we're all friends here... let's talk p valves and sensitive bits...

[Rollin Bonz]

Does your quick disconnect do something special that makes it better than just pulling the catheter tube off the barb connection? I had a habbit of forgetting to reinstall my qd and not being able to put on the cath until i went back to my trailer and found it. So i stopped taking it apart and use it just like my basic barb on the backup suit.

I install the quick connect onto the cath first, them put on the cath. I'm a little more at ease doing that than pressing the barb (which was hard plastic and pointy on all my suits) into the condom while I'm wearing it.

Reaching down into my dry suit and confidently connecting the QD without a visual is no problem. Don't think I could confidently reinsert the barb into the cath without a visual. So I'd have to suit up in private. I can put on the cath (with the male qd already installed) before leaving the house, then I can suit up and connect the QD quickly anywhere, crowded dock at the quarry for instance, without exposing myself.

Also, if you were coming out of your dry suit between dives, all the additional stress required to pull the barb out would also seem to run the risk of loosening the adhesive, making a blow out during subsequent dives a bigger risk.

I have forgotten to remove the male side of the QD from the cath before I tossed it once, thus the extra backups in my gear box. The male side is like $2, so no big deal to have an extra or 2.

 

[Rich1280]

Nothing to add beyond what others have on trimming and sizing. I just have the barb fitting that comes on the end of the hose and push it into the tip of the cath. A drop of moisture on the fitting makes it much easier, I just normally spit on my finger tip and wipe it on the outside of the barb before pushing them together. I'd also add check for twisting, when the hose forms the natural arc and then flattens against your body it can twist the tip which causes a pinch and so reduces flow. Took me a while to work that one out, it sometimes feels like you put a counter twist in which settles out.

Rich

 

[whynot]

I install the quick connect onto the cath first, them put on the cath. I'm a little more at ease doing that than pressing the barb (which was hard plastic and pointy on all my suits) into the condom while I'm wearing it.

So, there are other and better (IMO) ways to go about this: short price of tubing with a normal barb on one end and the male quick disconnect coupling on the other; the former connects to the catheter.
Reaching down into my dry suit and confidently connecting the QD without a visual is no problem. Don't think I could confidently reinsert the barb into the cath without a visual. So I'd have to suit up in private. I can put on the cath (with the male qd already installed) before leaving the house, then I can suit up and connect the QD quickly anywhere, crowded dock at the quarry for instance, without exposing myself.

Also, if you were coming out of your dry suit between dives, all the additional stress required to pull the barb out would also seem to run the risk of loosening the adhesive, making a blow out during subsequent dives a bigger risk.

I have forgotten to remove the male side of the QD from the cath before I tossed it once, thus the extra backups in my gear box. The male side is like $2, so no big deal to have an extra or 2.

 

[admikar]

QD all the way. I install male part on cath while at home, put cath on and can connect blind in 5 seconds.
Shutoff goes to suit side to prevent any spillage after disconnecting.
I also hot-glued male part on large syringe and use 50/50 vinegar/water to flush system at the end of day.
Everything about manscaping/cath removal has already been said

 

[Wibble]

Pee valves— the second most important invention for scuba diving. I use one on every dive and have done for years.

Some tips…

• There's two types of quick disconnect; with or without a self-sealing valve. Self sealing makes far more sense.
• Rinse the hose on the boat. Disconnect the catheter (as in pull it off the barb) and shake out the small amount of urine in the teat then tuck it away. Take a large swig of water from a bottle, put the barb in your mouth and blow the water through to flush the hose. Repeat several times.
• Use antiseptic to clean the hose and QD to keep the bugs out.
• UTIs are very serious and extremely painful. Keep the pee valve tubes disinfected.
• I much prefer Convenes over the thicker Rochester/Bard catheters. Convenes are far easier to roll on and take off. The silicone "rubber" is thinner than the Rochesters and is generally more convenient to use, hence the name!
• Buy the catheters from eBay. Half the price of dive shops or chemists.
• Size matters greatly. Use the right size or it will leak. We’re not all massively endowed but nobody cares except you if it leaks. Most suppliers have todger measuring templates. It's to do with the width of the head. When measuring, don't do it in the cold! But also don't do it when it's not flaccid (hope that's a polite way of putting it).
• Make sure the catheter isn’t kinked. Easiest to route the hose over your waist band of your underpants which stops the kinking, as does a quick disconnect. Leave the pee valve hose long.
• Surgical adhesive remover is very effective and relieves the pain of catheter removal. Brands include Appeel.
• Mow the lawn before diving but be careful of cutting your sensitive skin in that area! Beard trimming attachments for a normal electric shaver works well, but be careful. Even a really quick trim of the longer hair around the base will make things much easier. When rolling the catheter on any trapped hair is somewhat painful and uncomfortable.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

