The beginning of scuba diving's history begins in 1930s when Jacques Cousteau (a French engineer) creates the first underwater movie. He and his wife Simone load a black and white still camera film into a movie camera, and it is the first underwater movie to be produced. In 1943, Emile Gagnan (an industrial gas control system engineer at L'Air Liquide et Cie) designs the Aqualung, which is the first commercially viable scuba unit. The Cousteau family tests the prototype units in 1943.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau
Jacques-Yves Cousteau, a French native, was born in Marseilles. His childhood included snorkeling in warm waters near his home. After graduating from highschool, he chose to join the navy. During his time with the navy, he was a naval guns instructor and a master diver. After his time in the navy, he was fascinated by the underwater world and started to swim down to explore the seabed. He also invented an underwater camera.
Emile Gagnan
Emile Gagnan is responsible for many of the innovations in modern SCUBA dives. Aqualung, a breathing system that allows a diver breathe in underwater water, was the result of his efforts in the 1950s. With this invention, scuba diving became safer and more accessible.
Henry Fleuss
Henry Fleuss is a pioneer in the history of scuba diving. He developed the first self-contained breathing apparatus and is credited with many other innovations. He worked at several companies, including Siebe, Gorman & Co., where he patented the designs in 1878. His invention was revolutionary because it allowed the diver to work independently of the surface, without having to rely on a pump or a large crew.
Harry Houdini
When you think of scuba diving, you probably think of Harry Houdini. His incredible escapes included one from a box under water! He also demonstrated how to escape from a straitjacket, locks, and suspended objects. His escape techniques have been immortalized on motion pictures.
Mark V diving helmet
Mark V diving helmets have a long and rich history in scubadiving. It was created for the US Navy and used until 1984. It is the world's first diving helmet. But, there are still other helmets from the 1820s.
William Beebe
William Beebe's tale of scubadiving is more than just an account of his adventures. He was also a scientist and made many dives in the ocean for scientific research. He set up a laboratory for marine research on Nonsuch Island in Bermuda and studied the sea life. He developed a diving helmet and breathing apparatus that mimic the behavior of sea animals. Beebe also was the first to make a descent into deep water using a bathysphere. A device that lowers a person to 3 028 feet (923 m) in depth. This record stood for 49 years.