With 72 submarines in service, the United States fields the largest underwater fighting
force in the world.
Stealthy and absolutely deadly against surface vessels, submarines are tasked with deterring
foreign aggression, nuclear deterrence, intelligence gathering, and even providing fire support
for land forces with land-attack missiles.
But for most of a submarine's lifespan it will glide through the oceans of the world
completely undetected and as they say: out of sight, out of mind.
What is life like under the sea for those who man these secretive weapons of war though?
Hello and welcome to another episode of The Infographics Show- today we're taking a look
at what life is like aboard a submarine.
Not
every man can be a submariner, and though it is a 100% all-volunteer force, the US Navy's
submarine fleet has very stringent entry requirements.
Individuals must be male, pass a series of academic tests, psychological evaluations,
and intensive courses on the fundamentals of submarine operations.
With deployments that can last for hundreds of days at a time and disaster being only
one mistake away, the Navy must be confident that it is entrusting some of the most expensive
weapons in its arsenal, and the hundred-plus lives within them, to only the most psychologically
stable and academically qualified individuals.
But it isn't a life for everyone who applies.
Technically the US deploys submarines for up to 90 days at a time, but the realities
of a dynamic geopolitical environment sometimes means that submariners will be out at sea
for a hundred or more days, pulling into port only long enough to stock up on food reserves
before putting out to sea again.
One submariner interviewed by Task and Purpose said that his longest deployment was for 328
days- that's a long time spent inside a cramped metal tube under water.
AS the US Navy only operates nuclear-powered submarines, each sub's endurance is based
on the amount of food it can carry.
The reactors will typically only be fueled once during the lifetime of the boat, and
a need to keep its crew fed is the only thing that limits how long a submarine can stay
out at sea for.
Both air and water are regenerated internally, so even long after food runs out a submarine
will still provide fresh drinking water and breathable air.
A submarine's crew is split up into three six-hour shifts each.
Typically a crewmember will have six hours on duty, six hours of study/exercise/private
time, and six hours of sleeping time.
This 18 hour day rotation can be disorienting for a crew who spends weeks at a time under
the water, and typically crewmembers only know what time of day it actually is based
off what meal they are being served.
Space is at an absolute premium on any submarine, so personal space is extremely limited.
Every submariner has typically about 15 square feet (1.4 square meters) to themselves, and
sleep in tiny bunks affectionately (or not) called “coffins”.
Inside your bunk only a thin sheet of cloth separates you from the outside world, so privacy
is nearly non-existent, and because somebody is always sleeping no matter the time of day,
submariners have an unwritten rule to never slam doors and always keep volume down to
a minimum.
Some submarines however have more crew than bunk space, which leads to the much-hated
practice of 'hot-bunking', where two or more submariners share one bunk.
As one prepares to start their shift, the other takes his place to get his six hours
of sleep.
Submarines it seems are definitely not places for anybody with privacy or personal space
issues.
Bunks aren't the only place with limited space, there's typically only two showers for the
entire crew of up to 130 submariners, and a maximum showering time of 3-5 minutes is
enforced.
This not only helps ensure everyone who needs one can get a shower, but it also lessens
the strain on the ship's water filtration system which turns salty seawater into fresh
water.
There is also typically only a single dryer and washer aboard a submarine, making clean
laundry a luxury.
For entertainment there is a tiny gym with typically one or two machines and free weights
which the crew can use- because space is at such a premium rooms typically have double
uses and the 'gym' may in fact be the torpedo room.
The officers' wardroom, where senior officers dine, also serves as an operating theater
during medical emergencies.
Bathrooms are extremely limited as well, with typically only one bathroom per forty men-
and you'd better know how to use the toilet.
Because waste has to be held in a special tank to be ejected at the appropriate time,
the toilet has to be pressurized before you flush it, but operate it improperly and it
will shoot its contents backwards and into your face.
A rec room typically offers a plasma tv or two and a large selection of movies to keep
the crew entertained.
Video game systems are common along with a small library of games, though the Navy makes
cards and board games freely available to help sailors blow off steam and build camaraderie.
The most space aboard a sub is reserved for the nuclear reactor and the propulsion system,
which alone take up about one third of the total sub's length.
The kitchen takes up the second-most amount of space, and is typically extremely well
stocked- the US Navy knowing for decades that a well-fed crew is a happy crew.
Life beneath the waves for weeks or even months at a time can be extremely stressful, and
so the Navy makes sure its galleys are well stocked.
Sailors can enjoy fresh ingredients for the first few weeks of a deployment, though after
that food is made from non-perishables.
Even then though chefs manage to whip up a variety of dishes from lasagna to lobster
to prime rib, and a delicious dessert is always on hand.
There is no internet aboard a submarine, and communication with the outside world is reserved
for the rare instances that a sub surfaces.
Because initiating communications can give away a sub's position and stealth is its most
valuable asset, submarines don't communicate much with the outside world.
That means that submariners can go weeks or months without contacting family or loved
ones, and must rely on the friendships they've developed on board.
To make the cramped environment more tolerable for each other submariners have additional
unwritten rules such as no talk of politics on board, although sports trash talk is acceptable
if not encouraged.
While all of the military branches are keen on traditions and rites of passage, none are
as dedicated to their traditions, or have as nuanced rites of passage, as the Navy.
Partly tradition and partly to help keep morale up, submariners enjoy a tradition of initiating
new crew members on their first crossing of the equator, called crossing the line.
Everyone who has already crossed the line is known as a shellback, and those who haven't
are known as wogs- shorthand for pollwogs.
The pollywogs must polish a set of red trash weights use to compact trash and then wear
them around their necks for a week before the crossing.
Wogs are also given an M&M which they must keep and defend as their 'pearl', ensuring
it stays on their person at all times.
Upon crossing the equator, the shellbacks spray the wogs with water hoses and dunk them
in cold water which may or may not have been urinated in- seamen are a strange sort.
Then they are escorted to the ward room where the fattest submariner on board has been dressed
in a baby's diaper and covered in whipped cream, vinegar, mayonnaise- pretty much every
condiment available- and then the wog must place their pearl inside his belly button
and retrieve it back with their mouth.
From that day on, the wog is no more and is welcomed as a full-blown shellback.
Strange rituals aside, strong camaraderie is what sets submariners apart from other
sailors in the US Navy, and when you're spending weeks at a time in a pressurized cylinder
straining to hold back the weight of the ocean, it's understandable that you might need to
let steam off in some pretty creative ways.
Because of the high stress of their jobs, submariners are often excused somewhat from
the Navy's typical strict regulations on hair and facial hair, allowing short beards and
longer-than-usual hair for the notoriously tightly clipped US armed forces.
Once rejoining the rest of the Navy by pulling into port however, submariners must get the
trimmers out and make sure they are back in regs.
Life aboard a submarine is tough, a unique mental and physical challenge that not every
sailor is cut out for.
Yet as has been argued repeatedly by defense analysts across the US, the US Navy's silent
service is the most critical element of its national security.
From maintaining nuclear deterrence, to ensuring the good behavior of not-so-friendly nations
by threatening swift and overwhelming retaliation, submarines are the world's ultimate, if secretive,
peacekeepers.
Think you have what it takes to be a US submariner?
How would you handle weeks under water with no fresh air or sunlight?
Let us know in the comments!
Also, be sure to check out our other video called What Happens If An Airplane Enters
No Fly Zone?!
Thanks for watching, and, as always, don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe.
See you next time!