I install the quick connect onto the cath first, them put on the cath. I'm a little more at ease doing that than pressing the barb (which was hard plastic and pointy on all my suits) into the condom while I'm wearing it.

Reaching down into my dry suit and confidently connecting the QD without a visual is no problem. Don't think I could confidently reinsert the barb into the cath without a visual. So I'd have to suit up in private. I can put on the cath (with the male qd already installed) before leaving the house, then I can suit up and connect the QD quickly anywhere, crowded dock at the quarry for instance, without exposing myself.

Also, if you were coming out of your dry suit between dives, all the additional stress required to pull the barb out would also seem to run the risk of loosening the adhesive, making a blow out during subsequent dives a bigger risk.

I have forgotten to remove the male side of the QD from the cath before I tossed it once, thus the extra backups in my gear box. The male side is like $2, so no big deal to have an extra or 2.

This is exactly what I do. @stuartv post that was earlier linked includes the links to McMaster Carr male and female fittings.

I don't shave (out of laziness). Few things that I can add that I haven't seen is cut the tip back to about the size of the barb.. greatly reduces any kinking that might occur. When donning the catheter try to insert your member just how it hangs. For my 1st 50 dives I would always pull the skin back and try to insert the tip as far as I could. By the end of diving it would be just about falling off. I did this because everyone said put it on like a condom.

If you just lay the member in there and roll down the sides it's a much more natural fit. Might be common sense to some, but I really didn't get it.

Pulling hairs isn't the end of the world either. Shaving would definitely help, but it's not like that hurts for more than a second.

I route the hose like a candy cane, up to the left and back down.

Rochester wideband are my catheter of choice. Never had one come off yet. I get things ready (cut tip, insert barb) the night before and don things 1st thing at the house on dive day. Never have to pull my member out on a crowded boat and it lasts all day. Say 14+ hours easy.

In some ways it's a hassle, but the feeling of being able to pee @ 100' and not have to worry is absolutely ******* amazing.

 

[admikar]

I don't shave (out of laziness).

You are a lot braver man than I am

In some ways it's a hassle, but the feeling of being able to pee @ 100' and not have to worry is absolutely ******* amazing.

Since I started diving with P-valve, I regreted every time I went in water not connected. As soon as I go under I have to pee. Almost peed myself, since I now just "want to let it go" without even thinking

 

[Dark Wolf]

You are a lot braver man than I am

Since I started diving with P-valve, I regreted every time I went in water not connected. As soon as I go under I have to pee. Almost peed myself, since I now just "want to let it go" without even thinking

That is, in my opinion, one of the downsides of a pee valve!
On a more serious note, I agree with how convenient it is. It is very rare that I dive without it hooked up.

DW

 

[Rollin Bonz]

When donning the catheter try to insert your member just how it hangs. For my 1st 50 dives I would always pull the skin back and try to insert the tip as far as I could. By the end of diving it would be just about falling off. I did this because everyone said put it on like a condom.

If you just lay the member in there and roll down the sides it's a much more natural fit. Might be common sense to some, but I really didn't get it.

I'll have to try this my next dive. I've always done it "condom style" for the same reason you did. Often I've almost auto-doffed the thing by the end of the day...

When I'm "gearing up", I'm always reminded of a phrase by Dad used to turn when speaking of a difficult task... "It's like pushing a rope"

 

[BoltSnap]

I now just "want to let it go"