The Bouyant Ascent...... Submarine Escape Training Tower....

A few days back...for nostalgic reasons...I posted an article about one of my duty stations while in the Navy...an article about the USS Piper SS409. This brought back some other fond memories of those days back in 64 and 65...so...what the hell...here's an article about a once in a lifetime experience(hopefully)...The Bouyant Ascent.

For oh so many years, this tower at the US Naval Submarine Base was the defining motif of the Groton, Conn. skyline. Any old "Bubbleheads" (fer all you land-lubbers that's slang fer Submariners) who were stationed at New London/Groton during the late 40's, 50' and 60's, I'm sure y'all most certainly remember this landmark.

This is were we learned the rudiments of escape from a disabled sunken "Boat". For many of us...this 125 foot tall(if memory serves me correctly) old lady also helped many of us to achieve new self confidence and courage...and a sort of "right of passage" from Sub School student to, an almost Submariner.

This was generally one of the first sites that greeted us as our "boats" cruised up the Thames River returning home from a patrol...and the last site to see as we went down river to begin a new adventure.

If you went to the Base Exchange to buy some sort of souvenier (Post Card, coffee mug, T-Shirt, hat...) for the folks and friends back home...more likely as not it had this image on it. Oddly enough...it took me two full days of "Googling" to find this old photo...and that was by accident (naturally).

So...to all you lubbers and people unfamiliar with Submarine School and the types of training...what's so special about this "water tank"? Well Sir....this is where one did what is called The Bouyant Ascent"....a Submarine escape procedure.

A "bouyant ascent" is when a person surfaces from a depth of 50 or 100 feet underwater using ONLY the air in his/her lungs....no breathing apparatus. Here's how it works.....

Dressed in just our Navy issued swim trunks, we would proceed to the top of the tower where we were greeted by this site looking down into the water.....

Once you became familiarized with your surroundings and instructed for the 10th time on just what to do and what not to do...you descended (via the stairs on the outside of the tower) to an "pressurizable Escape trunk" 50 foot under the surface.......

...much like this one...but without the safety apparatus these men are wearing.....

Once in the 50 foot "escape trunk" with your instructor, the outer hatch was closed and you received your last set of safety instructions. The escape trunk was then filled with water just a little over your chin (if you were 5'11" tall) and the hatch to the inside of the tank was opened....and now........"It's Show Time".....

You ducked through the hatchway into the tank and you were now 50 feet below the surface, where you were then greeted by Navy divers who, for safety reasons...would accompany you to the surface...

Once outside the Escape trunk...one would first notice a large "No Smoking" sign just obove the hatchway...don't laugh outloud...it could be fatal.

The Submariner would then grab a bar on the side of the tank, arch his back so he was looking straight up through 50 feet of water above him...and then let go....the ascent had started. The air in your lungs would carry you to the surface.

Now Sir....here's the catch! If you held your breath...your lungs would explode somewhere between there and the surface...not a pleasant prospect...so to avoid this most uncomfortable condition...you had to EXHALE air all the way to the surface...a trip that took about 8 seconds. This was also the reason for the Navy safety diver...if you stopped exhaling...he would punch you in the diaphram to expell air...if you exhaled too much...he would give you an airhose.

If all went well...and you did exactly as instructed...you arrived at the surface with a renewed sense of self confidence and one real great adrenalin high......

Now Sir...it was manditory for all prospective submariners to perform the bouyant ascent from the 50 feet level...and optional from the 100 feet level. Myself, the buddy I joined the Navy with, and three other men opted to do it from 100 feet...a trip, that if I recall correctly, took about 14 seconds (remember...exhaling ALL the way). WOW...what another great rush that was....

I just thought old Cookie would share that nostalgic adventure with y'all...after all...what's an adventure in'f cain't tell no one about it.....take care and may God Bless everyone......