# Coveralls while at sea



## darkskye (18 Jun 2014)

I am going to be going on the Rescue Swimmer course shortly and I had a question regarding dress policy. I was under the impression rescue swimmers were authorized to wear coveralls while at sea. I went to go to Base Clothing today and the civilian working told me only FDU(P/A) and member's of the boarding party are authorized to wear coveralls, not even ship's team divers or rescue swimmers are allowed to wear them. Can anyone confirm that statement?

Thanks


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## Pat in Halifax (18 Jun 2014)

darkskye said:
			
		

> I am going to be going on the Rescue Swimmer course shortly and I had a question regarding dress policy. I was under the impression rescue swimmers were authorized to wear coveralls while at sea. I went to go to Base Clothing today and the civilian working told me only FDU(P/A) and member's of the boarding party are authorized to wear coveralls, not even ship's team divers or rescue swimmers are allowed to wear them. Can anyone confirm that statement?
> 
> Thanks



There was an email discussion on this recently with the Base Chief (MARLANT Dress authority) stating that only submariners and Clearence Divers (and PIDs) are to be issued coveralls and NOT ship's divers (though some may have). I suspect MARPAC's BCPO echoes this. If I stumble across the email in the coming days, I will put some of the contents up here.
This is about all I can find at the moment:
http://halifax.mil.ca/CFBHalifax/BCOMD/pages/bcpo_dress_deportment.html
_COVERALLS
Clearance divers (Reg F) and port authority divers (Res F) posted to a fleet diving unit and personnel posted to a submarine are authorized to wear their issued coveralls as walking out dress providing the name tape, unit badge, and qualification badge are properly displayed on the coveralls. When winter dress is in affect, gortex jackets are authorized to wear over the coveralls. Ref : MARGEN 014/11_


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## jollyjacktar (18 Jun 2014)

Also, FF (always) and HT (while employed in HCRFF posn) wear coveralls while at sea.  And, no, the HT's who are acting in HCRFF positions cannot also be used in rescue swimmer  secondary duties concurrently.


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## jollyjacktar (18 Jun 2014)

Yes, they do.  They're still coveralls though.


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## Pat in Halifax (18 Jun 2014)

That's right-Forgot about you guys JJ'tar - senior moment!


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## darkskye (19 Jun 2014)

It's probably faster to change into a dry suit while wearing coveralls than when you are wearing your NCDs.


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## darkskye (19 Jun 2014)

Stacked said:
			
		

> Why on earth do you need coveralls as a rescue swimmer? Not like you wear coveralls under the rescue swimmer suit....
> 
> And  the answer is no.  Rescue Swimmers don't get coveralls.
> 
> ...



If you're going to answer my question, try to be less of a dick and have the right answer. I was only asking because someone on my ship mentioned wearing coveralls while at sea and I figured since the Base Clothing worker woke up on the same side of the bed as you, I thought I would ask my question here. 

Thanks for the replies guys.


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## Pat in Halifax (19 Jun 2014)

darkskye said:
			
		

> If you're going to answer my question, try to be less of a dick and have the right answer. I was only asking because someone on my ship mentioned wearing coveralls while at sea and I figured since the Base Clothing worker woke up on the same side of the bed as you, I thought I would ask my question here.
> 
> Thanks for the replies guys.


Uhmm...You only asked if anyone could confirm what you were told. Because someone elaborated on their answer; an answer you are obviously in disagreement with, don't get mad.

On another note, build a case, submit a Briefing Note to the Dress Committee (headed up by the Base Chief on whatever coast you are on) and see what happens. That said, as I mentioned earlier, someone already took  a kick at this cat a few months back and it did not pass.


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## Oldgateboatdriver (19 Jun 2014)

I can tell you why Pat: If a rescue swimmer can't get dressed and ready to jump, from wearing NCD's, in the time it takes me to turn the ship around, he/she is not worth having as RS and the few seconds difference a coverall could make him/her gain is not the real issue.


