To pee or not to pee; the survey

[divemaster_jim]

Okay, so I admit that I am lazy and haven't read all the posts to see if this was covered. Sorry. But I find peeing in a 3mm is no biggie, but in a 7mm it tends to stick around and you may expereince a certain "funk" when you take it off.

To avoid all this may I suggest taking the PADI Urine Speciality? Today for only 19.95 I can teach you to pee in your 7mm, flip up-side down, stick your second stage in your neck seal and hit purge and send it all out past your feet leaving fresh as a flower! J/K

Actually how bout the guys with pee valves in their drysuits that just let it go on land? I don't have one yet but can't wait to give it the ole college try

All I can say is, It's mine, I rinse it, If I gotta go I go, :death2: BTW I love the fish orgy analogy.:fish:

 

[DivingCRNA]

OMG.... I can't believe this thread has been revived! Too funny, cause I LOVE reading it!

And YES, I pee in my suit! And, I'm proud to say I do! Keeps me warmer! LOL

Actually, you get colder. Your skin feels warmer from the urine, but you actually lose body heat to the surrounding water when you pee.

 

[DivingCRNA]

That's one whale of a warhammer! LOL

Ewwwww!

I cannot believe that "warhammer" spent his 15 minutes of fame on THAT! I saw the pic last night for the first time and almost died laughing.

I sent it to my deer hunting buddy who "warhammers" in the woods every time we go out....

 

[oceanaddicted]

This is one hysterical thread. I have a semi-dry suit so that presents a bit more of a problem in that there is no easy way to flush!!! I usually make the decision on whether or not I'm cold! If I'm cooler than I should be then it's a no-brainer. I can always force a flush if I have to but then I am back to the cold issue. I can't win here!

 

[Rainer]

This is one hysterical thread. I have a semi-dry suit so that presents a bit more of a problem in that there is no easy way to flush!!! I usually make the decision on whether or not I'm cold! If I'm cooler than I should be then it's a no-brainer. I can always force a flush if I have to but then I am back to the cold issue. I can't win here!

Go dry. Get a P-valve.

 

[miketsp]

Actually, you get colder. Your skin feels warmer from the urine, but you actually lose body heat to the surrounding water when you pee.

This is BS. Don't encourage people to retain urine.
With a full bladder the body diverts extra heat to keep the bladder temperature up.
If you do any survival courses related to exposure situations like camping or mountaineering you will learn that a basic step in hypothermia prevention and treatment is to urinate frequently.

For example see:
http://www.climbing-high.com/hypothermia.html

scroll down to the next to the last paragraph at the bottom of the page.
You will find this same information on many adventure sports sites and first aid manuals.

 

[DivingCRNA]

This is BS. Don't encourage people to retain urine.
With a full bladder the body diverts extra heat to keep the bladder temperature up.
If you do any survival courses related to exposure situations like camping or mountaineering you will learn that a basic step in hypothermia prevention and treatment is to urinate frequently.

For example see:
http://www.climbing-high.com/hypothermia.html

scroll down to the next to the last paragraph at the bottom of the page.
You will find this same information on many adventure sports sites and first aid manuals.

What? That is one of the weirdest things I have ever heard. The body does not regulate "bladder temp". I think they are really trying to stress staying hydrated when cold and at altitude in a way that laymen will remember.

In any case-I am not encouraging anyone to retain urine. I pointed out that you are tricking yourself into thinking the pee warms you up. It just makes your skin feel warmer. Once the heat leaves your body in the urine-it is lost and your body has to make more.

I do not care if people pee in their wetsuit. I do it too. I was just pointing out that you already have the heat in your pee before you pee, so it does not make you warmer than you already are. It is a trick.

 

[miketsp]

What? That is one of the weirdest things I have ever heard. The body does not regulate "bladder temp". I think they are really trying to stress staying hydrated when cold and at altitude in a way that laymen will remember.
..snip..
I was just pointing out that you already have the heat in your pee before you pee, so it does not make you warmer than you already are. It is a trick.

It may sound weird but it is a widely accepted fact that the body does try to regulate bladder temperature. These are just a few of the hundreds of reputable sources that confirm this. It is not a trick.

