One of the deepest, yellowest secrets in diving is that nearly everyone pees their wetsuit.
As the old saying goes: “There are those that pee in their suits — and those that lie about peeing in their suits.”
Many laud the warmth that a good mid-dive pee can bring. And for those on cold dives or long, temperate surf sessions, the prospect of a good bout of relief is something to look forward to.
To Pee, or Not to Pee?
“I love peeing in my wetsuit!” surfer Jerry Williams, 24, told BARE during a hard-hitting FaceTime interview. “Sometimes, when the surf’s low and there’s not much action, peeing myself is pretty much the best part of paddling out!”
Others divers and surfers, however, remain firmly in the anti-self urination camp. Ex-tech diver Sam Bernard, 39, says he’s avoided diving altogether for the past 13 years because he was once forced to relieve himself—in his drysuit.
“It was awful,” Bernard remembered, tears slowly collecting in the corners of his eyes. “I just…had to go [audible sobbing].”
“I’ve never been the same since. The day it happened, we were diving closed-circuit, I’d had a lot of coffee that morning and we were deep in a cave. I had no choice…”
Urine it For the Adventure—We Get It
After years of therapy working through those warm, soupy hours swimming in his own urine, Bernard says he’s finally ready to dive again—but only in wetsuits.
“I’m ready to move on,” he confirmed during our interview. “But I’ll never put on another drysuit again—it’s just too painful!”
Despite the divide, others insist that it really boils down to the situation, location, and whether they’re wearing a rental.
Florida dive shop owner Kelly Powers says that she routinely replaces her fleet of rental suits because roughly 97% of her clients urinate in them. “And the other 3%?,” she alleged, “Well, they do, too. They just lie about it.”
Don’t Pee Shy!
Editor’s Note: Where do you fall on the self-urination spectrum? Be honest.
As an elite provider of exposure wear, BARE isn’t in the business of telling you how to dive.
No matter how you choose to play—and pee—in the water, we’re here to support you in all of life’s greatest adventures. So holler at us in the comments and let us know where you stand (and swim)!
Remember, this is a safe space—there will pee no judgment!
