Do submariners get fat on duty/how do submariners stay fit?

[CrumpetsForAll]

Yes I’ve been watching The Vigil. Does anyone know this important bit of naval info?!

Threads like this are why I love MN!

There was a short interview with the Vigil set designer and an ex submarine commander on BBC Radio 4 'Today' this morning
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000z5vb
Starts 2hrs 40 mins in.

The Commander said it was quite realistic except much more spacious than the real thing, which the Set Designer acknowledged. Commander also said claustrophobia isn't usually a problem.

Theres radiation everywhere, supposedly you get more exposure in a plane than a trip to chernobyl. Torpedo tubes do have water in them but not fish to eat bodies, although maybe smaller things. They used to allllways do dunker training on blue peter. CW West yorkshire accent

QE2 had loads of subs under it on the way to the Falklands if thats what that guy meant?

The toilet thing very much did happen. www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/nazi-u-boat-sunk-toilet-malfunction-1455820

If you have to be on a submarine go for a Russian one, sauna and swimming pool, not a large pool but still a pool.

@SpindleWhorl Historic dockyards have three ticket options. Pay for one attraction. Pay for three attractions (that I think you pre select). Or an ultimate ticket that includes everything and the harbour tour. The ultimate (and possibly the three attraction ticket) can be used again in a 12 month period. The Mary rose is included in this ticket system.

Bugger Russian ones you'd be stuck with a mad Sean Connery as captain

Do any of the women have long hair, how long? How often do they manage to wash it? Can they get it properly clean? I can't imagine they really get to give it a good rinse to get all the shampoo out.

Does everyone's skin and sleep go to pot?

How much can they take in terms of personal effects?

What if someone becomes mentally quite unwell (anxiety, depressed, panicky, miserable, becomes robotic or can't get out of bed)? Do they really take care of mental wellbeing better than any other trade? How do they cope with never truly having any solitude/private time for several months at a time? What does submariner self-care look like?

This thread is brilliant. Thank you everyone who’s described the reality. More stories please!!

What happens if people fancy each other?
If someone becomes seriously ill?
Are there civilians on board? The female chef didn’t look particularly ‘military’ (AND she knows something…)
Who does the laundry?

How often are silent times? I'd cry if I went 6 months without any music of my own choosing!

@terrywynne, thanks for that. I've found it online now!

Saw this advertised. Was thinking the same thing.

@YellowandGreenToBeSeen

This thread is brilliant. Thank you everyone who’s described the reality. More stories please!!

What happens if people fancy each other?
If someone becomes seriously ill?
Are there civilians on board? The female chef didn’t look particularly ‘military’ (AND she knows something…)
Who does the laundry?

This is the biggest problem in the whole show. You can't throw cashmere jumpers on a regular spin with your shirts and jammies! 😂

Also, how does one become a submariner? As in, what’s the path? And why, on Gods green earth, do people want to be? Everything about it scares me. I’d have been vomiting on the descent to the boat (and I’ve been winched down to an oil rig)

Love the fact (discovered up-thread)) that their called ‘Dolphins’ and get to wear a Dolphin badge. Love that kinda thing.

@whatausername she’s only on board for 3 days. Girlfriend can do without laundry!

My dad was in merchant navy and one of his crew, a normally nice welsh bloke went insane, hallucinations etc had to be restrained. A helicopter came to get him but it turned out to be alcohol withdrawal and he died on the helo

OH was a submariner. He says that there were no facilities for exercise on the diesel boats. The nuclear subs have a gym with bikes, treadmills etc.
As for food there was no junk food on board so weight gain wasn't an issue.

Oh yeah- could you have sex in one of those tiny bunks?! People must have, surely...

I'm sure through the years men stuck together in close quarters for months on end have found ways to manage it

@YellowandGreenToBeSeen

Also, how does one become a submariner? As in, what’s the path? And why, on Gods green earth, do people want to be? Everything about it scares me. I’d have been vomiting on the descent to the boat (and I’ve been winched down to an oil rig)

Love the fact (discovered up-thread)) that their called ‘Dolphins’ and get to wear a Dolphin badge. Love that kinda thing.

Frankly because the pay is better because of the conditions.

That said, I think as a pp mentioned most people don't realise how much time crew on a navy ship spend below deck.

If you think of an aircraft carrier for example there's very little space "up top" that's not occupied by flight operations. So it's only really those involved in that like air traffic controllers who are regularly on the deck.

Crew can spend days/weeks below deck but that said there is still the advantage of much, much more space and better facilities on a ship as opposed to a sub.

I reckon there’s a fair bit of Standing Sex OP.

I guess if you’d spent a lot of time below deck on a ship it might feel like less of a change in pace for more pay

@DeRigueurMortis all very interesting and insightful.

I guess the difference is, if a Sailor on board a ship was having a ‘ARRGGHH’ claustrophobia moment, they could go on deck / be taken on deck. No such chance on a below the waves missile launcher.

@YellowandGreenToBeSeen I’m a married woman, I wouldn’t know anything about that kind of thing...

Women were only allowed to serve on subs in 2014 so prob not many even now. Relationships prob discouraged for obvious reasons. If you get seriously ill you are helicoptered off, same with mental issues. Toilets are pumped out to sea but only at shallower depths otherwise the water pressure blows it back. Torpedo tubes are sealed by outer doors. Tube is flooded to equalize the pressure and the doors can be opened. Even the larger boats only have limited fitness equipment so sensible eating is the norm. Space at a premium so no vending machines etc. Russian Typhoon boats weighed 30k tons, 5 x UK boats so they had more space.