Frequently Asked Questions

HBOT (Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy) is a non-invasive, safe, and often effective way to reduce inflammation, increase the body’s oxygen levels, and detoxify. A person is placed into a controlled pressurized environment, which simulates being below sea level. The pressures of this therapy enable the gasses (in this case, the gas Oxygen) to change into a more dissolvable form. In this form, the body can acquire higher levels of oxygen, and the oxygen molecules can reach areas of the body that may have previously had difficulty getting enough oxygen.
Hyperbaric therapy (HBT) is the medical use of creating a pressurized environment at a level higher than 1 atmosphere absolute (ATA). Increased pressure allows oxygen to dissolve and saturate the blood plasma (independent of hemoglobin/red blood cells), which yields a wide variety of positive physiological, biochemical, and cellular effects. This non-invasive therapy is a trusted way to increase oxygen levels in all body organs. The typical treatment lasts 60-120 minutes, during which the patient relaxes and breathes normally. HBT has been demonstrated in numerous clinical studies to enhance the body’s innate ability to repair and regenerate. It is an adjunct therapy to complement and enhance the healing processes in chronic and acute conditions.

Hyperbaric therapy is a relaxing, safe, non-invasive way to get more oxygen into the body.
Usually, oxygen is in a gaseous state, mixed in the air we breathe. (About 21% on a good day). When we breathe, our body is able to take in about 5% of that oxygen. The red blood cells transport it through our circulatory system, where the oxygen helps our other cells to heal, build,
& thrive.
When you have areas of inflammation, scar tissue, and other issues, they act almost like a traffic jam, slowing or even stopping oxygen delivery. This obstruction can create a situation of more inflammation, pain, slower healing, etc.
Under simple laws of physics, when you place oxygen in a pressurized environment, it merges (almost as if dissolving) into the liquids (primarily the plasma) it comes into contact with. It’s somewhat like how they carbonate canned beverages! In the more dissolved state, oxygen becomes less reliant on the blood cells for transportation.
Instead, it can merge with the plasma; in that form, it can soak through the walls of the veins and arteries, pass through the blood-brain barrier, and navigate through scar tissue.
Some medical doctors have equated an hour in our chambers to taking about 40 Motrin without the toxic effects! That’s quite a bit of anti-inflammation.

Hyperbaric therapy is a relaxing, safe, non-invasive way to get more oxygen into the body.
Usually, oxygen is in a gaseous state, mixed in the air we breathe. (About 21% on a good day). When we breathe, our body is able to take in about 5% of that oxygen. The red blood cells transport it through our circulatory system, where the oxygen helps our other cells to heal, build,
& thrive.
When you have areas of inflammation, scar tissue, and other issues, they act almost like a traffic jam, slowing or even stopping oxygen delivery. This obstruction can create a situation of more inflammation, pain, slower healing, etc.
Under simple laws of physics, when you place oxygen in a pressurized environment, it merges (almost as if dissolving) into the liquids (primarily the plasma) it comes into contact with. It’s somewhat like how they carbonate canned beverages! In the more dissolved state, oxygen becomes less reliant on the blood cells for transportation.
Instead, it can merge with the plasma; in that form, it can soak through the walls of the veins and arteries, pass through the blood-brain barrier, and navigate through scar tissue.
Some medical doctors have equated an hour in our chambers to taking about 40 Motrin without the toxic effects! That’s quite a bit of anti-inflammation.

You can read more about hyperbarics on the Science page of our website.

Some people use HBOT as part of their overall well-being regimen. Others find HBOT only after traditional healing methods have failed them, as HBOT is less known than traditional things like surgery, medicine, etc.You can read more about hyperbarics on the Science page of our website.

Whether utilizing a multiplace chamber, or a monoplace chamber (treating multiple patients at once, or individually), and whether you are in a high-pressure chamber made of metal or acrylic, or a mild-pressure chamber made of urethane or plastic, the science is the same:
Pressures higher than the ambient atmosphere = laws of physics (Doyle’s and/or Henry’s) related to partial pressures and gasses. Our science page expounds on these laws of physics if you are interested in learning more.
When you are in a pressurized environment, depending on the pressure levels, different gasses in the body can and will change from their gaseous form to a more dissolved form. This dissolution enables the gasses to reach areas they otherwise may not reach.
In the case of hyperbaric therapy, oxygen is the gas that reacts to even a minor increase in pressure.

Hyperbaric therapy has been used to treat over 100 conditions with varying degrees of success. This simple therapy can increase the oxygen levels in the body’s tissues, decrease inflammation, and improve respiratory health.

Generally, hyperbarics can help with issues involving poor circulation, respiration, and inflammation. Most conditions and illnesses people face are related to one of these issues.

