Effects of water temp on submarine conditions?

komi · 12-31-17, 02:20 PM

Question for any of you actual bubble-heads here, having never set foot on an active sub before please excuse my ignorance. I was just wondering if, in your knowledge/experience, conditions such as local sea temperatures have had any effect on conditions within a sub? For example if one was cruising in the comparatively warm waters of a place like the Indian Ocean or Persian Gulf could conditions aboard get noticeably stickier? Or visa versa if you were out some place like the Barents Sea would you notice not having to deal with any extra warmth?

I guess part of this would depend on the depth you were operating at. Heck, for all I know conditions in subs over the last half century are insulated enough that outside temps don't make any difference, but still thought I'd ask...

kraznyi_oktjabr · 12-31-17, 02:36 PM

I'm not bubblehead but what I have heard is that atleast in older boats water temperature had relatively straight correlation with interior temperature. However all of these stories are from boats built before 1946 so many things may have changed since then... or maybe not.

komi · 12-31-17, 03:07 PM

To be honest I'm just as interested to hear info on this subject from the first half of the 20th century as I am on more modern subs. I just assumed any vets on this site wouldn't be of those earlier generations. In fact it'd be interesting to hear answers to this subject for both older and more modern subs for a bit of comparison.

em2nought · 12-31-17, 07:16 PM

The weather on an SSBN was much more pleasant than the weather on a Submarine Tender. I don't remember sweating ever on the sub, but then I stayed out of the scary rear end most of the time for my one trip of eight weeks.

I can hardly believe that's thirty-five years ago.

Going aft felt a bit like this scene from "Planet of the Apes" to me

komi · 01-01-18, 01:15 AM

Can I ask whereabouts you were serving at the time?

fireftr18 · 01-01-18, 04:41 PM

What I understand, in the older boats, the outside water had an effect on the interior temperature. Most of the time, the temperature tended toward cool, even in the tropics. If submerged for a while, humidity got high. So the interior was cool, with humid, stale air.

em2nought · 01-01-18, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by komi

Can I ask whereabouts you were serving at the time?

Kings Bay, GA out to Bermuda or so, and then down to Andros Island in the Bahamas . It wasn't humid inside. I never noticed a funny smell to the air or anything like that, although I've read that there is supposed to be a noticeable odor. When they popped the hatch after four weeks or so that fresh sea air sure smelled good anyway.

komi · 01-02-18, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by em2nought

Kings Bay, GA out to Bermuda or so, and then down to Andros Island in the Bahamas .

Sounds more like a charter cruise than a military op

em2nought · 01-02-18, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by komi

Sounds more like a charter cruise than a military op

Except that it was all underwater.

I left out the brief stop in Ft. Lauderdale where I bought some parachute pants and went to The Pink Pussycat.

12-31-17, 02:20 PM	#1
komi Sailor man Join Date: Dec 2017 Posts: 46 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Effects of water temp on submarine conditions? Question for any of you actual bubble-heads here, having never set foot on an active sub before please excuse my ignorance. I was just wondering if, in your knowledge/experience, conditions such as local sea temperatures have had any effect on conditions within a sub? For example if one was cruising in the comparatively warm waters of a place like the Indian Ocean or Persian Gulf could conditions aboard get noticeably stickier? Or visa versa if you were out some place like the Barents Sea would you notice not having to deal with any extra warmth? I guess part of this would depend on the depth you were operating at. Heck, for all I know conditions in subs over the last half century are insulated enough that outside temps don't make any difference, but still thought I'd ask...

12-31-17, 02:36 PM	#2
kraznyi_oktjabr Sea Lord Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Republiken Finland Posts: 1,803 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	I'm not bubblehead but what I have heard is that atleast in older boats water temperature had relatively straight correlation with interior temperature. However all of these stories are from boats built before 1946 so many things may have changed since then... or maybe not. __________________ You talk to God, you're religious. God talks to you, you're psychotic. - Dr. House

12-31-17, 07:16 PM	#4
em2nought Ocean Warrior Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 3,485 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	The weather on an SSBN was much more pleasant than the weather on a Submarine Tender. I don't remember sweating ever on the sub, but then I stayed out of the scary rear end most of the time for my one trip of eight weeks. I can hardly believe that's thirty-five years ago. Going aft felt a bit like this scene from "Planet of the Apes" to me __________________ em2nought is ecstatic garbage! Last edited by em2nought; 12-31-17 at 07:19 PM. Reason: elaborate

01-01-18, 04:41 PM	#6
fireftr18 Ocean Warrior Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Kentucky Posts: 2,528 Downloads: 77 Uploads: 0	What I understand, in the older boats, the outside water had an effect on the interior temperature. Most of the time, the temperature tended toward cool, even in the tropics. If submerged for a while, humidity got high. So the interior was cool, with humid, stale air. __________________ Of all the forms of Martial Arts, Karaoke causes the most pain!

12-31-17, 03:07 PM	#3
komi Sailor man Join Date: Dec 2017 Posts: 46 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	To be honest I'm just as interested to hear info on this subject from the first half of the 20th century as I am on more modern subs. I just assumed any vets on this site wouldn't be of those earlier generations. In fact it'd be interesting to hear answers to this subject for both older and more modern subs for a bit of comparison.

01-01-18, 01:15 AM	#5
komi Sailor man Join Date: Dec 2017 Posts: 46 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Can I ask whereabouts you were serving at the time?