With water temperature stable at 28.6oF, ice sheets 7-25 feet thick, and air temperatures plunging down to below -40oF, Antarctica provides a harsh environment in which to scuba dive. Yet some extremely interesting research is being funded by the National Science Foundation in the area surrounding Ross Island. Some of this research could benefit by using rebreathers (an advanced form of scuba diving equipment), but there very little use of this equipment has been conducted in that environment. In 2016 a team of six divers spent six weeks testing multiple rebreather platforms in these frigid conditions. Jeff Bozanic will present some of the results from these dives, as well as many of the background stories behind the research diving.
Jeff is the President of Next Generation Services, where he provides consulting and training services in the diving market. Clients include rebreather manufacturers, training agencies, and legal agencies. Jeff has participated or led over 70 diving expeditions during the past 40 years, to places like Palau, Canary Islands, and Antarctica. Jeff was certified as a NAUI Instructor in 1978, and is active in teaching cave diving, rebreather, nitrox, decompression, and trimix diving courses. He has published extensively on diving education topics, with heavy emphasis on diving safety. Jeff has edited/reviewed many diving textbooks, and is the author of Mastering Rebreathers. In 2007 he was honored as the DAN/Rolex Diver of the Year and in 2015 he was the recipient of the AAUS Conrad Limbaugh Award for Scientific Diving Leadership.