In the movie they indicated the sub school final included a qualifying dive - we never had one, did New London have one, or was that artistic license?  Our sub school never included being on a submarine, but in the year we were going to monthly meeting boats from San Diego would take us out for a day.

Also there they all did ascents from 100 feet and every ten feet their were round objects where they'd stop and wait before going up another ten feet.  When I went active duty and got assigned to a boat out of Pearl we did one 50 ft ascent, and then could do 100 ft. ascent if you wanted - stupid me just did not like being in the chamber you had to ascend out of.  Also at Pearl in '67 every ten feet or so divers were there to punch you in the stomach if you weren't expelling air by yelling HO, HO, HO. 

We could have been in the same group taking the 50 foot ascent in '67.  Only difference is I did recompression chamber at Hunters Point  while in sub school.  Two friends and I volunteered to do the boot camp and sub school together at Hunters Point  during summer vacation from regular school.  We were in the class that was there in July of '66.

I got spoiled by that little chow hall at Hunters Point.  That was the best food I ever had in the Navy - that includes my boat.  Second place was the large chow hall at Terminal Island - the only drawback to mess there  was on Sunday you had to wear dress blues if I remember correctly.

Our class  never got a group picture like they did in New London that I remember.  I was just happy to be in the Navy instead of an Army Grunt getting shot at in a Vietnam rice paddy.