Kōrero: Diving and snorkelling

In the recompression chamber at Devonport naval base a diver is treated for decompression sickness (also known as ‘the bends’). This illness occurs when nitrogen bubbles form in the tissues of the body, causing injury. Recompression treatment involves administering air with additional oxygen through a mask, in an environment that is under higher than normal atmospheric pressure. This treatment, which often takes many hours, aims to shrink and remove the bubbles.