Would Submarines Be Safe And Immune To Bad Weather And Rough Seas?

Question

I have often wondered how a modern submarine, military or private model would fare underwater if the weather was hazardous like a hurricane and there were high waves on the surface. How would the conditions be for the sub if submerged? Would the sea be smooth and calm underwater in a storm or would it be as rough to handle? Also, because a sub is not like a surface ship, it could probably handle ok in a storm on the surface, because it couldn't really sink as long as it was sealed properly.

For $80-100 million bucks, you can have a transatlantic submarine built and customized to the buyers specs from a company, I think in FL. The ultimate rich man's toy.

Answer 1

yes

Answer 2

sub on the surface would be subjected to the same ills that any boat would be, and are more ill equipped to deal with nasty weather and such like most surface boats. Underwater so far as they go a few hundred feet below the surface, so as to be lower then the currents and ebbs of the sea during rough weather are fine, in a few cases they have felt very minor rocking sensations. A sub cannot crab it isn't equipped to handle pots, gear, etc and how to launch. Subs are very dedicated machines, specified for under water. They can goto alot of places and handle alot of extremes but cannot take the hammering of waves and surface swells on its hardware, its likely to damge it.

Answer 3

A submarine is immune from surface weather, once it is at a reasonable depth.   Even a severe storm is only going to affect the "top" few feet of water - where "few" might be up to a hundred feet or so.

However, unless you purchase a nuclear powered submarine, with the capacity to carry all your food and make your own air, you're going to have to surface from time to time.. and submarines are notoriously uncomfortable on the surface, even in a relatively light sea.  It might not sink, as you say, but you'd experience very severe motion on the surface.

You should also consider that there is deep-water turbulence from currents, occasionsl pressure waves from geological events - which might be halfway around the world.

The scenery's not up to much, and you can't sunbathe on the deck very often :-)

Answer 4

no no no the current is in the water to like in a storm u see waves

Answer 5

I guess so cos subs are submerged in the water most of the time unless there's a underwater hurricane the sub should be the safest.

Cheers

Edwin Tan

CEO

http://www.newbiesnoideaclub.com

Answer 6

yah

Answer 7

After serving in the US Navy on nuclear power submarines, This was one of the most asked questions when people found out what my job was.

The ride in a submarine could be compared to that of a 747 flying at night.  Unless you stopped and thought about it, you lost realization that you was moving.  If you thought about it, you could feel a slight vibration of the engines (sub had steam turbines driving a prop) or you could feel the sub turning or changing depth about the same as an airplane turns or changing.

As for diving under storms, yes we did it, in fact exept for not getting the radio broadcast sheets, (ie news and events sheet) most of the crew did not know what the weather was like outside.  

2/3 of a wave energy is under water, since our unclassified operating depth was 800 foot, this would take 400 foot tall waves on the surface.  Even in class 5 hurricanes waves do not get that tall.  Although east of the phillipines went under a typhoon that surged us down to almost 300 foot, so waves would have been over 100 foot on the surface.

As for underwater hurricanes(they dont exist) and turberlance (so small they do not affect the submarines) like a dust devil affecting a semi.

On the surface in the storm, don't go there.  Yes the ride would be very uncomfortable.  The movement(ride qualitity) is not good of the oval shape of the hull.  But the sub has a great deal of positive stability (will resist rolling) and has a very high displacement/length ratio.  The sub i was on was 360 foot long with 9000 tons displacement.  Therefore the wave that took to roll it over would also roll over all cruise liners and aircraft carriers.

As for crabbing with a submarine, its not that they cannot do it,  Small salvage submarine could do it very well.  Very safely but also very expensively.  The value of crab meat would have to be several thousand dollars per pound to make it feasible.

Answer 8

Were I rich, I would totally by a cruising submarine. And a zeppelin.

Anyways, to answer your question: No, the submarine should not experience any major turbulence from a storm if sufficiently submerged. However, in shallow regions, the wave heights could very well affect the submarine.