That is a Swabby. The tower was about 300 feet high. You entered in an interlock at the bottom with an empty life jacket (empty due to pressure differential). Their were open bottom bells on the way up with a diver at each bell to pull you into it if you messed up. When you started to assend, you were to blow out all the way to the surface. If you quit blowing you were dragged into one of the bells decompressed and tried again another day. The life jacket inflated as you assended due to differential in pressure. Your lungs did the same thing so that is why you blew out all the way up. It did not take long to go from the bottom to the top and lack of air was no problem. I would not have wanted to try doing this from a submarine. On a sub, you entered into a pressure hatch, equalized the pressure then opened the outside hatch. Only about 3 people at a time.
When you were little you rode on the sub. Also spent quite a few hours on the deck when I stood duty. You were about two at the time. It was of the same class sub as your picture shows, except it was modified for research purposes. Civilian owned, navy operated.
Well, hello to a fellow bubblehead! (speaking to your dad, whom I presume is the Anonymous commenter above).
You might also enjoy clicking on my "sea stories" link on my blog.
Thanks for the link, Scooter.
11:39 AM
I just don't have so much to talk about. I spent last night playing poker, taking second in one game and fourth in another, which means I netted $20 if you don't count beer and chips and the stress on my family from trying to get between a broken garage door at a rental unit and Tall Brad's to play poker. By the way, if you know Tall Brad, remember to ask him why he dyed his hair...he hates that.
Otherwise...allergies, allergies, allergies, and taxes, taxes, taxes. Taxes for my personal use. Taxes for the business with my brother. Taxes for my wife's self-employment and estimated quarterly filing. Taxes for her business that are special taxes health care providers pay. Don't get me wrong - most of those things are losing money, so it really just comes off the top of my personal taxes, but there's the possibility I'll have to be a competent tax lawyer, or accountant, to figure it all out by the time it's through.
For something fun, Musing of Law and Gender has a neat picture of a diving tower to train bubbleheads on U.S. Naval submersibles. When I was growing up, my Dad would tell me about having to swim in one of these, and I never could get a clear picture of one in my head. I usually pictured one of those cheesy tanks they put half dressed mermaid women in at long-gone 50's bars. But he says he was actually in this one, and one in Hawaii as well.
"Just Not So Much"
2 Comments -
That is a Swabby. The tower was about 300 feet high. You entered in an interlock at the bottom with an empty life jacket (empty due to pressure differential). Their were open bottom bells on the way up with a diver at each bell to pull you into it if you messed up. When you started to assend, you were to blow out all the way to the surface. If you quit blowing you were dragged into one of the bells decompressed and tried again another day. The life jacket inflated as you assended due to differential in pressure. Your lungs did the same thing so that is why you blew out all the way up. It did not take long to go from the bottom to the top and lack of air was no problem. I would not have wanted to try doing this from a submarine. On a sub, you entered into a pressure hatch, equalized the pressure then opened the outside hatch. Only about 3 people at a time.
When you were little you rode on the sub. Also spent quite a few hours on the deck when I stood duty. You were about two at the time. It was of the same class sub as your picture shows, except it was modified for research purposes. Civilian owned, navy operated.
11:31 PM
Well, hello to a fellow bubblehead! (speaking to your dad, whom I presume is the Anonymous commenter above).
You might also enjoy clicking on my "sea stories" link on my blog.
Thanks for the link, Scooter.
11:39 AM