Bathmate Users -- how do you manage pressure?

It is very easy to use standing up. Just fill the device to the brim from the shower head. You will have to hold a finger over the end of the release valve. Then just squat a bit, insert your penis and push the bathmate into your groin. I don’t get any air bubbles doing this, it is totally water filled. You should get it the second time around. :)

Gprent, how do you manage the pressure besides the “feel” from the air pump? I’ve been meaning to ask you some questions about pumping…i’m a noob and will be ordering either a bathmate or a traditional pump very soon.

gprent — thanks I’ll try that. Squatting down was the missing step!

Hello. Anyone?

You just have to go by feel and then the end result. There is a length scale on the cylinder, so I use that to get an idea of where I am. When I am at the 160 mark, that is a good starting level for me. Once I am warmed up, I can extend to 170 and near the very end I sometimes go to my max extension which is around 180-185. I can definitely feel the pressure difference between each of these length levels, but the true test of whether you have used too much pressure or time will be when you come out of the bathmate. If you are spotted or dark red, you have gone overboard and will have to make adjustments the next time. For the first couple of times it is just trial and error. You will get the hang of it.

Is 160 the equivalent of about 5 HG? Or is there a comparison that you can make? Only reason I am so interested is because I am going to order either this or the air pump, as my first pump, in about a week or two, and I want to know what will be better for me. I love the easy, no mess of the bathmate, and its ability to multitask AND the incorporation of hot water. Sounds like an all star.

But the Air pump will probably be better for me because of its easier gauge of pressure, right?

Any help would be appreciated.

invictus — you can’t equate "160" with 5HG, as the markings on the cylinder are basically like a ruler.

So while 160 might be 5HG for gprent, it may not be for you because your penis is probably not the exact same size as gprent’s.

Having started this thread and now having the unit, I think I was WAY OVER THINKING the issue. Perhaps you are too.

Essentially you have control over the amount of pressure by the number of times you pump the device. So repeating what gprent said:

You have to go by

—- feel
—- the end result

So say you do it the first time. Pump 2 or 3 times just enough to give you a good seal. When you are done can you still get a good hard on? Good. Maybe try another pump or two next time. etc.

But seriously if you are very very concerned about it, get an air pump first. I have to say I still expect to use my air pump sometimes even though I have the bathmate now.

http://www.mega … r.com/pump.html

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sta-kool,

I couldn’t have said it better myself. :up: :)

Last week I did a 4 x ~10 minute session, maxed out pressure last two sets. Came out larger than ever before but I got a donut as well.

I try to do two sessions daily - morning / evening.

So, are you guys actually even getting any permanent results from pumping? Like does it stay when you stop for a year?

There are probably better threads to ask that - nobody in this thread has used a bathmate long enough to have taken a break for a year.

But I think a search for “permanent gains pumping” would give you something to read.

One additional tip. I find I get the very best results when I use the hottest water I can take. Of course the water shouldn’t be hot enough to burn, but hot water increases expansion and decreases discoloration.

I have been water pumping with my normal cylinder. I just bought a water valve from Home Depot (I’ll have to get a photo of it) and put it in line. I draw a vacuum with my mouth and then shut it off. Works great!

I first pulled a vacuum with water using my pump with a gauge, and marked it at apx 5 in hg. Then I used the valve and drew the vacuum with my mouth, to know apx where 5 in hg gets me. I use the same recommended procedure from the Bathmate folks, I draw a vacuum then every few minutes draw a little more.

Here is some of the things I’ve been noticing and thinking about. I am probably pulling at least 7 in hg and I get ZERO red spots AND very little edema.

Normally I am very sensitive and they show up instantly at 5 in hg. Also, I think this has an effect very similar to condom pumping, but I believe better…let me give my thoughts on it.

I asked this question years ago here, and some of the smarter guys said, water or air…makes no difference, vacuum is vacuum. But, obviously that’s not true or I would have massive edema and blood vessel hemorrhages from the routine I’m using (15 minutes at apx 6-7 in hg).

