release of water from the body or is it better refrain until another source of water is available?

B) Does the urine drain more heat from the body by being kept inside, or is it more beneficial to release it to allow it to mix outside the body where it will feel warm temporarily, but decrease the amount of waste that must be kept at temperature.

In most cases, neither of these are probably issues that need to be addressed, but just for knowledge sake.

A) It all depends on HOW MUCH/OFTEN you are peeing on a given dive....a normal stream of urine will not dehydrate you unless you were predisposed of that to begin with.

B) Your body temp does drop with the release of urine regardless of in water or not...but being in water does aggravate the cool down.

 

[archman]

A) It all depends on HOW MUCH/OFTEN you are peeing on a given dive....a normal stream of urine will not dehydrate you unless you were predisposed of that to begin with.

You are omitting the effects of chemical agents like caffeine, which inhibit ADH (and thus water reclamation) in the body. A normally hydrated person who ingests enough caffeine may dehydrate through excessive water loss in the urine.

Which is why there's always so much talk on Scubaboard about avoiding coffee and colas before diving.

 

[CenTexDivin]

Thanks for the insight. I know it's not really a vital issue, but atleast I won a bet. Now, this afternoon's happy hour tab is on my drinking buddy.

 

[Hemlon]

You are omitting the effects of chemical agents like caffeine, which inhibit ADH (and thus water reclamation) in the body. A normally hydrated person who ingests enough caffeine may dehydrate through excessive water loss in the urine.

Which is why there's always so much talk on Scubaboard about avoiding coffee and colas before diving.

True, caffeine can encourage dehydration if enough is consumed.

But kep in mind that the OP asked about urination in regard to wetsuits.

Wetsuits have NO bearing on hydration status. It doesn't matter if you urinate in a wetsuit or in a toilet. Your fluid balance isn't affected by WHERE you urinate.