The story of scuba diving began in the 1930s with the production of the first underwater film by Jacques Cousteau. A French engineer, Cousteau, was responsible for the creation. His wife Simone and Jacques Cousteau load black-and-white still camera film onto a movie camera. This is the first underwater movie ever produced. Emile Gagnan from L'Air Liquide et Cie designs the Aqualung. This is the first commercially viable scuba equipment. In 1943, the prototype units were tested by the Cousteau family.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau
Jacques-Yves Cousteau was a Marseilles native. He spent his youth snorkeling in and around the warm Mediterranean waters. After graduating from highschool, he chose to join the navy. He was a naval gunnery officer and a master diver during his time in the navy. He became fascinated by the underwater world, and began to dive down to explore it. He also created an underwater camera.
Emile Gagnan
Many of the innovations used in modern SCUBA diving were developed by Emile Gagnan. Aqualung is a breathing device that allows a diver underwater to breathe. It was developed by his work in 1950. This invention made diving safer and easier for everyone.
Henry Fleuss
Henry Fleuss, a pioneer of scuba dive history, is Henry Fleuss. He was credited with numerous other innovations and the invention of the first self-contained breath apparatus. He worked for several companies, including Siebe, Gorman & Co., and patented his designs in 1878. His invention was revolutionary in that it allowed the diver the freedom to work without the assistance of a pump and a large crew.
Harry Houdini
When you think of scuba diving, you probably think of Harry Houdini. He was an escape artist and performed incredible escapes. He also showed how to escape from locks and straitjackets. He was immortalized in motion-pictures for his escape skills.
Mark V diving helmet
Mark V diving gear has a rich history. It was designed by the US Navy in 1916. It was then used until 1984. It is considered the original diving helmet. Other helmets are available from the 1820s and before.
William Beebe
William Beebe's story of scuba diving is more than a tale about adventures under the water. He was a scientist who made numerous dives into the sea for scientific study. He set up a laboratory for marine research on Nonsuch Island in Bermuda and studied the sea life. He studied the behavior, then developed a diving helmet. Beebe also achieved the first ever descent into the deep sea with a bathysphere. It was a device that allowed a person to be lowered to depths of 3 028 feet (923 meters). This record stood up until 1949.