Why can I not dive after an emergency blow?

[Bungo_Pete]

...and don't tell me it is because of having to charge air banks i got an eel on my ass screw protocol.I do not need air to dive! FIX IT!

[XenonSurf]

Originally Posted by Bungo_Pete

...and don't tell me it is because of having to charge air banks i got an eel on my ass screw protocol.I do not need air to dive! FIX IT!

I think it's realistic: Your dive planes are too weak to make your multi-ton sub dive, even at high speed, so you need the ballasts to fill with water to help. It takes 2 minutes approx to refill the pressure in the pumps to make the ballasts available after an emergency blow. For more details you'd have to consult docs about real subs, but these details are not published I think

But try this: Go at flank speed and once you reach max. speed, then in 1-go hit W multiple times to set the dive planes to max down. Maybe you'll dive but I doubt.

[ETR3(SS)]

If you find yourself in a situation where you have to EMBT blow, chances are you're screwed anyways.

[XenonSurf]

Theoretically it would be easy to construct a sub which would dive without the need of pumps: a sort of mechanical device that opens the ballasts to let the water in. Problem is: Such a construction would be very frigid and subject to easy damage in combat, so it's better to have pumps that are well-shielded against explosions etc. If your pumps or ballasts are gone your are in a liquid grave...

So in your situation, the pumps must reload to apply pressure and fill the ballasts with water removing the air which applies forward force and impedes any diving. You need to be that patient, in reallity it lasts more than 2 minutes I imagine which means skippers do emergency blows really at last ressort because any time on the surface is deadly.

[-Pv-]

When blowing ALL the compressed air you have stored forcing all the water out of the ballast tanks, diving immediately without charging means you have lost all the stored pressure necessary to bring you back to the surface using ballast tanks. Since there is no compressed air, you have also lost the ability to trim and control your depth. You can take on water to sink, but you cannot push it back out again. Planes and propulsion are not enough to compensate for the water you have taken on to dive. Your boat essentially becomes a rock with an engine.

If you are surfacing to save the crew with enemy nearby, then you blow emergency in order to abandon ship at the surface increasing your crew's ability to survive.

If you are blowing to get to the surface so you can make enough repairs to sail home (in the game, get to the map edge or abort the 3D sim) then there are no attacking enemy around and you have time to recharge.

Other than these two reasons, you should not be blowing emergency.
As stated above, you should only do this to save the crew and in most cases, you have probably lost the fight.
-Pv-

[Bungo_Pete]

I'm not saying flood the ballast tanks to bring the ship down fast just let in enough water for a slight down bubble(very slight negative buoyancy)
I am writing this after just getting racked by a kresta class cruiser his helicopter dropped a torpedo on me my skipjack dodged the torpedo with a blow and then he blasted me whilst I wallowed on the surface unable to dive
submarines have dive planes for a purpose.

[shipkiller1]

Originally Posted by -Pv-

When blowing ALL the compressed air you have stored forcing all the water out of the ballast tanks, diving immediately without charging means you have lost all the stored pressure necessary to bring you back to the surface using ballast tanks. Since there is no compressed air, you have also lost the ability to trim and control your depth. You can take on water to sink, but you cannot push it back out again. Planes and propulsion are not enough to compensate for the water you have taken on to dive. Your boat essentially becomes a rock with an engine.

Other than these two reasons, you should not be blowing emergency.
As stated above, you should only do this to save the crew and in most cases, you have probably lost the fight.
-Pv-

American SSN's do not use AIR to change the buoyancy (weight) of the ship. Using air is NOISY evolution in most circumstances and that's why is it not normally used. In the real world, after an EMBT blow and you wanted to re-submerge, you would just open the main ballast tank vents.

[succerpunch]

Originally Posted by XenonSurf

Theoretically it would be easy to construct a sub which would dive without the need of pumps: a sort of mechanical device that opens the ballasts to let the water in. Problem is: Such a construction would be very frigid and subject to easy damage in combat, so it's better to have pumps that are well-shielded against explosions etc. If your pumps or ballasts are gone your are in a liquid grave...

So in your situation, the pumps must reload to apply pressure and fill the ballasts with water removing the air which applies forward force and impedes any diving. You need to be that patient, in reallity it lasts more than 2 minutes I imagine which means skippers do emergency blows really at last ressort because any time on the surface is deadly.

This might work but will make so much noise that you might as well just blast stereo music because it will probably be just as loud.

[XenonSurf]

Originally Posted by succerpunch

This might work but will make so much noise that you might as well just blast stereo music because it will probably be just as loud.

I'm never using the Blow Tanks feature, I just set the ballasts and planes to maximum, this has the same result without the big sound spread around.
I would use it if my sub is too damaged with propulsion and planes not working, then you don't have much other choice or you will soon implode when going down...Be aware that once your hull is damaged, your max. depth is greatly reduced, the game is far too generous with that 'death threshold' IMO. With 30% Hull I still was able to hit the 800 feet depth safely which is not realistic. With more realism you would indeed use the Blow Tanks more frequently.

I don't see (or understand your point) that while playing these emergency tanks don't work as intended, and 2 minutes waiting time for resetting the needed pressure are really generous compared to the real thing. In the game, these 2 minutes are however an 'eternal' time to wait, unfortunately AFAIK you cannot mod it; in this time you are completly at the mercy of surface enemies and planes.

[GoldenRivet]

Just out of curiosity i did a test

Sturgeon class at 500 foot depth, 0 knots

emergency blow - submarine was fully surfaced in 2 minutes 0 seconds

use of full rise on ballast and planes only - submarine was fully surfaced in 2 minutes 42 seconds

repeated the test at 500 foot dept, 25 knots

emergency blow - submarine was fully surfaced in 30 seconds

use of full rise on ballast and planes only - submarine was fully surfaced in 34 seconds.

so in a situation where you are running full bore away from torpedoes, blowing ballast doesnt appear to make that much of a difference

[XenonSurf]

Also if your test depth is about 800, then when crash-diving manually with 25 knots you must recover latest 200 feet before (hitting X to level) or you will exceed 800. To be safe I would level out when hearing the 500 pass. To speed up the levelling I make a hard turn and return to 5-10 knots, also to fool any enemy whith a TMA on me.

[ETR3(SS)]

Conducting an EMBT blow to evade a torpedo, and subsequently being unable to immediately submerge, is a tactical error on the OP's part, not the game. You made a decision and you learned the hard way, doesn't mean the game needs changing.

Of note though is the ballast system in game actually is performing the function of three systems in real life. EMBT blow, trim system, and fairwater/ bow planes.

[ragnar1242]

Originally Posted by ETR3(SS)

Conducting an EMBT blow to evade a torpedo, and subsequently being unable to immediately submerge, is a tactical error on the OP's part, not the game. You made a decision and you learned the hard way, doesn't mean the game needs changing.

Of note though is the ballast system in game actually is performing the function of three systems in real life. EMBT blow, trim system, and fairwater/ bow planes.

This ^^^

Having to actually control this game like a real submarine would be a task all in itself

[GeneralGamer]

If you hit emergency blow by mistake...( never did that ..yeah right lol) You can maintain depth until it is safe to surface with using your speed and planes.

[XenonSurf]

In my first campaign I have hit blow tanks by mistake instead of emmergency dive, and I didn't realize it until I was on the surface.
Good thing is there were no spectators in my room