Thankfully, they do not model recovery...
You could go read this:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...438#post492438
or this:
http://www.wolfwillow.com/nu/westwin...n_Gaming/SHIV/
there's other links on this and other sites. Most times, the mission briefing will say how close you have to be to be close enough to accomplish the task, which is usually, but not always 3nm, but on some, you have to get in close. Some mods will draw a circle for you. When you get close enough and slow enough, and I'm thinking it's like 1 or 2 knots, then you'll get a little message box pop-up that asks if you want to launch the boat. Confirm, and away they go... they have a tendency to bump into your boat, and turn turtle. If you watch them though, you'll see they keep paddling... and your mission is complete... I don't know ~how~ those guys breath underwater like that, but...