So I don't remember whether or not I told you all about our wet training evolution. It was so much FUN!! Basically, we sat through some lectures on what to do when your ship is in trouble. Then, our group of 30 stepped into the pool area. The pool is probably about 20 meters and four lanes wide, but it is completely taken over by this mock ship. The ship is huge (maybe 15x20 meters). It essentially takes up the entire pool and has a lower and upper deck...complete with stairs and ladders. There are all sorts of things wrong with the ship--hatches that won't stay closed, holes in the deck and bulkhead, bursting pipes, etc. It is our job to stop the flooding! It was so much fun because we got totally soaked! The sailors who work there made their best effort to aim the water in our faces every time we went below deck! Everyone of my class had a different job. My first job was to be one of the investigators. There were two of us...and basically, we found and reported all the problems the ship had and what needed to be done to repair those issues. It was great! I love swimming...the water got up to my neck below deck! In the second scenario, I was a part of a team that secured a hatch and stopped the water from escaping through a severed pipe.
All in all, I could have done that all day long...slogging through the water in my steel-tipped boots, helmet, and PT gear. It's cool too since the ship actually does sink (more or less). You start with the ship all the way afloat...and then get "hit" by a torpedo. The ship literally tilts to one side and starts to take on water. The longer you go, the more water you take on. Eventually of course...the ship no longer takes on water because that would be a safety hazard. Wish I could do it again because I had a blast! The day before this evolution, we had the firefighting one...and I was not such a big fan of that since I get very claustrophobic. It was an experience. We actually did put out real fires and we wore all the firefighting gear...including the oxygen tanks. I really admire firemen, because you could not pay me enough to ever do that again! In conclusion...it's been exciting!
All in all, I could have done that all day long...slogging through the water in my steel-tipped boots, helmet, and PT gear. It's cool too since the ship actually does sink (more or less). You start with the ship all the way afloat...and then get "hit" by a torpedo. The ship literally tilts to one side and starts to take on water. The longer you go, the more water you take on. Eventually of course...the ship no longer takes on water because that would be a safety hazard. Wish I could do it again because I had a blast! The day before this evolution, we had the firefighting one...and I was not such a big fan of that since I get very claustrophobic. It was an experience. We actually did put out real fires and we wore all the firefighting gear...including the oxygen tanks. I really admire firemen, because you could not pay me enough to ever do that again! In conclusion...it's been exciting!