Life on a Submarine — What It's Really Like

On a submarine, day and night are meaningless — there are no windows, no sunlight, and no way to tell what time it is without a clock. Instead, life revolves around the watch rotation.

Most modern navies use a three-section watch: the crew is divided into three groups, and each section stands a 6-hour watch followed by 12 hours off. The US Navy has experimented with various rotations, and many boats now use an 18-hour day (6 hours on watch, 12 hours off) rather than the traditional 24-hour cycle.

During your 12 hours "off watch," you're not actually free. Time is split between maintenance, training, drills, qualifications study, eating, exercise, and sleep. Most submariners average 4-6 hours of sleep per day. The constant fatigue is one of the hardest aspects of submarine life.

Space on a submarine is at a premium. Sleeping berths are stacked three high, each roughly the size of a coffin — about 180cm long, 60cm wide, and 50cm tall. You can't sit up in your bunk. A thin curtain provides the only privacy.

On older or crowded boats, hot bunking is still practiced: two or three sailors share the same bunk on alternating watches. When you get out, someone else gets in — the sheets are still warm. Modern submarines are designed to give each crew member their own rack, but space constraints mean it doesn't always work out.

Officers have slightly more privacy — junior officers typically share a stateroom with one or two others, while the captain has a small private cabin. But even the captain's quarters would be considered tiny by civilian standards.

Personal belongings are limited to what fits in a small locker beneath or beside your bunk. Many submariners bring photos of family, a few books, and an MP3 player. There is no personal space beyond your curtained bunk.

Submarine food is widely considered the best in any military branch. The logic is simple: when you can't see the sun, can't go outside, and can't call home, good food is the single biggest morale booster. The US Navy allocates a higher daily food budget per person for submarine crews than for any other service.

A typical submarine carries enough food for 90 days. Fresh fruits, vegetables, and milk last about two weeks, after which the crew shifts to canned and frozen supplies. Skilled submarine cooks — called "cranks" or Culinary Specialists — can produce remarkably good meals from a tiny galley kitchen.

Four meals a day are served: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and "midrats" (midnight rations for the midwatch). Sunday meals are special — many boats serve steak and lobster. Baking is a point of pride, and fresh bread and pastries are common.

At the start of a patrol, food is stored everywhere — canned goods are stacked under the deck plates in the torpedo room, boxes fill passageways, and the crew literally walks on their food supply for the first few weeks until there's enough room in the storerooms.

The air you breathe on a submarine is entirely manufactured. Oxygen generators split seawater molecules through electrolysis to produce breathable O2. CO2 scrubbers (amine-based chemical systems) remove exhaled carbon dioxide. Activated carbon and catalytic oxidizers eliminate trace contaminants like carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and volatile organic compounds.

The atmosphere is monitored 24/7 by the Central Atmosphere Monitoring System (CAMS). Oxygen is maintained at about 18-21% (slightly lower than surface air to reduce fire risk). The air has a distinctive submarine smell — a mix of machine oil, cooking, and amine from the CO2 scrubbers that submariners recognize instantly.

Fresh water is produced by distillation plants that evaporate and condense seawater. However, water is still rationed — showers are limited to 2-3 minutes, and "Hollywood showers" (long hot showers) are frowned upon. Laundry facilities are minimal, and many submariners simply re-wear clothes for days.

Temperature is controlled at around 20-22 degrees Celsius throughout most of the boat, though the engine room runs significantly hotter. Humidity is carefully managed to prevent condensation on equipment and the hull — a constant battle in a sealed environment.

Living in a confined space with over 100 people for months at a time takes a psychological toll. Privacy is almost nonexistent. You're never alone — someone is always within arm's reach. Natural light, open skies, and fresh air are distant memories. Time blurs together.

Communication with family is extremely limited. On most submarine deployments, crew members can send and receive short text-only messages called "familygrams" — typically limited to 40-50 words. No phone calls. No video chat. No real-time communication. Families at home often don't even know where their loved one's submarine is. On ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), the crew may receive messages but cannot send any — to avoid compromising the submarine's position.

The mental health challenges are real: isolation, sleep deprivation, lack of sunlight (affecting circadian rhythms and vitamin D levels), relationship stress from long separations, and the constant awareness of potential danger. Submarine crews develop strong bonds — they depend on each other for survival — but the strain is significant.

Entertainment helps: submarines carry extensive movie libraries, video game consoles, book collections, and card games. The crew's mess doubles as a movie theater during off-hours. Some submariners take up hobbies like drawing, writing, or learning languages. Exercise equipment — stationary bikes and rowing machines — helps manage stress, though space for physical activity is extremely limited.