Pressure Confusion

Hey guys,

So, I’ve been pumping on and off for a few years now, along with jelqing, stretches and some limited extender wearing. I’m using my LA Pump elliptical Thickwall with LeLuv gauged pump a few times a week. I’ll post elsewhere about gains.. This post is just about pressure reading and trying to figure out if I’m doing anything wrong.

In general, I tend to pump to around 10hg average. I’ve gotten this rating with the few different pumps and cylinders over the years, and they all, more-or-less, feel the same.. As I get into a session I sometimes pump up to about 15hg and milk and fit the tube until the pressure settles to about 12hg then I remove the pump and do my set routine. I tend to do 45 minute sessions with about 2-4 sets, starting with the gasket and flaccid to get some stretch.. Once plump, I take off the gasket and jelq and edge between sets usually going in fully erect for the last couple sets. Once I’m more engorged I’m packing the tube for the most part. I’ve never used less than 10hg.

When I read here, it seem folks recommend around 5-7hg. At that low a pressure I wouldn’t even get a proper seal. I use a fair amount of lube and I’m completely waxed or shaved. I have a fair amount of fat in my FUPA so I can usually get a good seal.. But I find it doesn’t really work unless I’m up around 10hg. If I pump higher than 10-12hg I will get some dark pooling after say 10-15 minutes, but that massages out easily between sets with jelqs. I get minimal donuting if I stay below 15hg and don’t do too long of a set without massaging.

Is this typical for anybody else? My gauge doesn’t seem to be off, as I have been getting the same reading on a few different set-ups, and the feel is relatively similar even with different kit. But is there something I’m missing?

Any insight would be appreciated.

Cheers,
Milfevil

Some guys are more sensitive to vacuum than others. I suspect that you’ve conditioned your penis such that it can handle the greater vacuum pressure you’re using.

We recommend newbies to stay around -5inHg for their pump sessions as that level has proven to be effective and to have minimal negative effects like blisters and petechia. Still, some guys need to start at the -3inHg range until they are conditioned to pumping and vacuum.

Some long time pumpers have worked a the higher levels like -10inHg and others have used a surging regime where they pump up, hold it then release.

What ever anyone does they need to always pay attention to the negative signs of petechia, blisters and excess edema, and adjust their activity accordingly.

I guess my confusion is that I can’t even imagine anything under 10hg actually even working at all.. There’s no seal and the tube would just fall off. I’m sure there’s a level of conditioning on my part, but I don’t recall ever pumping with less than 10hg, I basically just used the bare minimum to get the cylinder to create a basic seal. Why would there be such a discrepancy with me vs. Everybody else? I can only think I’m doing it wrong or my gauge is off.

FWIW: I’ve never really measured anything.. I used to have a tube with measurements on the side, so I referenced that for a long time, the new tube is blank. I guess I need to do my due diligence and take some measurements and take some notes.

If you have a good seal at 10, can you reduce to 5 and keep the seal?

That’s a good question.. Will try next session and report back. Thanks!

So did it work? Did you quit? Did something terrible happen? It sounds like your gauge is off. You should not be worrying about the cylinder falling off at 5Hg, or even 2Hg.

A lot will depend on the size of the cylinder and the degree to which you pack it. For example, my regular cylinder is 2.25” (I have a 6” girth) and a good pressure for me with this cylinder is around 5hg or just under. I sometimes use a 2” cylinder which I can pack to just below the glans. A comfortable pressure me with this cylinder is 10hg. I suppose the message here is that whilst you do need to keep a close eye on the pressure gauge, what matters most is getting a pressure that gives you a good expansion but also feels comfortable.