Northwest Dive Club

So I'm sure that the title of this post is rather strange, though it really is a serious question. I've gone the last year without the pee valve on my suit and I've finally got the extra money to pick one up but I know that I will need the condoms in order to actually use it. Do any of you male divers out there know of somewhere to get a good deal on them? Any particular brand you'd recommend?

First, you are going to be doing some manscaping. Unless you enjoy pain you don't want hair and adhesive to ever meet. There are also a variety of accessories to make life more pleasant including adhesive remover wipes and quick connectors for the discharge tubing. I have found it works best for me to be pointed down with tubing exiting through large button holes in my long underwear and undergarment rather than pointing up and routing through my waist band and the undergarment zipper.

Get yourself a variety of free samples and figure out what works well for you in terms of style and size. Be sure to order "male external catheters", you really don't want intermittent catheters or Foley catheters. Once you have figured out what you want it is pretty easy to order them online. I really like the Coloplast Optima series of caths, email samples@coloplast.com and they will send you an assortment. Some folks swear by the Rochester Wide Bands (I usually swear at them when I have to pull them off) and Rochester is happy to send you a sample pack.

Finally I would recommend reading some of the threads on The Deco Stop including Mastery or Misadventure...Secrets of the Condom Catheter. and especially A new twist on P-valve issues for the humor.

I swear by (and at) the WideBand catheters. They can be a bit tough to take off, especially if you are using them multiple days in a row, but I've never had a leak in my drysuit either. Also, a friend of mine says that Rochester makes some kind of wipe that will help in taking them off if you can't take the pain - it's never been that bad for me though.

After I figured out what size I needed (don't even ask ) I bought a box of 100 from Diatic Medical. Free shipping, no tax. Came out to just under $1.37 each.

If you want some place local to buy just a few at a time, look for a home health supply company near you. I have used Care Home Health, Apria and Option Care. They are usually helpful and can give suggestions for brands and sizing tips.(no pun intended)

Geek wrote:http://shop.lhbindustries.com/ShowProdu ... 0Catheters

+1 ...and the best piece of advice I got was to go with Widebands. I tried several styles and WB's are definitely the way to go.

Also check out the Philips "BodyGroom." It's something no serious diver should live without - available at most Walmart and Fred Meyer stores near the electric razors. Or, complain about it "pulling" and I'll call your wife and tell her to get you one for Christmas, right Ben?!

Hey! What the hell. I'm selling all my gear, so I might as well sell my Body Groom too! I'll give you a really good deal, but I'm sure gonna miss my optical inch!









J/k. I won't really give you a deal.

Magnum... Lol

I hear that some wear depends....

Pez7378 wrote:...but I'm sure gonna miss my optical inch!

I hope you don't mind my sending you a PM but I didn't really want to post this for everyone. Anyway, are you saying that I can make it look twice as big just by trimming up a little?

gutholmj wrote:

Pez7378 wrote:...but I'm sure gonna miss my optical inch!

I hope you don't mind my sending you a PM but I didn't really want to post this for everyone. Anyway, are you saying that I can make it look twice as big just by trimming up a little?

Its like our little version of a pushup bra!

One thing to keep in mind when you buy external catheters is that they are covered WITHOUT a prescription on FSA accounts so if you have a Medical Flex Spending account then you can buy them tax free.

Geek wrote:http://shop.lhbindustries.com/ShowProdu ... 0Catheters

You know, sometimes Geek is alright.

Geek wrote:http://shop.lhbindustries.com/ShowProdu ... 0Catheters

This is the place that gets my money although I prefer the UltraFlex, the only hitch is you have to buy 100 at a pop, but I haven't found anywhere cheaper. I just received an order and it worked out to $0.97 a piece with shipping. I have never found the amount of adhesive Rochester UltraFlex lacking, the WideBands make me walk funny after removal.

As others suggested order yourself some samples to figure out what works for you.

This may sound like a really stupid question, but are the catheter condoms reusable at all or are they pretty much a 1-time use item?

finnegankp wrote:This may sound like a really stupid question, but are the catheter condoms reusable at all or are they pretty much a 1-time use item?

All the adhesive lined caths are one time use. I suppose one could reuse the ones without adhesive but I haven't found that they work well (for me) in the first place. You do need to take some care in sanitizing your plumbing, I know of a few guys that have had serious UTIs when they got lazy.

finnegankp wrote:This may sound like a really stupid question, but are the catheter condoms reusable at all or are they pretty much a 1-time use item?

that's actually a great question. I had just assumed that like any normal condom, you just turn them inside out and shake the f**k out of them...

I just received my package of samples... I think I'll be swimming with catheters for the rest of the summer... Rochester midland sent at least 2 dozen