Living in the Deep: What They Don’t Tell You About Submarine Service

#31: “Snorkeling” Is a Submarine Lifeline

For diesel-electric submarines, staying fully submerged isn’t an option—they must “snorkel” periodically to breathe. This isn’t snorkeling in the vacation sense; it involves raising a special mast just above the waterline to suck in air for the engines.

During these brief windows, submarines become dangerously detectable and are tossed by rough seas like tin cans. Crew members brace for nausea as the sub lurches, all while engines roar through narrow steel walls. These moments aren’t just uncomfortable—they’re risky.

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