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## MARS (19 Jun 2014)

Oldgateboatdriver said:
			
		

> I can tell you why Pat: If a rescue swimmer can't get dressed and ready to jump, from wearing NCD's, in the time it takes me to turn the ship around, he/she is not worth having as RS and the few seconds difference a coverall could make him/her gain is not the real issue.



Exactly.  I just mustered my Rescue Swimmers to confirm what I already knew: they simply put the dry suit on over the NCDs.  So, I too would ask the same question as Stacked, with a similar amount of indignation (which was also apparently shared by the OP's clothing stores rep): why on earth would you need coveralls?


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## Nfld Sapper (19 Jun 2014)

Maybe he wants to .....


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## Colin Parkinson (19 Jun 2014)

Sound more like a flight suit than a coverall, which I assume the engineering staff uses? I used a flight suit in the CCG which allowed quick undress into my woolies and then Gates drysuit.


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## OldSolduer (19 Jun 2014)

So what's this rescue swimmer suit look like? I'd like to see what the issue is here.


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## Colin Parkinson (19 Jun 2014)

That looks like a "Suit-wet-not" Actually in the real world known as a exposure suit. Now this is a coverall 






But this looks better






Funny coveralls let you undress faster for everything but taking a poop.


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## Oldgateboatdriver (19 Jun 2014)

Now I get it, Colin.

The reason the OP wants to wear coveralls is so he can look cool in a sort of retro-gentlemanly way .

Of course, the pipe is still not on below deck.


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## Halifax Tar (19 Jun 2014)

Oldgateboatdriver said:
			
		

> Now I get it, Colin.
> 
> The reason the OP wants to wear coveralls is so he can look cool in a sort of retro-gentlemanly way .
> 
> Of course, the pipe is still not on below deck.



Not even in the AMR anymore ?    What about the capstan compartment during rough seas or other "evolution's" ?


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## Old Sweat (19 Jun 2014)

And S/L Douglas Bader (the one on the right) does look dapper in his flying suit and pipe.


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## mikeninercharlie (19 Jun 2014)

Yep, 'cause everyone want to look as cool as these dudes...


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## Colin Parkinson (19 Jun 2014)

The best way to cure this is to make the person wear the exposure suit zipped up for the entire watch. I suspect they will be glad to be out of it. I used to have to get out of my flight suit, into woolies, Gates dry suit and gear up all my diving gear myself while bouncing across the waves in a speeding hovercraft, that was for rescue diving, for us rescue swimming involved a double thick wet suit, helmet and harness. Basically a rescue swimmer in the CCG main job was to swim through the surf to shore pulling a line, sort of a "semi-intelligent heaving line"  ;D


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## OldSolduer (19 Jun 2014)

Ok what exactly does a rescue swimmer do? Infantry here......small words please....


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## OldSolduer (19 Jun 2014)

Stacked said:
			
		

> If somebody falls over board they jump in after them  >



Not a job for the faint of heart I take it......


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## Navy_Pete (19 Jun 2014)

Normally after the ship turns around, and they get in the rescue boat, and the crane lowers the rescue boat with the divers in it....


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## Fishbone Jones (19 Jun 2014)

Stacked said:
			
		

> I forgot to add, my answer is submarine specific. We don't have any "rescue boats" the rescue swimmer is just that .
> 
> Any evolutions that require the crew to be on the casing (or the "upper deck")  the rescue swimmer is up there with us fully dressed already in case one of us go over.  We don't have any railings obviously so it can be dangerous being up there while underway.



Can't be any more dangerous than turret surfing a Cougar down the highway, listening to the Beach Boys over the headset ;D


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## Sub Standard (19 Jun 2014)

I have a solution for the OP if he really wants to wear coveralls as a rescue swimmer.   Go on a BSQ  and get qualified subs then he can be a rescue swimmer on one of the subs while wearing coveralls :skull: :sarcasm:


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