Modern nuke subs spend so little time on the surface they are poorly adapted to it. They really only need to surface when in port. Not only do they roll a great deal on the surface, but it takes them a long time to submerge. The old WWII "crash dive" to avoid surface attack is no longer needed, or even possible. It may take minutes for a modern boat to slip beneath the waves, but once submerged, it flies through the water like a penguin, it doesn't rely on flooding and voiding ballast to change depths.

I would have loved to serve in subs, for the prestige and morale of being in an elite crew, but it would have required signing up for a long hitch in order to get the training, and my primary goal was to get out of the military as soon as legally possible. And if I washed out of sub school for any reason, I'd still have a 6 year commitment to get through.

As it turned out, I was glad I wound up on destroyers. Not only did I learn to navigate without black boxes, but I got to know the sea and sky directly. I realize now I prefer being a mariner to being an astronaut. Subs have no windows, and they don't surface very often. It's like living and working in a dormitory under the Antarctic ice.