When was scuba invented? Many people will argue that it was the 1960s. But when was actually scuba first invented? Let's look at the earliest scuba equipment. Emile Gagnan and Jacques Cousteau were all key players in the development of scuba diving. They are responsible for the development of freedom of navigation. And who is responsible for the earliest scuba regulator?
Jacques Cousteau
In the 1960s, Jacques Cousteau participated in a program called Conshelf Saturation Dive. This program was designed to prove that it was possible to live underwater for long periods of time. Five divers took part in the experiments. They 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, robotic undersea robots perform this work, and Cousteau's documentary won the third Academy Award for Best Documentary.
Emile Gagnan
Scuba was first invented by Emile Gagnan, a French engineer who was designing valves for a Paris-based compressed 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 and Cousteau worked together to create a machine that could allow people to survive underwater. They realized that oxygen-pressure regulation would be key to survival.
1860s
Henry A. Fleuss - a London-based diver engineer - invented Scuba in 1861. Fleuss' design included a diving snorkel with a spout to hold compressed air. The bag could also be filled with caustic potash. 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 designed by Benoit Rouquayrol and Auguste Denayrouze. Benoit Rouquayrol first used the demand valve in smoky rooms, poisonous mines. Later, it was adapted to diving. In 1865, the Rouquayrol-Denayrouze apparatus became a mass-produced product and was adopted as a French Navy standard. The invention of this regulator was not universally accepted by the French diving community, however.
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. This cylinder was connected to the breathing bag, and was charged by the pressure in the water surrounding the user. 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 industrially.
1860s scuba glasses
The 1860s was a time when diving gear was not as sophisticated as today's. Before the advent of scuba gear, divers used wooden or glass diving helmets that were not effective 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
The Deane brothers were the first to test their underwater apparatus, in 1829. The scuba system consisted of a helmet and a breathing apparatus. The Deane brothers' invention was a success and the brothers soon had a flourishing business. Their invention resulted in the first diving manual, The Method of Using Deane Brothers Patent Diving Apparatus. This detailed the functions of their apparatus and also provided safety instructions.
1860s scuba reservoir
Using compressed air as a scuba reservoir was first invented in the 1860s by Benoit Rouquayrol. He had already developed the 'demand regulator' for use in underground mines and smoke filled rooms. Auguste Denayrouze adapt Rouquayrol’s designs to underwater diving in 1864. The principle behind the device remains the same today. The modern scuba regulator uses a similar system.