HBOT for beginners.

You won't feel high. You won't feel dizzy. You won't feel oxygen-drunk. What you'll notice, in roughly this order: the ears go full during pressurisation (5–10 minutes), the cabin gets quietly hum-y, the light is soft and steady, and within a few minutes of being at depth you'll feel slightly cool, slightly calm, and oddly settled.

On exit you'll likely feel clear-headed and pleasantly tired. Most members describe a post-session afterglow that lasts a few hours and a notable improvement in sleep that night. The cumulative effect — the cellular, longevity, cognitive signal — doesn't announce itself. It accumulates over sessions.

The single most important thing to know: HBOT is one of the gentlest, most boring, most underwhelming-in-the-moment wellness interventions you'll ever try. That's a feature, not a bug. The work happens at the cellular level. Your job is to show up, breathe, and let the chamber do its thing.

Wear: 100% cotton clothing. A long-sleeved cotton tee and cotton joggers or leggings is ideal. R1SE provides cotton scrubs on request if you forget. Hair should be down and clean (no dry shampoo).

Don't wear / bring: Synthetic fabrics (polyester, nylon, fleece, lycra) are not allowed in the hard-shell. No nail varnish that's been freshly applied. No makeup, lotion, or perfume in the hour before the session — these can off-gas under pressure. No electronics inside the hard-shell (phones, watches, earbuds, vapes). Jewellery comes off before entry.

Soft-shell chambers (1.3 ATA) are less strict because the oxygen environment is less enriched, but the same general guidance applies. You can typically keep a phone in a soft-shell if it's in a non-charging state.

“What if I'm claustrophobic?” The hard-shell is large enough to sit up in, well-lit, has a viewing window, and has an intercom to the team. Most members who arrive with mild-to-moderate claustrophobia tolerate sessions fine. We start in the soft-shell, which is the most open of the chamber options, and progress only if you're comfortable. Truly severe claustrophobia is one of the rare cases where HBOT may not be a fit.

“What if my ears won't equalise?” Roughly 1 in 50 first-timers find their first descent uncomfortable until they get the equalising rhythm. We slow descent until ears clear. By session two or three, almost everyone has it. If you have a current head cold, postpone the session — congestion blocks the Eustachian tube.

“What if something happens?” The team is in line-of-sight or close earshot for the entire session. The chamber is intercom-equipped, has emergency depressurisation protocols, and is operated by trained staff. There has never been an incident requiring emergency exit at R1SE.

“Will I feel weird after?” Most members feel calm, slightly cool, and unusually clear-headed for a few hours after exit. A few feel mildly tired. Many sleep deeply that night. There's no come-down, no headache, no after-effect of any concern. Drink water, eat normally, carry on.

Drink 250–500ml of water within the first hour after exit. HBOT mildly dehydrates as oxygen-rich plasma redistributes; replacing fluid supports the post-session afterglow.

Eat normally. No special diet required. A protein-and-fat meal within a few hours supports the recovery and protein-synthesis effects of the session.

Move gently, not intensely. A walk is excellent. Heavy lifting within 4 hours of HBOT can blunt the cellular signal in the same way cold immersion can blunt hypertrophy. Save the hard training for tomorrow if it's scheduled.

Sleep early. Most members report unusually deep sleep the night after a first session. Lean into it — this is part of the signal landing.

Note the changes. Energy, sleep, mood, recovery. Subtle improvements compound across a protocol. We track these in your member log so the team can calibrate your next sessions.