30+ Facts About Submarine Life That You Might Not Be Aware Of
Do you have any idea what it’s like to live on a submarine? It sounds like a lot of fun, but it also sounds like a lot of nerves at times. Furthermore, it does not appear to be the cleanest of environments. To give you a better understanding of submarine life — if you ever want to join the underwater team — we’ve compiled this list of facts about submarine life. Continue to scroll!
A Much-Needed Switch
The submarine force used to work 18-hour days, with sailors standing watch for six hours and having 12 hours off for other duties and sleep. However, thanks to the efforts of a few junior officers, the watches were changed to eight hours with 16 hours off.
A Much Needed Switch
This switch, according to the officers, had an immediate positive impact. Not only have people’s performances improved, but the switch has also improved morale on the boat.
There’s No “I” in Team
Stealing should be prohibited everywhere, but you’re probably wondering why we’re emphasizing theft here. Those who steal on a submarine, it turns out, face serious consequences.
There’s No “I” In Team
The thief will be apprehended in some way. They’ll be kicked off the boat at the next port if this happens. Not only that, but this type of incident can result in demotions and rank drops, which is unsurprising. Given that these individuals are supposed to work as a team, these consequences make sense.
Sharing Bunks
“Sharing is caring,” we’ve all heard it said. If you live on a submarine, however, that sentiment is slightly different. Submarines do not have individual bunks for each passenger. In this case, two to three people are usually crammed into the same bunk.
Sharing Bunks
How do you do it? When one person’s shift ends, another passenger sleeping in the bunk is awakened. This occurs so frequently that submariners coined the term “hot racking” to describe the warm spot on the bed that someone else leaves after sleeping there for six hours.
The Dolphin Pin
Isn’t it true that dolphins are the cutest? Did you know that dolphins have a high level of honor? Submariners, on the other hand, are well aware of this. While living on board a submarine, officers must work extremely hard to earn the highest honor from their commanders.
The Dolphin Pin
As a marine, the only way to earn the dolphin pin is to learn how to operate the submarine and use it as a weapon. After that, you’d have to take a test and pass it with flying colors.
They Call Beds “Coffins”
If you think about it, living aboard a submarine, which is essentially an underwater metal tube, can be quite eerie. With that in mind, it only fits that officers refer to their bunk beds as “coffins.” Yes, you read that correctly.
They Call Beds “Coffins”
Although it’s an intriguing moniker, we’re not sure we’d feel at ease laying down in a cemetery. Of course, we’re joking, but it’s an intriguing nickname for the bunkers nonetheless.
Skillful Snoozers
Submarine officers and marines learn and train themselves to sleep anywhere — to the point where you can have a full-fledged conversation with someone who is sleeping, and they will not wake up.
Skillful Snoozers
However, if you call their name once in a lower tone, they’ll wake up in no time. If only we possessed that ability. Anywhere and everywhere, we’d take a nap or get some shut-eye!
Submerged for Weeks or Months
Submarines rarely see daylight or nightfall because they operate underwater or at the bottom of the ocean. When you’re inside an operating submarine, it’s easy to lose track of time, especially when you consider that these boats can stay submerged for weeks or even months at a time.
Submerged For Weeks Or Months
Still, don’t worry if you ever find yourself on a submarine — you’ll have access to a clock! To put it another way, figuring out what time it is without looking at a clock will be extremely difficult.
Gym for the Peace
Let’s be honest: living aboard a submarine for months on end can drive anyone insane. As a result, commanders and officers do their best to keep their crew happy and provide outlets to relax and release pent-up energy.
Gym For The Peace
Given the limited space, it may come as a surprise that many subs include a small workout area or gym. This helps the crew to stay on their game, keep them motivated, and relieve stress.
Lower Levels of Oxygen
Submarines maintain deficient oxygen levels, which, while necessary for safety, can have serious consequences. Lower oxygen levels, for example, make it more difficult for your body to heal after an injury.
Lower Levels Of Oxygen
While this isn’t usually a problem, if you cut yourself while working on a submarine, you won’t be happy. Lower oxygen can cause your energy levels to drop and contribute to mood swings, in addition to your wound constantly oozing because it can’t heal properly.
Sleeping With Nukes
At first glance, cramped living quarters may not appear to be such a bad thing. In fact, some people may find these cramped quarters appealing — until they realize they’re sharing space with massively destructive weapons.
Sleeping With Nukes
You’d better get used to being around ballistic missiles, torpedoes, and even nuclear warheads for months at a time, even though it’s an unsettling thought.
