Navy Seals Dive to 1200 m?

[PerroneFord]

I was a Diving Officer of the Watch for Dry Deck Shelter operations on USS James K. Polk.

We locked them out shallow with or without their SDV. Deep would be dumb.

It is considerably more complex than "an empty missile chamber." The modifications to the ship were extensive. 637 class ships could be modified to mount a Dry Deck Shelter on the aft escape trunk, but even that was quite a job. I expect that some 688s have been modified and there is probably a plan for the Seawolf class as well.

Very pleased to make your aquaintance sir. Thank you for the kind correction. As someone who wanted to be a SEAL, but found out about the program too late, I have the highest admiration for them and for the people who keep them safe.

 

[Stryker]

I have worked with seals/marine recon before while doing dive ops (I was a surface observer).... most of what the SEALs do is rebreather/drysuit diving.... When they dive, they dont need to be more than 20-30 feet deep from what they told me.... remember they are COMBAT divers.... they have no need to go any deeper... because they use closed circuit rebreathers, there are no bubbles so they can stay a lot shallower....

And finally, most of their ops are at night, so they dont have to worry about being spotted under the water.... Hope this helps....

 

[archman]

The 3rd and final Seawolf boat, Jimmy Carter, has a dedicated section strictly for special ops use. It's supposed to be pretty snazzy.
http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08002323.jpg

Not to be confused with THIS Jimmy Carter.
http://www.splendoroftruth.com/curtjester/archives/004815.php

 

[humanphibian]

Perhaps this event, if in fact true, was done in something similar to the Exosuit.

www.nuytco.com/exosuit



It is a 1 atmosphere hard suit with multi axis fluid filled joints,that will not compress and limit mobility. This suit has undergone some pretty impressive depth testing. It is not a stretch to think that the Govt. has somting along these lines.

Would have impressive capability for deepwater rescue/ recovery. Good way to keep things from ending up in undesirable hands.

 

[wgasa]

Twelve ft is the standard op depth for the lar 5 , Mk 15 was deeper but your diluent was always air I know of only one team that used trimix and it was a lockout sub team.Max lockout 200fsw.Combat swimmers are just that they fight not work like navy divers do.Their role is less and less with all the high tech magnetic sensors and or listening devices, seals have a hard time getting in to any "secure port or base".

 

[Don Burke]

Twelve ft is the standard op depth for the lar 5 , Mk 15 was deeper but your diluent was always air I know of only one team that used trimix and it was a lockout sub team.Max lockout 200fsw.Combat swimmers are just that they fight not work like navy divers do.Their role is less and less with all the high tech magnetic sensors and or listening devices, seals have a hard time getting in to any "secure port or base".

The senior chief with the SDV group (platoon maybe? It has been a while.) told me that the DDS was designed for the same max depth as the Mark 15 rebreather which was something like 200 or 300 feet. He gave an exact number. I just do not recall it.

Gas consumption gets silly at such depths when you are doing lockouts with a DDS. With an escape trunk, it would make more sense.

 

[Don Burke]

Perhaps this event, if in fact true, was done in something similar to the Exosuit.

www.nuytco.com/exosuit



It is a 1 atmosphere hard suit with multi axis fluid filled joints,that will not compress and limit mobility. This suit has undergone some pretty impressive depth testing. It is not a stretch to think that the Govt. has somting along these lines.

Would have impressive capability for deepwater rescue/ recovery. Good way to keep things from ending up in undesirable hands.

An ROV would be a better choice.

 

[Don Burke]

The 3rd and final Seawolf boat, Jimmy Carter, has a dedicated section strictly for special ops use. It's supposed to be pretty snazzy.
http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08002323.jpg

Not to be confused with THIS Jimmy Carter.
http://www.splendoroftruth.com/curtjester/archives/004815.php

Thanks, I knew I had heard something about it.

I would imagine the Carter is also set up to accept a DDS.

 

[Firebrand]

I have worked with seals/marine recon before while doing dive ops (I was a surface observer).... most of what the SEALs do is rebreather/drysuit diving.... When they dive, they dont need to be more than 20-30 feet deep from what they told me.... remember they are COMBAT divers.... they have no need to go any deeper... because they use closed circuit rebreathers, there are no bubbles so they can stay a lot shallower....

And finally, most of their ops are at night, so they dont have to worry about being spotted under the water.... Hope this helps....

This is an absolutely correct assessment. While working for Central Command, my old room-mate was a SEAL. I asked him about the diving, and he said exactly what Stryker has said. Stay shallow on rebreathers, and stay underwater for four hours, hop out, change out the filters and canisters, and back underwater they go. He said his longest stint underwater was eight hours on rebreathers, with just a 15 minute window to change out his equipment, and scarf down a sandwich. There is absolutely NO need for a SEAL to go that deep. If anything goes that deep, it's special research submarines and ROVs. And as far as the "breathing liquid" goes, it doesn't last very long as a breathing substance, only about an hour or so. In order for it to be effective, there would have to be a way to replinish the oxygen source in the fluid to sustain long/deep dives, and I don't believe that system has even been developed yet.

Also, as you think about the mission of the SEALs, upon arriving at the beach-head, they will have to immediately begin strenuous, combat-style activities, and therefore, cannot have the tissue loading that going deep causes. Therefore, it is a safe bet to assume that what was said, or what was heard about diving to 1200m was an entirely untrue claim.

 

[jcm996]

SEAL's main job is not to go in and "take the beach" but to either clear the way. ie remove snars or mark mines. Or to attach explosives to the enemy ships.

But I can not find a reference to the USS Point Loma anywhere other than in this arictle. Point Loma is an actual point by San Deigo. I have tried sreaches for my old ship and other ships i know are decommed and can find them, but can not find anything on the USS Point Loma. Sorry if I am wrong and missed this somewhere.