# Humans urinating and defecating in oceans **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 20, 2008, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-urinating-and-defecating-in-oceans/473701 "2008-11-20T19:57:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-urinating-and-defecating-in-oceans/473701/21 "2008-11-20T22:42:00Z")
> [@Sateryn76](#): > > I’ve always peed in the water - Lake Michigan makes the finest toilet in the world! > > However, I would never, ever poop in the water. Not only is it disgusting, but I would worry about disease transmission. It’s highly unlikely we’d get a fish disease, but human fecal matter is chock full 'o bacteria that’s easy to catch. Unless we have shore-to-shore humans with 24 hour diarrhea, only one person crapping in a very large body of water would make the equivalent of a homeopathic solution, or diluted to the point that there’s no there there. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-urinating-and-defecating-in-oceans/473701/22 "2008-11-20T23:01:35Z")
**shallora** , are you under the impression that the fish jump out to pee? ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-urinating-and-defecating-in-oceans/473701/23 "2008-11-20T23:17:30Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Unless we have **shore-to-shore humans with 24 hour diarrhea** , only one person crapping in a very large body of water would make the equivalent of a homeopathic solution, or diluted to the point that there’s no there there. This really made me laugh…what a visual! ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Woo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@Dr.Woo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Woo)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-urinating-and-defecating-in-oceans/473701/24 "2008-11-21T00:54:38Z")
I guess I’m just prissy, but it never even occurred to me to pee in the water. In fact, I’ve been snorkeling off our anchored sailboat in the Caribbean, and I get out of the water and into the dinghy, drive or row the dinghy back to the boat, tie the dinghy, board the boat, find a towel, dry off and go below to use the head (toilet) on the boat. _Which toilet discharges directly into the ocean._ I guess I have removed all doubt that I’m prissy, but I just cannot pee unless I’m on a toilet. Early toilet training, I guess. And I have to say that the whole Caribbean charter boat deal of discharging the waste directly into that beautiful water is way past gross. You learn very early to avoid swimming right after breakfast. I have seen my share of wee beige jobbies floating by in crowded anchorages, and it’s a pretty shitty sight. ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-urinating-and-defecating-in-oceans/473701/25 "2008-11-21T02:33:48Z")
Pool - No. Ocean - Peeing is no problem. I have pooped in the ocean, but I was a kid at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-urinating-and-defecating-in-oceans/473701/26 "2008-11-21T03:12:51Z")
I’m just surprised we haven’t yet had the requisite [youtube link in the hot tub](http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=lkZaH5rzdTk). PNSFW. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-urinating-and-defecating-in-oceans/473701/27 "2008-11-21T03:34:03Z")
Cripes, like we need any _more_ fertilizer to add to oceanic dead zones! Anyway, my brother and I always pull a Sophia Patrillo at the beach – we’d sit there, sipping our drinks, speculating on which guy standing in the surf is peeing. When we were on his bachelor party, he was somewhat miffed to notice that I was always right – because every time his friends went into the water, I pointed out that they were peeing. Folks, _don’t make your pee face_ if you want to escape notice and mockery. ‘S all I’m sayin’. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-urinating-and-defecating-in-oceans/473701/28 "2008-11-21T04:53:55Z")
[Youtube for every occasion](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PmMFaVzbzc). ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-urinating-and-defecating-in-oceans/473701/29 "2008-11-21T13:56:17Z")
As the Surf Punks said, “The ocean’s nothing but a fish toilet.” ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-urinating-and-defecating-in-oceans/473701/30 "2008-11-21T14:46:36Z")
> [@Dr.Woo](#): > > … go below to use the head (toilet) on the boat. > > _Which toilet discharges directly into the ocean._ > … > And I have to say that the whole Caribbean charter boat deal of discharging the waste directly into that beautiful water is way past gross. You learn very early to avoid swimming right after breakfast. I have seen my share of wee beige jobbies floating by in crowded anchorages, and it’s a pretty shitty sight. In many parts of the world, this is illegal (or at least frowned upon). In NZ, the law states [QUOTE=Resource Management Act (Marine Pollution)] No one can discharge untreated sewage in the coastal marine area from a ship or an offshore installation unless that discharge is more than 500 metres from shore, in waters deeper than 5 metres and more than 500 metres from a marine farm or gazetted mataitai reserve, or more than 200 metres from a marine reserve … The discharge of treated sewage from either a Grade A or Grade B system, provided the systems are operated correctly and maintained in good working order, is allowed anywhere except within 100 metres of a marine farm (if you are a Grade A system) and 500 metres of a marine farm or a gazetted mataitai area (if you are a Grade B system). [/QUOTE] I remember going swimming at a beach in the Mediterranean near San Tropez, swimming out a bit, looking down, and realising some yachtie had dumped sewage and used nappies into the water. We moved. Si ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-urinating-and-defecating-in-oceans/473701/31 "2008-11-21T15:31:30Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > I heard a made-up, but reasonably accurate, statistic that 85% of scuba divers admit to urinating in their wetsuits, and 15% are lying about it. Ah, yes. The divers’ delight. When the water’s 60ish degrees, it ain’t so bad. All the divers I know have peed in their suits, including myself. Once was when my dive bag had a couple of lobsters in it, and a barracuda was stalking me. I think pooping in a wetsuit could prove to be…problematic. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-urinating-and-defecating-in-oceans/473701/32 "2008-11-21T16:16:24Z")
1/good 2/bad ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-urinating-and-defecating-in-oceans/473701/33 "2008-11-21T17:03:11Z")
Peeing in your wetsuit can give you diaper rash. Diaper rash as an adult can really suck. Your best bet is to just let some water in and let it get warm next to your skin. That can suck for a while, but it avoids bathing in uric acid. It’s a common practice among divers to pee in their suits, and understandable because when you get in cold water you get the urge, and it solves two problems at once. Still, using the actual water is a better choice most of the time. Or do a hybrid, let in some water, and then warm it up a bit. Jumpstarts the warming process of the water which will be next to your skin and dilutes the uric acid. Enjoy, Steven [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-urinating-and-defecating-in-oceans/473701.md?page=1)