Free Time in the Mess
Submarines, as previously stated, have limited space, which limits what the crew can do during their designated free time. As a result, the mess hall is where most crew members prefer to hang out.
Free Time In The Mess
Suppose you’re going somewhere that you’re not totally familiar with, so you stop and ask someone for directions. Well, aboard submarines, you can’t really do this.
Electronics Will Guide You Home
Imagine the following scenario: You’re on the road, heading somewhere you’ve never been before, and you pull over to ask for directions. But, of course, you’d never find yourself aboard a submarine doing something like this.
Electronics Will Guide You Home
As we all know, submarines glide through the water, navigating solely through electronics and sophisticated machines. To put it another way, electronic machines are a part of your life.
Months on End
You may be enamored with submarine life and intend to become a top-tier expert submarine, but be aware that you will be making a significant commitment. Because you won’t be staying in a submarine for a few days, we’re saying this.
Months On End
You’ll instead spend at least 90 days in the submarine. While this is the bare minimum for most tours, it is frequently extended to the point where you could spend nearly six months on the submarine!
No News Is Good News
Despite popular belief, life aboard a submarine is not always filled with high-octane action and bloody battles. On the contrary, life on a boat is (for the most part) rather routine.
No News Is Good News
The crew members have the same schedule every day, which, while monotonous at times, is actually a good thing! You might wonder why. If there’s commotion aboard a submarine, the entire world may be in jeopardy.
Minimal Bathrooms
Get this if you’re currently complaining about the size of your new apartment’s bathroom. Submarines have a limited amount of space due to a large amount of equipment and machinery they contain.
Minimal Bathrooms
The size of the bathrooms aboard submarines is quite small, as you can see in this photo, and can make anyone feel crowded while doing their business. Imagine that, plus a bunch of crew members, and you’ve got complete chaos. Sharing a bathroom with a large group for a few months does not sound like a pleasant experience.
Don’t Overpack
You’ve probably already realized how small a submarine’s interior is at this point in the list. Now you’re going to have to share that space with a crew of up to 100 people. That’s insane!
Don’t Overpack
When it comes to storing your personal items, keep in mind that you are sharing your space with other people and store your items in a way that won’t generate clutter.
Training for the Submarine Life
It’s not going to happen overnight just because you want to be a submarine. In fact, becoming a submarine crew member requires a lot of training and is a difficult process.
Training For The Submarine Life
According to a former Navy crew member, you spend the first few months studying nonstop for 10 hours a day before marching back and forth. Then, according to them, they “cram four to six years of college-level information into a six-month period.”
No Communication With the Outer World
When boarding a submarine, you should be prepared and understand that communication with your loved ones will be different than it was previously. No mail carrier will go deep into the ocean to pick up your mail and deliver it to your loved ones, and vice versa (obviously). When the submarine surfaces, you can only deliver or receive mail.
No Communication With The Outer World
Even so, the submarine emits a signal that reveals the submarine’s location, which the crew does not want to know. So, keep in mind that communicating with the outside world while on a submarine isn’t always easy.
Laid Back Grooming Options
Although the most powerful military branches are typically composed of clean-cut soldiers with little to no facial hair and buzz cuts, those who live aboard submarines follow a different set of rules.
Laid Back Grooming Options
These rules are a little more relaxed, which makes sense given that these men have been trapped in a metal tube for months. But, having said that, it’s understandable that they don’t want to shave every day!
Searching Leaks
Do you know what the crew members do once their boat or submarine has completely submerged? First, of course, they search for leaks. What is the reasoning behind this? In any case, if the boat has any leaks, their lives are in grave danger.
Searching Leaks
Even if there’s a large leak or hole, they must cover or repair it in a short period of time — and they must do so quickly. Their lives are literally on the line…
Cramped Hallways
This information has been shared several times to demonstrate how limited space submarines are. However, here’s another example! The majority of the areas inside these boats are completely cramped due to the smaller space capacity. This affects the hallways as well.
Cramped Hallways
The hallways are actually so narrow that only one person can pass through at a time. To put it another way, two members can’t even walk down the same hallway at the same time.
Smaller Showers
Do you recall how we talked about the size of the bathrooms on submarines? This time, we’re talking about the entire shower situation. Many types of machinery and equipment, as we all know, take up the majority of the space.
Smaller Showers
They’ll have to be resourceful when it comes to installing a shower. Showers on submarines are usually — you guessed it — cramped as a result of this.
Bigger Kitchens
The galley, or kitchen, onboard a submarine is where all of the food is prepared. Given how space is limited on submarines, you might be surprised to learn that these galleys are quite large.
