When was scuba developed? Many people will tell you that it was in 1860s. But when did scuba become a reality? Let's look at the earliest scuba equipment. Emile Gagnan, Jacques Cousteau and other early pioneers all played an important role in the evolution of scuba dive. They helped pave the way for freedom of navigation, but who is responsible for its development? Who is responsible for the first scuba regulator?
Jacques Cousteau
In the 1960s Jacques Cousteau was part a program called Conshelf Saturation Dive. The goal of the Conshelf Saturation Dive was to establish if it was possible to live underwater long enough. The experiments, which involved five divers, were documented in a film called World Without Sun. Since the emergence of scuba equipment, the goal of ocean exploration has been greatly enhanced. Today, robot undersea robotics do this work. Cousteau's documentary won a third Academy Award for Best Documentary.
Emile Gagnan
Scuba was created by Emile Gagnan (a French engineer) in the 1940s. He was working on valve designs at a Paris-based compressor gas company. He saw that divers could be at risk of suffering from nitrogen narcosis. This is a condition in which people can become insane and experience extreme pain. Gagnan, Cousteau and their team designed a machine to allow people to live underwater. They understood that the key to survival would be air-pressure regulation.
1860s
Henry A. Fleuss (a London-based dive engineer) invented Scuba in the 1960s. Fleuss' design included a diving snorkel with a spout to hold compressed air. It also had a bag that could contain a caustic-potash solution. This sealed circuit system allowed divers air to be able to breathe for up to three hours.
1860s regulator for scuba diving
The 1960s scuba regulators are a far cry away from today's technology. They were created by Auguste Denayrouze and Benoit Rouquayrol. Benoit Rouquayrol designed the demand valve. At first, it was used in smoky places and poisonous mining areas. It was later modified to be suitable for diving. In 1865, the Rouquayrol-Denayrouze apparatus became a mass-produced product and was adopted as a French Navy standard. This regulator was not widely accepted by the French diving community.
Davis Submerged Escape Apparatus
R. H. Davis was the inventor of Davis Submerged rescue apparatus, or Davis scuba. It was composed of a rubber breathing and buoyancy device, a canister containing barium hydroxide and a steel pressure tube containing 56 litres oxygen at 120 bar. 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
The 1860s was a time when diving gear was not as sophisticated as today's. Divers would have to use glass or wooden diving helmets before scuba goggles were invented. They are ineffective against the pressure of the water. Otis Barton and his family were wealthy enough to have tried out underwater exploration. Barton used a makeshift helmet as a diving helmet to swim around Massachusetts' waters and was weighed down by rocks.
Deane brothers' scuba system
The Deane brothers were the first to test their underwater apparatus, in 1829. The scuba apparatus consisted of a helmet as well as a breathing apparatus. The Deane brothers made a very successful invention, and their business exploded. 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 invented compressed air to create a reservoir for scuba diving in the 1860s. He had already created the 'demand regulater' to be used in underground mines, smoke-filled rooms, and other places. Auguste Denayrouze adapt Rouquayrol’s designs to underwater diving in 1864. The principle behind this device still holds true today. The modern scuba regulator uses a similar system.