Hyperbaric therapy has been used to treat over 100 conditions and issues. From better athletic performance to recovering from surgery, if more oxygenation is beneficial, hyperbarics can significantly assist. The FDA has approved HBOT to treat the following conditions:

• Air and gas bubbles in blood vessels
• Anemia (severe anemia when blood transfusions cannot be used)
• Burns (severe and extensive burns treated at a specialized burn center)
• Carbon monoxide poisoning
• Crush injury
• Decompression sickness (diving risk)
• Gas gangrene
• Hearing loss (complete hearing loss that occurs suddenly and without any known cause)
• Infection of the skin and bone (severe)
• Radiation injury
• Skin graft flap at risk of tissue death
• Vision loss (when sudden and painless in one eye due to blockage of blood flow)
• Wounds (non-healing, diabetic foot ulcers)

HBOT is also being studied for other conditions, including COVID-19.

HBOT has only officially been approved by the FDA to treat 14 conditions. mHBOT (mild hyperbaric) has only been approved to treat Altitude Sickness. Many medical professionals have utilized hyperbaric therapy to treat over 100 conditions considered ” off-label ” by the FDA. Unfortunately, some practitioners and others have made unsubstantiated claims about hyperbarics. While this therapy has shown excellent potential, without scientific data backing, claims should not be made without noting this.

Hyperbaric sessions feel relaxing to most users. The first few minutes don’t feel much like anything, and there is a slight, almost “white noise” to the units. After a few minutes, the chamber begins to pressurize. Many people equate this sensation to landing in an airplane, but at whatever rate is most comfortable for the user. Ears equalize, usually on their own. However, people sometimes appreciate chewing gum or sucking on a mint to assist in this process.
After approximately 10 minutes, the chamber is fully pressurized, and the occupant can relax, read a book, watch a video, etc. During depressurization, it is more like ascending in an airplane. The ears equalize as the pressure reduces.
Frequently, people experience a sensation of euphoria after their treatment; they have more energy, or they feel less stressed.
Most people feel very relaxed during their sessions. Whether sitting in our vertical chambers or lying in our horizontal chambers, many clients feel at peace, some falling asleep during treatment.

Once they reach full pressurization, most hyperbaric chamber occupants don’t feel any sensations out of the ordinary. Some people have reported a sensation like “floating.” In contrast, others say they feel comfortable as if swaddled in a weighted blanket. In these chambers, listening to music, watching a video on your phone or tablet, etc, is perfectly safe. Many people sleep if they are in one of our horizontal chambers.
Sessions range from 1 to 2 hours, although some medical professionals prescribe shorter or longer sessions. While not recommended by the general hyperbaric therapy community, including 123HBOT, some athletes have publicly claimed to sleep each night in their mild chambers.

While HBOT has been used to treat over 100 conditions with some profound results, these are mostly considered “off-label” therapy uses. Officially, the FDA 510(k) approved the intended use for these mild chambers as “to provide mild hyperbaria for the treatment of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) and its associated mild symptoms.”

When the brain becomes starved for oxygen, such as in a drowning or suffocating incident, brain cells can become damaged or fall into a dormant (sleeping) state. Under the pressures of hyperbarics, oxygen can more easily pass through the blood-brain barrier, getting into these areas of damage and dormancy and helping to awaken and/or repair many of these cells.

Many studies have shown that adding hyperbaric therapy to a patient’s treatment plan can improve cognition, recall, and other adverse side effects of brain trauma and damage.
When it comes to brain cells, it is believed by many that oxygen is the fuel needed to awaken dormant cells and repair damaged cells.
While pressurized, oxygen molecules can pass through the blood-brain barrier and reach these cells without invasive procedures.

While considered an “off-label” use of hyperbarics, many people in the ASD community have reported many improvements to the quality of life for individuals utilizing hyperbaric therapy alone or in conjunction with other modalities. Things like “leaky gut,” constipation, focus, mental clarity, communication, etc., are often reported with the use of hyperbaric therapy. You can read more about hyperbarics on the Science page of our website.

Most people report fewer headaches when they start treatment with hyperbaric therapy. That being said, sometimes, due to the detoxification nature of this therapy, some people experience a short-term increase in headaches as they detoxify things like mold exposure, Lyme Disease, carbon monoxide poisoning, etc.

Some people feel fatigued after hyperbaric sessions, especially when dealing with detoxification. Many people report feeling more relaxed and, in many cases, better sleep after hyperbarics. Patients can attribute these feelings to several things, including but not limited to:
A reduction in chronic pain.
An increase in serotonin levels.
More energy during the day, which can enable more movement.