Bigger Kitchens
Don’t get too worked up — these kitchens are not that huge, but they’re a breath of fresh air compared to the rest of the ship.
Three Meals a Day
We can’t discuss submarine kitchens without mentioning the food served on board! For the duration of the submarine patrol — which could last weeks or even months without resupply — modern American submarines feed their crew members three meals per day. And, from what I’ve seen, the food doesn’t appear to be half bad!
Three Meals A Day
The cook aboard the ballistic missile submarine USS Lousiana is seasoning a tray of fish fillets in the top photo. On the same submarine, another cook is preparing pizza in the bottom photo.
Watch Duties
The crew members are not assigned to watch duties at random. If anything, they establish a sort of hierarchy to plan the schedule for the coming months.
Watch Duties
Watch duty is mandatory for everyone, but the time and location vary depending on the rank of the personnel. It also depends on the type of specialized training received by each of these individuals. As a result, one’s level of responsibility rises in tandem with one rank.
Officer’s Watch
We’ve already talked about watch duties and how responsibilities are distributed among crew members. Still, now we’d like to get a little more specific about who does what during watch duties.
Officer’s Watch
The deck officer, for example, is in charge of the conning tower, which is a raised platform on the submarine from which the officer can communicate with the vessel. To put it another way, the officer can direct the ship’s movements by issuing orders to those in charge of the ship’s engine, rudder, lines, and ground tackle.
The Command Launch
You’re probably wondering how the crew members manage to fit so many weapons into such a small space. But, of course, that’s essentially what the command launch is for — to store all of those different kinds of weapons.
The Command Launch
Like any other area onboard a Navy or Marine vessel, the control room has its own set of requirements. For example, just because there’s room for weapons doesn’t mean they’re unrestricted. In addition, certain design elements, such as specific lighting solutions, are required because of the limited space.
Trident Missiles
Now that we’ve learned where the weaponry on these submarines is located, it’s time to learn more about the weapons themselves. For example, Trident missiles, which are submarine-launched ballistic missiles with multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles, are carried by some submarines.
Trident Missiles
To put it another way, if your submarine is carrying one, be extra cautious. But, on the other hand, knowing that you are protected by something so powerful can make you feel at ease!
Board Games
Let’s take a break from war and gore and talk about something lighter and more enjoyable. Did you know that sailors and crew members have a variety of recreational options?
Board Games
Come on; they deserve to have some fun, too, especially since they’re submerged for weeks or months at a time! In any case, members pass the time by playing cards and board games in their spare time. Isn’t this a lot like summer camp?
Ability to Sail Anywhere
Submarines are owned by almost every country on the planet. However, not all of the aforementioned countries are allowed to travel wherever they want. From all of these countries, the United States has the ability to travel the globe with its submarine without being detected.
Ability To Sail Anywhere
They have the ability to strike for long periods of time, making them more powerful than the rest of the world. As you can see, it’s not easy work, but it plays an important role.
45° Angle
Are you aware of the angle at which the entire ship ascends and descends? Any guesses on what it is? If you guessed 180°, we’re sorry to tell you that you’re incorrect.
45° Angle
When a submarine changes depth, the entire submarine angles upwards/downwards nearly 45°, forcing the crew to brace themselves as it moves. With that in mind, imagine how crew members aboard the submarine must feel as they ascend and descend into the water.
Rocking the Curtains
Inside the submarine, life can be difficult, especially when you’re gone for weeks or months at a time. But, while you will miss home and your loved ones at times, your fellow crew members will become your family — and family is always there for you, through thick and thin.
Rocking The Curtains
Given the amount of time you spend together, it’s difficult not to become close. So, while you may get homesick from time to time, the bonds you form with your fellow crew members will be unbreakable.
Turn the Lights Down Low
There are a few things to consider before embarking on your submarine voyage. First, they start by checking for leaks (as previously mentioned), then finish the tasks that have been assigned to them, and finally turn off all of the lights.
Turn The Lights Down Low
You’re not doing anything out of the ordinary, repetitive, or ritualistic. One must take extra measures in anticipation of things going overboard to prevent this.
The Neptune Captain
People who live on submarines are always looking for ways to have fun and stay enthused despite their monotonous daily routine. So the crew members organize a dress-up game in which they create their own outfits and dress up as women.
The Neptune Captain
You may be correct in assuming that the captain will not be interested in participating, but you should reconsider. A striking aspect of the Captain is that he frequently dresses up as Neptune.