There is room for improvement in the amount of active learning that takes place during physiology laboratory exercises. This paper describes a protocol designed to examine the human dive response, with the goal of creating an integrative laboratory experienced focused around improving active learning. The objectives of this laboratory exercise were to promote critical thinking, maximize collaboration and student engagement, and meet core competencies set forth by the National Science Foundation. Suggested modifications for portions of the exercise that were not successful have been included. By incorporating these suggestions, this activity could become an exercise used to progress physiology education based on survey, discussion question, and dive response data collected.