Question for the she-p users...

[ligersandtions]

I've got a question for the she-p users.

I've finally gotten past the catastrophic failures....it's very nice to not pee all over myself every time I use the damn thing.

But I'm still having one "problem". It seems that a dry she-p is about equivalent to a dry drysuit (at least for me and one of my friends anyways).

Even when the she-p "works", I still have some leakage. Is this something you just deal with (slightly damp undergarments, diapers, some other method), or am I still doing something wrong? I'm double layering the glue (triple layering the back, even), I'm putting glue on both the she-p and on me, I'm doing the double thong thing....

What gives? It works on the surface when there's no additional pressure drop, but when I'm going through the p-valve (light monkey), I always end up with some on my base layer pants. I want to like this thing....I really do....but I'm having a hard time.

 

[kathydee]

Humm, thanks for blazing the trail Nichole - awaiting the outcome of your she-pee trials and tribulations before cutting a hole in my drysuit. But it’s becoming a pressing issue.

I never really envied guys until now…

 

[ligersandtions]

Humm, thanks for blazing the trail Nichole - awaiting the outcome of your she-pee trials and tribulations before cutting a hole in my drysuit. But it’s becoming a pressing issue.

I never really envied guys until now…

Realistically, the ability to pee (and get most of it outside the suit) is definitely worth the little bit of leakage I have.

I know you're doing LONG dives these days, so you really should be looking into it (oh, and the hole in the drysuit is the easy part ).

 

[TSandM]

I don't know what's different, but I have a lot of dives that are totally dry. I use the Urobond, double thickness on the back (one layer on the She-P, one on me). I have found that letting the glue sit until it's almost dry helps a lot. I have also found that, unlike what Laura says on the video, getting my legs spread out so no skin is folded under the flange is important.

I also wear a heavy sanitary napkin a lot of the time when I know I might have to use the device repeatedly, to catch any small leaks so that they don't get to my undergarments. I HAVE found that the thing comes loose if I wear it all day in a hot climate.

Laura swears by two thongs to help keep it closely applied to the skin.

I also bought the Halcyon p-valve, because it had the reputation as having the lowest flow resistance -- and it's resistance to flow that makes it leak when you have it all hooked up, when it doesn't leak on land.

 

[piikki]

I just realized that I often respond to these p-valve threads... It must be that - yes - I too still have to reach that 100% sure-fire dryness I would so desire. Some level of obsession still going on.

I also wear a heavy sanitary napkin a lot of the time when I know I might have to use the device repeatedly, to catch any small leaks so that they don't get to my undergarments. I HAVE found that the thing comes loose if I wear it all day in a hot climate.

This is pretty much what I do. Or better yet, if it is a full day of diving and a lot of moving about/public arena, I will just grab Depends. I prefer them to any thong contraption (I find that uncomfy crack-wise). Most of the time, when I have failure it is just few drops but it is nice to know that they have the capability to hold quite a massive load too. I have not had to wash any undies since the first one or two blow outs and those were mainly due to valve issues, not She-P leakage. In cold water them Depends add a nice layer of warmth on the lower back too, in hot weather I am not so worried about wetting the undies as I can carry spares easier.

And I agree about the spreading the skin too. I think people just are different. I have buddies who can slap the She-P on "upside down-inside out, standing on their head and not using their hands" when I def cannot leave any folds on the back or I will surely to spring a leak. I need to really look and get it right. I just moved to UroBond and it seems that while it is def better it has not changed this fact (I had hopes, yes).

But it sure is better to suffer a teaspoon on back up diaper when most of the flow is coming out. I think one big problem I have that once the She-P moves about it sometimes re-attaches wrong and then I basically blow out glue a bit when I pee, and create a crevice for some escape flow.

 

[ligersandtions]

Maybe I'm expecting too much. I mean, I'm applying it (with Urobond) at 6am and trying to make four dives with it....ending around 4pm. It's fairly warm here topside....and there's a decent amount of moving around (climbing up stairs and what not).

I do make sure it follows the contours of my body (i.e. cheeks spread such that the she-p makes kind of an upside down "U" and there's no skin folding).

Maybe when my check valves fail (or I get sick of peeing on myself!), I'll replace them with the Halcyon check valves....don't know if that would make a difference or not. I try to minimize the pressure drop by diving without the bolt altogether.


That said, I'd rather have a little urine on my undergarments than be in pain from trying to hold it (or minimizing my dives or dehydrating myself). Thanks for the responses, ladies!

 

[TSandM]

Yeah, I can't get a whole day like that, with ladder climbing and all, without leakage. I try to reapply at noon if I'm going to dive all day.

 

[kathydee]

Ok, I'm listening, if timing isn't perfect these 2+ hour dives just aren't that much fun without plumbing.

so no skin is folded under the flange is important.

I when I def cannot leave any folds on the back

Are you basically saying stretch the skin in the back before glueing, so when the skin is relaxed it doesn’t loosen enough to create an issue with the seal.

 

[flots am]

I've got a question for the she-p users.

I've finally gotten past the catastrophic failures....it's very nice to not pee all over myself every time I use the damn thing.

OK, I'm a guy, so don't shoot me, but I do use a pee valve.

A big part of the whole deal is that every bit of plumbing you use (disconnects, check valves, etc.) is another potential leak. Also, if you're using clear vinyl tubing, make sure it doesn't have any kinks in it when you buy it and when you do buy it, try to find a section that has an appropriate curve in it already, that matches the curve necessary to bridge the gap between the suit's plumbing and your plumbing.

If you get tubing that's being bent in a way it doesn't like, it will kink and give you leaks every time.

Just like with everything else in SCUBA, I've found that "simpler" is "more reliable". I only use a single piece of tubing between the valve and my condom catheter and roll an o-ring over the connection to prevent leaks. So far, it's worked like a charm.

Whatever you need to do to make it work is worth every minute of experimenting and even all the failures. I absolutely love being able to drink a bottle of water between dives, especially on hot days.

flots.

 

[piikki]

Are you basically saying stretch the skin in the back before glueing, so when the skin is relaxed it doesn’t loosen enough to create an issue with the seal.

Yes. In Laura's videos she is saying to stand/squat naturally and not stretch the skin in perineum. I tried that way and it would leave little folds in the back that would transform into creeks. I have much better luck just trying to straighten out the couple of little crevices. The front is not at all as vulnerable in my case - I think it does not get as much abuse/rubbing when I move about.

I generally do not have problems with kinking of hoses but it is worth checking those problems because they can be easily fixed. In the beginning, I had POS check valves. I had breaches on the leg instead of crotch. If that keeps happening to you, don't blame the She-P but fix the valve. Either you have hose issue or your check valves are not working properly. If the breach is on both places it most likely is still the valve because the extra resistance means you will blow the She-P seal too (pee can't flow fast enough). I have never had quick disconnects give me issues and I don't know why people are whining about them. They are god's gift for girls.