Many studies related to treating post-stroke symptoms with hyperbaric therapy have been conducted. Some patients have reported more mental clarity, an improvement in the use of fine motor skills, better communication, etc.

Fortunately, hyperbaric therapy is rapidly becoming more available to the general public. Hospitals, medical clinics, wellness centers, and even some gyms and training facilities are adding hyperbaric chambers. One can search for hyperbaric therapy through the typical online search engines or by discussing the treatment with a primary care physician.

The cost of HBOT can vary depending on where the treatment is taking place, what type of equipment is utilized, and what level of training the staff working on the equipment have. There are often discounts offered when purchasing a package of treatments. A person might find that their insurance provider covers all or some costs when treating certain conditions. For these reasons, prices for hyperbaric sessions can run as low as a small co-pay to thousands of dollars. If a person were to purchase a chamber for their own home, the cost per session would decrease over the years.

As of 07/18/2024, there are 3 companies that manufacture mild chambers in the USA and have FDA clearance.  Prices range from $7k-28k

To date, these are the prices for the Summit to Sea line of chambers:

The Shallow Dive is $6,995 plus $250 shipping
The Dive is $8,995 plus $275 shipping
The Grand Dive is $12,995 plus $350 shipping
The Dive Vertical is $12,995 plus $300 shipping
The Grand Dive Vertical is $16,995 plus $450 shipping
The Grand Dive Pro is $17,995 plus $475 shipping
The Grand Dive Pro Plus is $19,995 plus $500 shipping
An Oxygen Concentrator is $1,800
A Silencer is $299 plus $70 shipping
A Cooler is $950 plus $95 shipping

To rent a chamber from 123HBOT, the current prices are as follows: (contact 123 for latest prices)

Rental fees for the Shallow Dive are $1,500 per month, a $1,500 refundable security deposit, tax on the rental fee, and a $50 non-refundable sanitation fee plus to and from shipping (which is based on your address). The Rental fees for the Dive are $2,000 per month, a $2,000 refundable security deposit, tax on the rental fee, and a $50 non-refundable cleaning fee plus to and from shipping, which is based on your address.

You will receive your deposit back once chamber is returned in the same condition you received it, and in original packaging.  (Be sure to keep that stored carefully!)

All our chambers run between 7′- 8.5′ in length (or height for the vertical chambers). All our chambers are 1.3 ATA soft-sided chambers. The real difference is the diameter and/or shape of the chambers.
The Shallow Dive is 26″ in diameter and 7′ long.
The Dive is 33″ in diameter and 7.5′ long.
The Grand Dive is 40″ in diameter and 7.5′ long.
The Dive Vertical is 40″ in diameter and 7′ tall.
The Grand Dive Vertical is 54″ in diameter and 7.5′ tall.
The Grand Dive Pro is 46″ in diameter and 8.5′ long.
The Grand Dive Pro Plus is 60″ in diameter and 8.5′ long.

HBOT in a hospital setting can be very expensive. It can also be limited to treating only a handful of conditions. Hyperbarics in a doctor’s office can be less, especially if they use mild or soft-sided chambers. Staffing requirements and equipment expenses influence costs. The mild chambers cost a fraction of the metal or acrylic high-pressure chambers. This lower expense often results in lower prices for the end user. Furthermore, mild hyperbaric chambers can be purchased or rented for home use. This form of treatment can reduce the cost per session even more.

We recommend you consult with your primary care physician when it comes to deciding how often you should treat with hyperbarics. Most studies start with 20-40 hour sessions, generally one to two hours in length, over a month or two. However, some people treat every day, and some treat weekly.
Some prefer treatment in the morning, as HBOT “wakes” them up or increases their energy. In contrast, others find HBOT to relax them so that treatment before bed makes more sense. Everybody is different, and each condition is different, as well.

You must have a prescription to rent or buy a chamber, as this is an FDA Medical Class 2 Device. If  you don’t have a doctor able/willing to do this for you, we work with numerous telemedicine doctors who may be able to help.

Because the molecules are under pressure, the interior of the chamber heats a little (about 5-10 degrees warmer than the room). You can utilize portable fans and/or ice packs to help keep yourself cool. You can also turn up the air conditioning or open a window in the room you have the chamber in. Finally, you can invest in one of our hyperbaric coolers ($950). In that case, you can forgo all the other ideas and easily maintain a comfortable, cool interior temperature!

Over a decade ago, we started selling Oxyhealth brand chambers. We always said to people who asked about the HIGH cost: “I’ll let you in on a secret. While I AM one of Oxyhealth’s distributors, my real job is running my hyperbaric clinic in Washington State. As a business owner, I look at all the competition. If I could find a chamber for less of this quality, I would make more money, plain and simple. So far, no other brand comes close.” During the Covid shutdown, we researched all the other FDA-approved competitors. We fell in love with the Summit to Sea line. These are as good or better in quality and safety at a fraction of Oxyhealth’s cost.

