I am looking into different pumps to wear when surfing. I realize that the animas and the omnipod are the only ones that are truly waterproof. However, I’d love to try the Tandem t-slim. Currently I have a medtronic paradigm. My warranty is up, and I’m looking into other options. Should I just get the tandem or stay with the paradigm and bolus for the time in the water when I’m not wearing it, or use a water proof omnipod (I’ve heard a lot of negatives concerning them getting bumped off or forgetting your main controller), or the waterproof traditional aminas pump (it looks a bit clunky). Does any one out there have some advice before I make my four year commitement?
you may want to check in with the folks at Insulindependence - many of them surf and can provide info on what has worked best for them - pretty sure some had done trials with the Tandem before it was released - they meet third Saturday of every month from 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. at La Jolla Shores Beach. For what it's worth I don't surf - but got a Tandem last month and really like it.
Thanks for the info......it really helps. I will be contacting the insulindependence folks and hopefully joining them the third Saturday of this month.
Hi. I'm probably a bit late in seeing this but I'm a surfing/kitesurfing Omnipod user. Never had a problem with using it in the water and generally wear pods on the backs of my upper arms. I tend to use a latex/crepe wrap (think they're marketed as 'Corban' in the US) to keep it secure and avoid issues pulling wetsuits on or off. I know of a few people who wear them on their lower backs for regular surfing too.
I grew up surfing and had huge problems with my infusion set coming out almost immediately after the salt water got into the adhesive. I used an IV prep wipe every time but once I stopped using that the adhesive worked fine. I guess it came down to weighing out cleanliness vs. number of shots!
I have never put my set anywhere but my lower stomach and found that if I was trunking it the set rubbed on the board it would either clog with the wax or stick to it and rip right off.
I used a diesitronic pump that said it was waterproof but went through half dozen before i decided to keep them dry. I usually ended up just going out for a couple hours and coming in for a quick bolus. And repeat!
Cheers
-Chris