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> Every military sub carries qualified divers The same divers who occasionally "inspect" undersea cables. :)

potato3732842 2y ago
They've even been alleged to "maintain" pipelines.
nradov 2y ago
Those are usually different divers, sent as detachments to certain boats only for special missions. They are trained in using closed-circuit gear and perhaps in saturation operations, and aren't part of the submarine's standing crew. The sub's standing crew would typically have a few qualified divers trained in just the basics. They would only use open-circuit gear on shallow bounce dives for inspections and light maintenance. Anything more complex would require bringing in a dedicated dive team.
- sgarland 2y ago
  My boat’s divers were definitely trained in more than just the basics, including closed-circuit. I don’t think it was regularly used, but they knew how to. If you’re somewhere you aren’t supposed to be, and you have to dive to fix or inspect something, you don’t want to be sending bubbles up. You’re on your own in the ocean, whether civilian or military, sub or surface. You have to be able to handle any and all potential issues.
  - nradov 2y ago
    Thanks for the clarification. The couple that I had talked to briefly weren't trained in closed-circuit but I suppose they were pretty junior and just recently qualified.
  - devilbunny 2y ago
    One of my professors when I was an anesthesiology resident was ex-Navy. He had been in the submarine service, and not as just a general medical officer. As an anesthesiologist. You can imagine the kind of missions a submarine with an anesthesiologist on board might be sent on. There might even be a surgeon on board... Anyway, he was dive-rated. Closed-circuit breathing is the basis of anesthesia machines and has been for ages (at least 60 years). So for us, a closed-circuit system isn't new - it's something we do every day at work. You just have to account for depth. I'd be shocked if he hadn't done it.
    - sgarland 2y ago
      That is cool as hell. And yes, one can imagine. The list of boats he was probably on is extremely short: Seawolf (the 2nd one), Halibut, Parche, and Jimmy Carter.
      - devilbunny 2y ago
        SEALs probably can deploy from any boat.
      - devilbunny 2y ago
        Incidentally, I would add that while he never specified, he very likely may have shipped out as a “general medical officer” with the crew not necessarily knowing he had a deeper skill set. They wouldn’t necessarily twig to it on early deployment. Only when they take on a SEAL team and a surgeon would it become obvious (or he goes on another boat with a surgeon as the GMO). The only obvious clue would have been his being slightly older than a typical GMO.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]

They've even been alleged to "maintain" pipelines.

Those are usually different divers, sent as detachments to certain boats only for special missions. They are trained in using closed-circuit gear and perhaps in saturation operations, and aren't part of the submarine's standing crew. The sub's standing crew would typically have a few qualified divers trained in just the basics. They would only use open-circuit gear on shallow bounce dives for inspections and light maintenance. Anything more complex would require bringing in a dedicated dive team.

sgarland 2y ago
My boat’s divers were definitely trained in more than just the basics, including closed-circuit. I don’t think it was regularly used, but they knew how to. If you’re somewhere you aren’t supposed to be, and you have to dive to fix or inspect something, you don’t want to be sending bubbles up. You’re on your own in the ocean, whether civilian or military, sub or surface. You have to be able to handle any and all potential issues.
- nradov 2y ago
  Thanks for the clarification. The couple that I had talked to briefly weren't trained in closed-circuit but I suppose they were pretty junior and just recently qualified.
- devilbunny 2y ago
  One of my professors when I was an anesthesiology resident was ex-Navy. He had been in the submarine service, and not as just a general medical officer. As an anesthesiologist. You can imagine the kind of missions a submarine with an anesthesiologist on board might be sent on. There might even be a surgeon on board... Anyway, he was dive-rated. Closed-circuit breathing is the basis of anesthesia machines and has been for ages (at least 60 years). So for us, a closed-circuit system isn't new - it's something we do every day at work. You just have to account for depth. I'd be shocked if he hadn't done it.
  - sgarland 2y ago
    That is cool as hell. And yes, one can imagine. The list of boats he was probably on is extremely short: Seawolf (the 2nd one), Halibut, Parche, and Jimmy Carter.
    - devilbunny 2y ago
      SEALs probably can deploy from any boat.
    - devilbunny 2y ago
      Incidentally, I would add that while he never specified, he very likely may have shipped out as a “general medical officer” with the crew not necessarily knowing he had a deeper skill set. They wouldn’t necessarily twig to it on early deployment. Only when they take on a SEAL team and a surgeon would it become obvious (or he goes on another boat with a surgeon as the GMO). The only obvious clue would have been his being slightly older than a typical GMO.

deleted 2y ago

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