Summit to Sea is dedicated to innovation and safety. They have created functional, safe (and, frankly, attractive) products by listening to feedback from users over the years and relentlessly striving for perfection. With safety being the most crucial aspect of a hyperbaric chamber, Summit to Sea chambers come with a failsafe alarm that alerts the operator if there is a power failure from the wall socket.
Additionally, while other chambers run on only a single compressor, Summit to Sea utilizes dual compressors for redundant safety in case of failure. These chambers also have two relief valves at either end of the chamber for even air distribution and release. This setup prevents pockets of built-up carbon monoxide within the chamber and, again, provides redundant safety measures in case of a failure or blockage of one valve.

Another difference you will notice with Summit to Sea chambers is the zippers. The inner zipper (with double-sided handles for easy operation inside or outside the chamber) is made with dry suit technology to create a strong, airtight seal. The easy-to-use buckles and exterior
zipper work to take pressure off the inner zipper.
The exterior frames make these chambers portable and extremely simple to assemble and disassemble. Most of our chamber models can easily fit into a standard-sized car trunk for transportation.
The vertical chambers are unique to hyperbaric chamber innovation. These chambers are perfect for users with mobility struggles, which may prevent them from entering a horizontal chamber or lying down for extended periods. The Pro series is also one-of-a-kind, allowing ample space for multiple users, wheelchairs, stretchers, or zero-gravity chairs.
Now, for our personal and biased opinions- We find Summit to Sea chambers to be made of higher quality materials than other chambers. We love how bright and roomy they are inside, thanks to the placement of the windows and outer frames. And finally, we love the founders and
employees at Summit to Sea. They genuinely care about their products and the people who purchase them. They work hard to keep the chambers affordable, accessible, safe, and user-friendly so that
anyone can reap the maximum benefits of this fantastic therapy!

While we don’t have in-house financing, we do work closely with an organization that can help businesses get what they need. It is called Select Funding; the information is at the bottom of our website home page.

The short answer: Probably not.
The long answer: It has happened, but it’s not common. We have seen some personal injury, and L&I claims cover the cost of renting a chamber. Some clients have successfully used their HSA/FSA cards as well. We recommend speaking with your doctors and insurance first. Your doctor will need to write the prescription and will potentially need to make a case to the insurance company for your request.

Absolutely! Summit to Sea has created a double-sided zipper system for the interior zipper, making it very simple to open and close from the inside or the outside. The double-sided pressure valve and interior gauge make it easy to pressurize and depressurize from the inside.

Once you place your order, shipping typically takes 7-10 business days.

Everybody and every condition is different, and since we are not doctors, we cannot share specific protocols for specific conditions. Please speak to your doctor about hyperbaric dosing.
Many hyperbaric studies use 40 hours of treatments in a month to evaluate changes. Some conditions, such as acute burns or wounds, require fewer treatments than chronic conditions, such as Lyme Disease.

Your chamber will include written and video instructions for assembly. It’s straightforward and doesn’t take very long. We also provide video and phone support to help you with the setup, and we guide you through the chamber’s operation. We will follow up with you throughout your first few weeks and months and will always be available to answer any questions you may have in the future.

All Summit to Sea chambers are FDA-approved to reach 1.3 ATA (4.4 PSI)

An oxygen concentrator is a separate FDA-approved medical device, so it also requires a prescription. While it’s not required for your hyperbaric chamber, it can provide additional oxygen delivery with your treatments.

You can order directly through us. Just let us know. Our 10 LPM Devilbiss Drive costs $1,800. It comes with a full 3-year warranty

It depends on the chamber. The vertical chambers take up much less floor space than the horizontal chambers, either 40 inches for the Dive Vertical or 54 inches for the Grand Dive Vertical. They are 7 feet tall, so your ceiling height must accommodate that height plus a few inches. You will need access to a standard wall socket with enough space for the compressors, about 2 feet. Horizontal chambers are 7 to 8.5 feet in length. You will need space to accommodate the length as well as the compressors. We typically recommend 9 feet long and 6
feet width of space for a horizontal chamber.

Summit to Sea chambers have a “bumper to bumper” 2-year warranty covering everything, including the zipper. Extending the warranty up to 3 additional years is possible before the original 2-year time frame ends.

We have a fantastic Reseller Program! We also support clinics as they navigate implementing hyperbaric therapy into their practices. Contractually, you must purchase one chamber at full price, after which you become eligible to become a reseller, earn discounts, access marketing materials, etc.