Jacques Cousteau
Jacques Cousteau devoted his life to ocean exploration after World War II. He bought the Calypso, a minesweeper, and sailed it around all of the globe, even the Antarctic Circle. He collected data and conducted experiments that led to the Calypso-Phot underwater camera and SP-350 deep-sea submarine for two.
Cousteau began his research with the creation of an apparatus for breathing called the aqualung. Although this apparatus was able to allow Cousteau to breathe in controlled air, it was only suited for shallow diving. In order to discover the depths of the oceans, Cousteau knew that he needed a better way to regulate the flow of air. After much experimentation, Cousteau developed the demand regulator. This allowed air to only move on demand. This invention would enable divers to extend their air supply and help them avoid decompression syndrome.
Yves le Prieur
Yves le Prieur scuba diving dates back to the very beginning of the 1900s. 1946 saw the invention of a fullface face mask with a loose top plate. It was a kind of demand regulator diaphragm. His next invention, the diving regulator.
In 1933, the first scuba diving apparatus was patent. The Fernez-Le-Prieur Air Supply System was combined with the Denayrouze & Rouquayrol's demand regulator. It changed the world of scuba diving by making underwater breathing apparatuses affordable and easily accessible. This was the birth of recreational diving.
Guy Gilpatric
Guy Gilpatric contributed a lot to the history and evolution of scuba diving throughout his life. His articles for The Saturday Evening Post, which covered scuba diving, were the first to include a sport diving manual. He was fascinated by the sea and the natural world and decided to travel the Mediterranean to write about it. The book is credited for inspiring Jacques Cousteau, the man who would go on to invent modern scuba diving.
In the early 20th-century, the invention of modern scuba diving equipment began. Guy Gilpatric, an American marine biologist, invented a system that allowed divers air to be breathed in without the need for surface air. Later, Yves Le Prier invented a self-contained underwater breathing system. The scuba rig was quickly popularized by Owen Churchill after he sold it to him. Guy Gilpatric created rubber goggles, which included lenses made of glass, swim fins, snorkels and masks.
Yves Gagnan
The first century saw scuba divers relying on the use of diving bells, helmets, and air hoses. Yves Gagnan (Parisian engineer) helped them to create a demand valve system. The new device was capable of providing compressed air on-demand and could adjust to the pressure of surrounding water. This invention made it possible to explore the oceans with people at all levels.
Gagnan was born 1900 in Burgundy in France. After graduating college, he started working at Air Liquide. There he learned high-pressure pneumatic designing. This work eventually led to the development of scuba equipment that we use today.