Urination - people will have to urinate from cold diuresis. Vasoconstriction creates greater volume pressure in the blood stream. The kidneys pull off excess fluid to reduce the pressure. A full bladder results in body heat being used to keep urine warm rather than vital organs. Once the person has urinated, it precious body heat will be used to maintain the temperature of vital organs. So in the end urinating will help conserve heat. You will need to help the person urinate.
from:
Outdoor Action Guide to
Hypothermia And Cold Weather Injuries
http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/safety/hypocold.shtml


The hypothermic person will have to urinate from cold diuresis; a full bladder can mean additional heat loss. Urinating will conserve some heat. You will have to help the hypothermic person do this.
From
Treating Hypothermia
http://observe.arc.nasa.gov/nasa/earth/wind_chill/chill_hypo.html


The hypothermic person will have to urinate from cold diuresis; a full bladder can mean additional heat loss. Urinating will conserve some heat. You will have to help the hypothermic person do this.
From
Hypothermia
http://www.kcmo.org/health/factsheets/HypothermiaFactSheet.pdf

A full bladder results in body heat being used to keep urine warm rather than vital organs. Once the person has urinated, it precious body heat will be used to maintain the temperature of vital organs. So in the end urinating will help conserve heat.
From
United States Search and Rescue Task Force
Hypothermia and Cold Weather Injuries
http://www.ussartf.org/hypothermia_cold_weather_injuries.htm

 

[DivingCRNA]

I have been thinking about this since the original post. I deliver anesthesia for a living and maintaining normothermia is a big part of my job given how cold operating rooms are.

There is no feedback mechanism in the body to keep urine (or the bladder) warm. It just is not there.

However-in extreme hypothermia it could help to maintain the vital organs by urinating. Because urine is water with some electorlytes in it, it has a high heat capacity. I can see where the thinking would be that this water in the bladder would steal any heat you produce from the vital organs (given it;s proximity to the vital organs) and urinating would be of value if you are hypothermic and stranded up on some lonely mountain.

I do not think this stuff applies in a meaningful way to a 45-60 minuted scuba dive.

AND-I would like to repeat that I did not encourage people to not pee. I just stated that peeing does not really make you warmer. It just puts warmth you already had next to your skin. Pouring warm water in your suit before or after a dive will add heat to you.

The real answer to the whole warmth while diving issue is a dry suit. I finally got one this year and LOVE it. No more being cold in the car on the way home from a deep dive! And a decreased chance of DCS. A win-win. Too bad I do not have a pee valve...

It may sound weird but it is a widely accepted fact that the body does try to regulate bladder temperature. These are just a few of the hundreds of reputable sources that confirm this. It is not a trick.

Urination - people will have to urinate from cold diuresis. Vasoconstriction creates greater volume pressure in the blood stream. The kidneys pull off excess fluid to reduce the pressure. A full bladder results in body heat being used to keep urine warm rather than vital organs. Once the person has urinated, it precious body heat will be used to maintain the temperature of vital organs. So in the end urinating will help conserve heat. You will need to help the person urinate.
from:
Outdoor Action Guide to
Hypothermia And Cold Weather Injuries
http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/safety/hypocold.shtml


The hypothermic person will have to urinate from cold diuresis; a full bladder can mean additional heat loss. Urinating will conserve some heat. You will have to help the hypothermic person do this.
From
Treating Hypothermia
http://observe.arc.nasa.gov/nasa/earth/wind_chill/chill_hypo.html


The hypothermic person will have to urinate from cold diuresis; a full bladder can mean additional heat loss. Urinating will conserve some heat. You will have to help the hypothermic person do this.
From
Hypothermia
http://www.kcmo.org/health/factsheets/HypothermiaFactSheet.pdf

A full bladder results in body heat being used to keep urine warm rather than vital organs. Once the person has urinated, it precious body heat will be used to maintain the temperature of vital organs. So in the end urinating will help conserve heat.
From
United States Search and Rescue Task Force
Hypothermia and Cold Weather Injuries
http://www.ussartf.org/hypothermia_cold_weather_injuries.htm

 

[fisherdvm]

I almost fainted when I couldn't pee during my physical exam to enter the US Army ..... They forced us to drink prior to our physical, but gave us no opportunity to empty into the cup.

There is good reason to empty your bladder when you have to....