May 2010    Download the Entire Issue (PDF)

Vol. 25, No. 5   What's this?

Problems with Peeing in Drysuits

from the May, 2010 issue of Undercurrent  

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The need to pee while wearing a drysuit during dives has led to the development of techniques and devices that faclilitate urination. Male divers either use absorbent diapers, or a condom catheter attached to the penis that is connected to a plastic or rubber tube exiting the drysuit via a special bulkhead valve known as a “P-Valve.” Female divers also use diapers or devices like the Shewee Go or She-P, a latex or silicone cup held against external genitalia that drains urine via a tubing system identical to the condom catheter. P-valve systems come in two varieties: unbalanced or balanced. In the unbalanced version, a screw valve on the outside of the drysuit is opened for urinating, then closed afterwards. The balanced P-valve uses an additional chamber, inside the suit, to equalize the pressure inside the tubing with the ambient pressure. ...