Settling a debate: can divers hear submarines?

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I was looking at you from below.

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Definitive Answer:

From my son, a former Navy diver who deployed underwater from a nuke powered fast attack.

From a position closer than any recreational diver would ever get, “I couldn’t hear anything other than my own bubbles.”

He did acknowledge the possibility that some interior noises unrelated to propulsion (e.g. shipboard announcements) might be audible at close range.

This answer may not apply to non-nuclear, non-US, or older subs.
 
There are more airplanes at the bottom of the sea than there are submarines in the sky.
 
Submarines don’t submerge under normal circumstances until they’re is at least 300’ of depth under the hull. They stay on the surface until they’re safe to dive.

Being on the surface on a sub SUCKS. Going out to sea from Norfolk or Charleston meant 12+ hours on the surface, with all hands up and on watch. Going out to sea from San Diego was heaven. 30 minutes and we were hitting the dive alarm.

If you’re diving and a sub is on the surface, you’ll hear the screw noises. If they’re deep you won’t hear a thing.

You had better not be in the water if they’re “pinging”. Definitely a good chance of serious hearing damage!!
 
Going out to sea from Norfolk or Charleston meant 12+ hours on the surface, with all hands up and on watch.

Not to mention the rocking back and forth making you sick and bounce off the walls and pipes.
 

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