Wetsuit diving with knee brace/support question

[Drip Dry]

My knees have gotten to the point where I'm now concerned about their stability while walking from the truck to the shore fully geared up, and then back again after diving. As my shore diving season will soon commence I'm thinking about utilizing a knee brace/support. I would wear a brace/support on both knees underneath my wetsuit and they would be kept on for the duration of the dives, typically two dives of one hour duration plus a 45 minute or so surface interval.

I'm wondering if anyone has a recommendation for a good knee brace/support which can be worn under a wetsuit? Did a search on the ScubaBoard forum and found a post from year 2010 on this topic, it was informative but there are no product recommendations.

Searching online I found the BraceAbility open patella / open back neoprene knee sleeve: [(Sport knee braces and diving]

One thing which concerns me about this brace/support is the material from which it is constructed being described as being water resistant (but not repellent). Don't know if this will affect the fit of the brace/sleeve when subjected to the pressure of being submerged.

Any thoughts on this BraceAbility knee sleeve, or any other recommendations?

Edit: tried to add link to 2010 ScubaBoard post, without success

 

[Rob9876]

I have a bad knee and have used a couple of different knee braces under wetsuits with no problem, and keep them on about the same amount of time (2 tank dive plus surface interval). I generally don't worry about it being water resistant or repellant -- I just rinse them with fresh water afterwards (most are designed to allow washing anyhow).

I also found this other thread on knee braces that may be of interest to you:

R

Thread 'Articulated Knee Brace Ok In Salt Water'

Apr 11, 2024

I have a knee injury that results in what I would describe as moments of instability due too a complete or almost complete tear of my ACL (MRI is inconclusive on whether the tear is 100 pct, but it is close if not 100 pct). Having gone to an orthopedic surgeon, we decided on a course of physical therapy and a knee brace designed for ACL injuries. This is a custom-made fancy brace with an articulating hinge system with metallic parts that I am not gonna take into salt water. I say salt water because I have had a moment of instability getting into a zodiac from a livaboard in rough weather...

• Rupert Maclanahan
• Replies: 11
• Forum: Diving Physics, Physiology, & Medicine

 

[lexvil]

Good time to look at knee replacement.

 

[happy-diver]

And what if he comes out looking like this dude

no, not the forlorn bit

and anyway what can you fit under a wetsuit other than Calvinsteins

Personally I'm going full blast to my wetsuit guy and get him to make me a couple of different ones

make it from neoprene

maybe some different thicknesses, add some straps for adjustment, and never do the frogkick again

when I may need some

I've used protective skateboard- rollerblade gear, when I've been injured, happily modified of course

 

[Drip Dry]

I have a bad knee and have used a couple of different knee braces under wetsuits with no problem, and keep them on about the same amount of time (2 tank dive plus surface interval). I generally don't worry about it being water resistant or repellant -- I just rinse them with fresh water afterwards (most are designed to allow washing anyhow).

I also found this other thread on knee braces that may be of interest to you:

Thanks for the reply Rob9876, and pointer to the articulated knee brace post.

Embarrassingly my link to the BraceAbility knee brace didn't work as intended, it instead leads to a ScubaBoard knee brace post I had read. Thankfully I can operate my dive computer with greater proficiency than my home computer.

My concern about the material was centered on its 'water resistant' description and whether its response to pressure at depth would cause a squeeze on my knees, limiting mobility and blood flow to the lower part of my legs. Upon further thought I now feel my concern was unwarranted, the knee sleeve is made of neoprene ... as is my wetsuit, which doesn't noticeably squeeze my knees at depth.

The articulated knee brace appears to be a more elaborate than I need at the present time, but perhaps later on I may. I can't tell what the future holds for my knees, other than they're unlikely to get any better, and even more unlikely to be replaced.

 

[Drip Dry]

And what if he comes out looking like this dude

View attachment 893395

While I may not look like that guy, his left knee looks like my left knee often feels!

 

[Lostdiver71]

Please just remember that anything that restricts circulation in your legs can affect bubble formation in your tissues.

 

[Jai Bar]

I started diving sidemount for a similar reason (lower back in my case): I dive with two 10L Al cylinders, which I easily carry one by one to the water line. Then I attach them in the water. At the end of dive reverse the process.

Buddy usually helps with one cylinder or just keeps watch over the rest of gear.

I was hesitant to try sidemount, but took a single dive to figure out everything it may loom complicated but is no biggie. I still use backmount mostly, but whenever my back is calling on me I grab the SM kit. No need to be overzealous about it, both methods are great, but for back and knees SM can aleviate the trek between car and waterline, so why not?

 

[happy-diver]

Please just remember that anything that restricts circulation in your legs can affect bubble formation in your tissues.

Yes yes yes very very important as the nitrogen or whatever squeezes past the constriction it may not have
enough time to squeeze back out, and then the rush caused when you relieve the pressure, will cause DCS

So do not make a constriction where extra neoprene in a brace will give support just by doubling thickness

And then there's Lymph fluid