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What’s
it feel like when you’re descending in Alvin?
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You
actually sense very little motion inside the sub, except when
you’re bobbing on the surface. Mostly, you can tell you’re
descending by the color of the water outside your porthole.
It gets dark pretty quickly — within about 10 minutes!
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How
long does it take to get to the ocean bottom? |
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About
one to two hours, depending on how deep you’re going. You usually
work for four or five hours on the bottom before ascending. A typical
dive generally lasts eight hours. |
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Do
you have to wear anything special in the sub? |
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It
gets very cold in the sub. The temperature of the water is
just above freezing, so you have to wear a few layers of wool
or cotton clothing, including extra pairs of socks. You cannot
wear shoes, jewelry, or any synthetic material (like nylon
or Lycra) in the sub. Shoes would just get in the way. Jewelry
might scratch Alvin’s window. Synthetic clothes
are not permitted for fire safety reasons. |
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How
much room do you have in the sub? |
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It’s
very cramped. There’s enough room for two scientists to sit with
their legs alongside each other, and the pilot to crouch on a tiny
padded bench. If you want to stretch out, it is possible for one (short)
person to stand up with their head in the hatch. You also spend a
lot of time laying on your side or stomach, looking out your porthole,
operating your equipment and conducting experiments. |
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What
do you eat in the sub? |
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There’s
a traditional lunch served to the scientists and crew on a
dive: one peanut butter and jelly sandwich, one “mystery
meat” sandwich, a candy bar, and a piece of fruit. Since
you’re generally very busy and lose track of time while
you’re working, you tend to eat when you’re in transit
between sites!
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