When was the invention of scuba? Many will answer that it was the 1860s. But, when was scuba invented? Let's start by looking at the first scuba equipment. Emile Gagnan, Jacques Cousteau, and other early pioneers have all played important roles in the evolution of scuba diving. They are responsible for the development of freedom of navigation. Who also created the first scuba regulator.
Jacques Cousteau
Jacques Cousteau, who was part of a program called Conshelf Saturation Dive in the 1960s that sought to determine if living underwater for extended periods of time was possible, participated in this program. The five divers involved in the experiment were documented in a film called World Without Sun. The ocean exploration goal has greatly improved since the invention of scuba equipment. Today, robot undersea robotics do this work. Cousteau's documentary won a third Academy Award for Best Documentary.
Emile Gagnan
Scuba was discovered by Emile Gagnan, an engineer from France who was developing valve designs for a Paris-based company that produced compressed gas. He discovered that scuba divers were at risk of developing nitrogen narcosis. This condition causes extreme pain and makes people crazy. Gagnan and Cousteau collaborated to design a machine that would enable people to survive underwater. They knew that oxygen-pressure regulation would be the key to survival.
1860s
Henry A. Fleuss was a London-based diving engineer who invented scuba in the 1860s. Fleuss' design consisted of a diving mask with a spout that could be filled with compressed air. It also included a bag that could be filled with a caustic potash solution. The resulting sealed circuit system allowed divers to breathe air for up to three hours.
1860s Scuba regulator
Scuba regulators from the 1860s were far removed from modern technology. They were developed by Auguste Denayrouze & Benoit Rouquayrol. The demand valve designed by Benoit Rouquayrol was initially used in smoky areas and poisonous mines. However, it was later modified for diving. In 1865, the Rouquayrol-Denayrouze apparatus became a mass-produced product and was adopted as a French Navy standard. However, the French diving community did not accept this regulator's invention.
Davis Submerged Escape Device
R. H. Davis invented the Davis Submerged Rescue Apparatus (or Davis scuba) in 1914. It included a rubber breathing, buoyancy, and pressure cylinder, which contained 56 litres (at 120 bar) of oxygen. The pressure of the water around the user charged the cylinder, which was connected to the breathing bag. The Davis scuba rig was the first commercially-available rebreather, and it was used for submarine escapes in the First World War. It was also used for industrial diving.
1860s scuba goggles
Dive gear in the 1860s wasn't as advanced as it is today. Before the advent of scuba goggles, divers would rely on wooden or glass diving helmets, which were ineffective against the water's pressure. Otis Barton and his family were wealthy enough to have tried out underwater exploration. Barton had worn a makeshift dive helmet and weighed his body with rocks as he swam around Massachusetts waters.
Deane brothers scuba system
In 1829, the Deane brothers started testing their underwater apparatus. The scuba system consisted primarily of a helmet and breathing apparatus. The Deane brothers' invention was a success and the brothers soon had a flourishing business. Their invention led them to create the first diving manual The Method of Using Deane Brothers Patent Diving Apparatus. The manual detailed the functions of each apparatus as well as safety precautions.
1860s scuba reservoir
Benoit Rouquayrol invente the first scuba reservoir using compressed air in the 1860s. He had already created the 'demand regulater' to be used in underground mines, smoke-filled rooms, and other places. Auguste Denayrouze applied Rouquayrol’s design to underwater diving in 1864. The principle behind the device remains the same today. The modern regulator for scuba diving uses a similar system.