Healthy divers needed for the hypercapnia awareness study!
We would like to announce our latest study for which we are looking for participants.
Your participation would be a valuable contribution to the safety of all divers in the future!
Some types of diving bring the risk of hypercapnia (breathing high levels of carbon dioxide), which can be debilitating. We are testing whether prior hypercapnia exposure will help divers recognize symptoms early and allow them to self-rescue if they encounter hypercapnia in the future.
We are looking for healthy divers with at least an Open Water certification to take part. Volunteers can expect one or two visits to our lab at the Newmarket campus, where they will participate in simulated rebreather dives.
Some of these dives will include a controlled experience of hypercapnia, during which we will collect physiologic data about your body’s response to high carbon dioxide levels.
Divers need to be aged 18-55 yrs, scuba certified (no rebreather experience necessary) and medically fit to dive. You cannot participate if they are current smokers, use recreational or non-prescribed drugs, drink >21 alcoholic drinks per week, drink >5 cups of caffeinated beverages per day, have a history of mental illness, or have previously participated in a hypercapnia study.
Please get in touch with the research team, Thalia, Hanna, and Xavier, at divingresearch@auckland.ac.nz for more information.
