Where to get a pee zip put in a drysuit?

[prv]

(Yes, obviously, the crotch area. Groan... )

Bought an ex-Navy surface drysuit, as used by sea-boat crews, to wear on our new (low-slung and very wet) catamaran RIB. Breathable Typhoon suit with neoprene seals and self-don zip, a stonking deal as it had clearly never been issued, just hung in a store for a few years and then disposed of for under a hundred quid. Anyway, the one downside is that even with the self-don zip, it's a bit of an effort to disrobe far enough for a pee. So I'd like to put a "convenience zip" in it, and being such a nice suit I'd rather get the job done by an expert rather than muddle through myself.

Any recommendations for who to do this? Either near Southampton, or by post. The one that springs to mind is Andark, I know they used to do this sort of work twenty years ago when I learned to dive there, but they didn't return my email when I asked about it

Cheers,

Pete

 

[mickywillis]

Try Aandark Diving (http://www.andark.co.uk/) or http://www.rubberman.co.uk/home.html
Oops, sorry just read full post and see you tried Aandark. You may need to actually call into them.
Tony Backhurst Scuba used to do repairs but looks like they have been taken over now (http://flippersnfins.com/contact.php)

If not, Typhoon, Hammond or Trident may be your best bet, but you'll have to send the suit to them.

 

[lpdsn]

My brother (mad diver) uses a catheter with bag and a little tap by his ankle. He gets them via his girlfriend who's a nurse.

 

[Martin_J]

My first suggestion would be Solent Divers in Lake Road, Portsmouth. ..

Second suggestion might be closer to you

www.predator-wetsuits.co.uk/Repairs.htm

 

[MrB]

My brother (mad diver) uses a catheter with bag and a little tap by his ankle. He gets them via his girlfriend who's a nurse.

Nice to see the NHS purse being put to good uses

 

[prv]

My brother (mad diver) uses a catheter with bag and a little tap by his ankle

Yep, P-valves make sense for diving where you're immersed in the water. They're usually a flat valve in the upper thigh or thereabouts. But when you're sat in a boat, having piss suddenly erupt out of a valve and spill down the front of your suit is not terribly sociable . However, unlike a diver, in a surface drysuit you can open a zip without the water flooding in and conduct your affairs in a more conventional fashion.

Pete

 

[lpdsn]

Yep, P-valves make sense for diving where you're immersed in the water. They're usually a flat valve in the upper thigh or thereabouts. But when you're sat in a boat, having piss suddenly erupt out of a valve and spill down the front of your suit is not terribly sociable . However, unlike a diver, in a surface drysuit you can open a zip without the water flooding in and conduct your affairs in a more conventional fashion.

Pete

He assures me the valve is by his ankle, but I've never seen it in operation. At one stage it looked like I was going to do the Round Ireland on a boat that had a heads merely to satisfy the IRC measurer, so I was going to investigate his approach a bit more, but it didn't happen in the end.

 

[duncan99210]

Try Northern Divers or Aquatech (or could be Aquatek). They're dry suit makers, will have the zips to hand and be able to do the job quickly but by post. Northern Divers are in Manchester (I think), Aquatech are in Denbigh, North Wales. Both findable via Google. Suggest you email Andy at Aquatech rather than call as he can talk the hind leg off a donkey.....

 

[GrahamM376]

Try Northern Divers or Aquatech (or could be Aquatek). They're dry suit makers, will have the zips to hand and be able to do the job quickly but by post. Northern Divers are in Manchester (I think), Aquatech are in Denbigh, North Wales. Both findable via Google. Suggest you email Andy at Aquatech rather than call as he can talk the hind leg off a donkey.....

I've always had good service from Aquatek - http://www.aquatekdrysuits.co.uk/

 

[AntarcticPilot]

My brother (mad diver) uses a catheter with bag and a little tap by his ankle. He gets them via his girlfriend who's a nurse.

I agree he's mad. I had to use a catheter of the kind you describe for a few months for medical reasons, and they are neither comfortable, nor are they meant to be used on a repeated short-term basis. There is a serious risk of infection when they are inserted, and for some individuals, inserting it may be difficult and potentially damaging. Mine had to be inserted by the registrar after a succession of junior doctors had failed to do it.

NASA space suits use a thing like a condom attached to a pee bag, which sounds like a much better solution.

 

[prv]

NASA space suits use a thing like a condom attached to a pee bag, which sounds like a much better solution.

So do divers (but direct to the P-valve rather than via a bag). I'm sure he's not using an actual internal catheter.

Incidentally, apparently the astronauts just use adult nappies in spacesuits now. They introduced them for female astronauts rather than trying to design some kind of "plumbing" connection, and after a while the blokes realised they were more comfortable and convenient as well. They've discontinued the hose and bag device.

Pete

 

[Boo2]

My brother (mad diver) uses a catheter with bag and a little tap by his ankle. He gets them via his girlfriend who's a nurse.

Nice to see the NHS purse being put to good uses

Mum used to be an NHS nurse and she got hold of some large syringes for me for filling control line combat plane pacifier fuel tanks. I was sucking one of these thoughtfully one day when she told me where they had come from and what they were used for :disgust:

Boo2

 

[prv]

large syringes for me for filling control line combat plane pacifier fuel tanks.

What on earth is a "control line combat plane pacifier"?

Pete

 

[GrahamM376]

I agree he's mad. I had to use a catheter of the kind you describe for a few months for medical reasons, and they are neither comfortable, nor are they meant to be used on a repeated short-term basis. There is a serious risk of infection when they are inserted, and for some individuals, inserting it may be difficult and potentially damaging. Mine had to be inserted by the registrar after a succession of junior doctors had failed to do it.

NASA space suits use a thing like a condom attached to a pee bag, which sounds like a much better solution.

Most likely using Texas catheters, condom with a tube in the end. Having had a rest home some years ago, I had a regular supply for when gliding, although once had the pipework through the cockpit floorfreeze at altitude http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/External_urine_collection_device

 

[Boo2]

What on earth is a "control line combat plane pacifier"?

A control line combat plane is one of these : http://controllineworld.com/whatiscombatcl.html and a pacifier fuel tank is a baby's dummy with a fuel pipe fitted that is filled with fuel until it blows up like a ballon and thus provides a pressurised fuel supply. See here : http://controlline.org.uk/phpBB2/files/pacifier2_664.jpg

Boo2

 

[Homer Simpson's Lovechild]

My brother (mad diver) uses a catheter with bag and a little tap by his ankle.

Sorry...... What the actual feeyukk ?
He sticks a tube up his japs eye voluntarily ? ? :hurt::culpability::hurt:
Kill him.
Kill him with fire!

 

[Tomahawk]

Taking account of PRV...
I so feel sympathy for our girlies...

 

[chanelyacht]

If it's a Typhoon suit, I'd sent it up to Typhoon. They'll pressure test it and let you know of anything else that needs doing, and their customer service is excellent.

 

[prv]

If it's a Typhoon suit, I'd sent it up to Typhoon. They'll pressure test it and let you know of anything else that needs doing, and their customer service is excellent.

Makes sense, if I'm going to post it anywhere it might as well be to the makers.

I'm not 100% certain it's Typhoon, being a military suit there are no badges etc and for some reason when I received it I removed the label with NATO stock number, size, etc that was lightly taped to the inside and may have had a maker's name. But I'm sure I read somewhere that the Navy's breathable men-in-black suits were made by Typhoon, and I think the seller may have mentioned it too. Anyway, they should certainly be able to do the work.

Pete