[PSUBS-MAILIST] Worth Reading + Underwater dangers...

[Jeff Post <jeffpost@rawbw.com>]

I know I'm in trouble when I come in a have 80 new PSUBs messages!

Fully on topic...

I believe it was Mike Holt who mentioned the book "Dark Waters: An Insider's
Account of the NR-1". I just finished reading it, and I think any of us/you who
envision going UW in a submersible, should read this book. The real value is in
reading all the various problems encountered UW. The book details a handfull of
hair raising situations, but I'm quite sure that in her 35 years of service
there were many, many more.

Eye openers where: possible entanglement in fishing nets, cables being sucked
into thrusters, ropes being wound around the props disabling the rudder and the
propulsion, loss of primary power, previously unknown underwater storms that
would come out of no where, and the sub being caught in the shipping lanes with
large ships unable to see her low in the water. I ca imagine all of these
situations in a psub.

The NR1 could support the crew for 30 days, and had an unlimited suplly of
power. What will you do in these situations with only a few hours of battery
power? Everyone needs to consider how to maitain life support for as long as
possible, and possible egress in an emergency.

If you going to dive in the next year, go buy the hardback now. If you've got a
year or so to wait, then you could wait for the paperback.

Jeff Post