Our training
Trained by the man who lived 100 days under the sea
Our team trained with Dr Joe Dituri through the International Board of Undersea Medicine. Here’s who he is, why we chose to learn from him, and what that training means when you settle into a chamber at Breathe.
Who is Dr Joe Dituri?
He knows a thing or two about pressure
Joe Dituri spent 28 years in the United States Navy, with a career that included saturation diving: living and working under pressure for extended periods. In that environment, understanding what pressure does to the body is part of keeping people alive.
After retiring as a commander, he earned a PhD in biomedical engineering at the University of South Florida. His interest was personal as well as scientific: he wanted to understand how he could help fellow service members living with traumatic brain injuries.
Today, he combines research and teaching with his role as Chairman of the International Board of Undersea Medicine, an organisation providing specialist training and certification in diving and hyperbaric practice.
28 years
Service in the United States Navy, including work as a saturation diving officer.
PhD
Biomedical engineering, with research into brain injury and hyperbaric oxygen.
Chairman
International Board of Undersea Medicine.
What has he done?
He lived 100 days under the sea
On 1 March 2023, Dr Dituri moved into Jules’ Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Florida. He stayed until 9 June. Project Neptune 100 explored how the body and mind respond to prolonged life under pressure, while taking science lessons somewhere considerably more interesting than a classroom.
Day 1 · Going under
The mission begins: 100 days living underwater, studying the effects of pressure and isolation, and sharing the experience with students.
Daily life · Under observation
Medical checks and research fit around everyday life, with his team collecting information about how his body and mind respond.
Teaching · From below the surface
University teaching continues online. Over the mission, he reaches more than 5,500 students across 15 countries.
Day 74 · Beyond the record
He passes the previous 73-day record for living underwater without decompression. There are still weeks to go.
Day 100 · Back above water
On 9 June 2023, he resurfaces, completing the mission and setting a new world record at the time.
“My greatest hope is that I have inspired a new generation of explorers and researchers to push past all boundaries.”
Dr Joe Dituri, on resurfacing
Why we trained with him
Because your care deserves this level of attention
A session at Breathe should feel straightforward. Making it that way takes knowledge, preparation and a team who understand exactly what they’re doing. We wanted to understand the science behind every setting, the reasons for every safety check and how to respond when someone needs more support.
In October 2025, we flew Dr Joe Dituri over from Florida to spend a week with us in Brighton. Our whole team, from engineers to hyperbaric practitioners, trained with him and passed their IBUM exams. We wanted that knowledge running through every part of Breathe, from the people maintaining the equipment to the person beside you during your first session.
His knowledge was extraordinary, but his enthusiasm stayed with us just as much. Spending a week learning from someone so invested in the future of hyperbaric medicine left us inspired, full of questions and even more determined to keep raising the standard of care we offer. We were already fairly obsessive about this work, and that week gave us even more reason to be.
Understanding pressure
How gases behave as pressure changes, how the body responds to increased oxygen, and why the pace of pressurisation and decompression matters.
Knowing who it’s right for
Understanding health histories, recognising potential risks and knowing when someone needs further medical advice before a session.
Running the chamber
Preparing the equipment, monitoring each session and responding to problems, with clear procedures from the first checks to the final decompression.
What it means for you
You can settle in because we’ve done the preparation
The value of our training is in the everyday details: the questions we ask, the checks we make and how we look after you throughout your session.
1
A proper conversation first
We take time to understand your health, medication and anything that might affect your session. If something needs a closer look or medical clearance, we explain why and help you understand the next step.
2
Someone trained at the controls
Every session is run by an IBUM-certified operator who understands the equipment and how your body responds as the pressure changes. You’re monitored throughout, with someone you can speak to whenever you need.
3
Equalising, explained properly
As the pressure increases, you’ll need to equalise your ears, much like on an aircraft. We show you how beforehand and guide you through it, adjusting the pace if you need more time.
4
A practised response
We rehearse our emergency procedures so everyone understands their role and what to do. That preparation sits behind the calm, attentive care you experience when you visit.
In safe hands from your first session.
Book your first session · £49Questions about our training or whether hyperbaric is right for you? Call us on 01273 020314.