The DUCD -Drysuit Urine Collection Device

The DUCD -Drysuit Urine Collection Device

The DUCD -Drysuit Urine Collection Device

The DUCD is an Urine Collection Device for drysuit divers. Like P-Valve, diver's urine is discharged into a sheath worn over the penis, but the divice holds the liquid in a storage bag while pee-valve discharges it to outside water. The DUCD is worn over lower body and has a drain valve to empty its content. The large version can hold more than 1 liter and thus it can accommodate also very long dive.
Urination through a Pee-valve on ground or on board may be prohibited but you can use the DUCD anytime and anywhere you like, even in luxurious cabin of a dive boat! Unlike diapers, the DUCD is designed for multiple use. You can put on the DUCD at home before you depart for diving. What you must do is just empty it before it becomes full. The liquid kept in the DUCD never bleeds out, so that you don't have to clean inside crotch of your drysuit.

Although the DUCD consists of high pressure hose, it may be squeezed in depth. To avoid this, urination before dive to fill the hose is highly recommended. The best manner may be to put on the DUCD before departure to allow several urination before donning a drysuit. By doing so, you can endure not only long dive but also long d'r'ive.

You have to do nothing special when you don your drysuit, and it is invisible when you wear it in a drysuit undergarment.

The DUCD -Drysuit Urine Collection Device

Unlike diaper, the waste liquid can be discharged just by slightly opening the zipper. And like a diaper, you don't have to punch a hole to your drysuit. Why not widely used then? The reasons may be incompatibility with tight fit drysuit (basically, the DUCD is usable only with loose fit drysuit), uncomfortable urination, and necessity of complete cleaning and disinfection after use.

The DUCD -Drysuit Urine Collection Device

The DUCD is used with an external catheter as like Pee-valve. Urological storage bag, which is normally fixed on lower leg, is used. To avoid restricting fin kick movement, however, the bag is fixed over the lower body by a strap assembly designed for diving use. The double hose design allow maximum flow and proper positioning of the urinary organ.

This kind of device was originally developed by USNavy in early 80s based on the spacesuit Urine Collection Device(UCD) used by NASA atronauts. According to a document, this type of device was more comfortable than p-valve type device because of lower back-pressure while urinating.
 


The DUCD -Drysuit Urine Collection Device
UCD used in early Space Shuttle missions

The DUCD -Drysuit Urine Collection Device
UCD used in Apollo missions

The DUCD -Drysuit Urine Collection Device
Condom for NASA UCD ("Roll On Cuff")

The DUCD -Drysuit Urine Collection Device
Today, NASA astronauts use "Maximum Absorption Garment"(MAG) instead of UCD.

The DUCD was tried on ground.

It may be worn either over or underneath your underwear.

The DUCD -Drysuit Urine Collection Device
This time, it is worn directly over the body.

The DUCD -Drysuit Urine Collection Device

Without the liquid, it is very hidden even by normal underwear.
It will be completely invisible if you wear it under drysuit undergarment.

A day was spent with the DUCD without any problem.
Skin is slightly irritated by abrasion with the waist strap.
If your skin is sensible, you are recommended to wear the device over your underwear.

The use of the DUCD may not be limited to drysuit dive. It is useful whenever you wish to avoid bathroom break.

The DUCD was tried underwater.

The DUCD was put on at 6AM and worn until it was removed at 8PM.

The result was very promising. Although there was too much space between the glans and the catheter, the catheter was kept in place without any sign for "peeling off".

With the DUCD, problems of the catheter like twisting, kinking, and detaching are less likely to happen since the tough hose assembly of the device keeps the "shaft" to the ideal position
Several "erection-relaxation test" do nothing to the reliability of catheter adhesion.
For more comfortable urination, fixing your penis "upward" by surgical tape to assure straight flow line may be good idea.

By "hold in place" effect of the device, it was very comfortable to wear and felt nothing strange.
Underwater urination was as smooth as that with pee-valve.

It is very well designed to provide comfort and reliability.

The DUCD -Drysuit Urine Collection Device
I was in drysuit from 10AM to 4PM.
Expanded bag is visible even from outside of the squeezed drysuit.

The DUCD -Drysuit Urine Collection Device
With loose fit undergarment, it is invisible, however.

The DUCD -Drysuit Urine Collection Device
1200ml urine for 6hours was held. Any diapers cannot hold that large amount under pressure underwater.

It was surprisingly well designed product. This is my real testimonial after my first actual use.

Minor issues of the DUCD are spilling urine when you detach the catheter and condensed sweat on the backside of the storage bag. To avoid these, brief type lightweight diaper is very useful. This diaper takes up just small amount of moisture, so that the lightest one is usually sufficient.



Components

The DUCD components

1. Storage bag
2. External catheter (condom catheter)
3. Elastic waist strap
4. Velcro waist strap
5. Attachment tape
6. Crotch strap
7. Surgical tape (optional)
Surgical tape is for fixing crotch strap. It is not used any longer, however, as it sometimes caused improper location issue.
 

Assembly

The DUCD -Drysuit Urine Collection Device
Install valve clamp to the discharge valve on the bottom of the storage bag.

The DUCD -Drysuit Urine Collection Device
Close valve clamp after de-aerate the storage bag.

The DUCD -Drysuit Urine Collection Device
Insert a crotch strap in the slits on the bottom of the bag.

The DUCD -Drysuit Urine Collection Device
Turn the crotch strap and fix the position with backles.

The DUCD -Drysuit Urine Collection Device
The other crotch strap is assembled in the same way.

The DUCD -Drysuit Urine Collection Device
Insert the attachment tape in the slits on the top of the bag.

The DUCD -Drysuit Urine Collection Device
Attach one end of the elastic waist strap to Velcro waist strap.
 



Donning

Before this procedure, catheter must be put on.

The DUCD -Drysuit Urine Collection Device
Apply waist strap assembly on the waist. The navel covering position may be tried at the first time.

The DUCD -Drysuit Urine Collection Device
Attach hose assembly to the opening of the catheter.

The DUCD -Drysuit Urine Collection Device
Fix storage bag to the Velcro waist strap with the attachment tape.
If you prefer to fix the penis upward, do it here using surgical tape. 
The DUCD -Drysuit Urine Collection Device
Turn the crotch straps over crotch from back to front, and fix it to the waist strap assembly.

The DUCD -Drysuit Urine Collection Device
Adjust height of the assembly to remove any kink of the catheter.

The DUCD -Drysuit Urine Collection Device
Donning completed.

The DUCD -Drysuit Urine Collection Device
To avoid hose squeeze, fill the hose assembly with urine before entering the water.
 

上一篇:ピーバルブの装着

下一篇:10 Things You Wanted to Know About “Pee”- valves, but Were Afraid to Ask