So the question is why? This is what I think. I think its the non-compressibility of water. I think that even though you are pulling a vacuum, it effects primarily the inner structure of the penis. I think that it gets very little vacuum effect at the surface, because as the penis expands as a result of the vacuum effect, any compression of the surface AGAINSTthe water results in some neutralization of the effect at the surface area, BECAUSE the water “pushes back” with even the slightest bit of compression of the surface area against it. In a similar way in condom pumping, the elastic nature of the condom gives some “counter force” to the surface and reduces red spots and edema.

[maybe the pressure differential is compensated for primarily in the CS and CC and it expands until the differential is a net zero at the surface of the penis? If the external pressure is higher than the internal fluid pressure, the penis will contract until the surface again reaches zero. If the external pressure is lower, the internal fluid volumn will expand until the surface again reaches net zero?]

I know that doesn’t sound very scientific, but what I can tell you is that 5 in hg of vacuum in air has a totally different effect on negative PIs than the same or even quite a bit more vacuum pulled in a water medium. Its almost like it transmits the force to a deeper level because it has less effect on surface areas.

Anyway, my feeble explanation aside, I find I am able to use a higher level of vacuum without negative side effects (or more accurately far less) and that has resulted in a heavier flaccid and greatly improved EQ. Its too early to be able to say I’ve seen gains in the 3-4 sessions I have used it, but I’m cautiously optimistic at this point.

Now, as far as the actual process, its very interesting and different. I have never gotten to the point in air pumping where I couldn’t draw anymore vacuum. I have gone up to at least 10 in hg for a second or two, but I could have gone much higher if I wanted to, except my blood vessels would have blown out! Its far different with water pumping.

You really do hit a point where you can’t suck anymore water out! I think again, this is due to the non-compressibility of water. Because the water isn’t expanding, you are literally feeling the resistance from the elasticity of the penis. So, like taking a bpfsl measurement, you can pull hard to get that last 1/4 inch, but after that, pulling harder doesn’t make any more difference because the elasticity of the tissue is used up and you are trying to stretch the connective tissue, and that would probably be pretty painful before it started to stretch some more.

So with pulling a water vacuum, once you come to the end of your elasticity of the tissues, its very hard to get even a bit more. What is interesting, as per the instructions, is after a few minutes you CAN pull a bit more and watch your penis expand a bit further. I find that during the 15 minutes, my tissue can “relax” almost 1/2 inch past the original “end point”. This is probably a combination of edema and tissue “relaxation”. I think its very much like using a “Static Stretcher”. After you put it on, and you give the tissue time to relax, you can slowly work out to your max tissue stretch.

This might also be partly the smooth muscle relaxing under the gradual stretch.

Anyway, for guys out there with a cylinder, you don’t need to shell out an additional $120.00 bucks, just take a bit of the air tube to the local hardware store and by a plastic valve for about $5.00 bucks or less and you can give this a try. (or use your overflow cup, but its a pain in the ass, and if you screw up, water gets into your pump and guage!)

Bottom line is I am going to do a few cycles with water pumping, I like what I see so far!

More thoughts on air vs water.

In air, if you hit a vacuum point where you can’t expand the tunica anymore or at least very little, and you keep raising the vacuum level (which you can) it puts tremendous strain on the surface blood vessels and either damages them and or cause a huge fluid shift (edema).

In water, it seems that when the tunica can’t be expanded any further, further increasing of vacuum becomes exponetially harder…like you hit a wall. BECAUSE you cannot further expand the water volumn and the resistence you feel is primarily the tissue strength of the tunica preventing further expansion.

sparkyx — really interesting pair of posts.

I’m pretty sensitive too. Usually I am a one on/one or two off guy. However for the first time I have actually pumped two days in a row. I simply did not feel the need for a day of recovery. The water pumping does not seem to stress my penis the way air pumping does.

So far it seems to have improved my EQ which had been a little sketchy.

Would love to see that water valve! Even though I have the bathmate now, I wouldn’t mind trying out your method with my regular (properly sized) cylinder.