Jacques Cousteau
Jacques Cousteau devoted his life to ocean exploration after World War II. He bought a Calypso mining boat and traveled around the world in it, including to 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 to research the aqua lung, which is a new breathing apparatus. This apparatus allowed Cousteau, although it could only be used for shallow dives, to control his airflow. Cousteau was determined to find out the depths beneath the oceans. He needed a better method to regulate airflow. Through his experimentation, he developed the demand regulator which allows air to flow only on demand. This invention would help divers extend their air supply and avoid decompression sickness.
Yves le Prieur
Yves le Prieur's contributions to scubadiving date back to early 1900s. In 1946, he created a fullface mask that had a loose face plate. This was to be used as a demand regulator's diaphragm. His next invention, the diving regulator.
1933 was the date that the first Scuba Diving Equipment was Patented. This device combined the Fernez-Le-Prieur air supply system with the demand regulator invented by Denayrouze and Rouquayrol. It revolutionized the world of scuba diving, making it affordable and easy to use underwater breathing devices. This was the birthplace of recreational scuba diving.
Guy Gilpatric
Guy Gilpatric made many contributions to the history of scuba dive during his lifetime. His articles for The Saturday Evening Post, which covered scuba diving, were the first to include a sport diving manual. His love of the sea and natural world led him to write about the Mediterranean. The book is credited as inspiring Jacques Cousteau. He would go on later to create modern scubadiving.
In the early 20th Century, the inventions of modern scuba diving gear were made. Guy Gilpatric an American marine biologist invented a system that allowed divers access to air without the use or surface air. Later, Yves Le Prier developed an underwater breathing system. Owen Churchill purchased the system and the scuba gear quickly became popular. Guy Gilpatric later developed rubber goggles featuring glass lenses, face masks and snorkels as well as swim fins and a high pressure air tank.
Yves Gagnan
In the beginning of the century, scuba divers had to rely on helmets, diving bells, and air hoses from the surface. Yves Gagnan (Parisian engineer) helped them to create a demand valve system. This device supplied compressed air on request and was capable to adjust to the pressure within the water. This discovery made it possible to explore all the oceans for everyone.
Gagnan was a French citizen, born in Burgundy, France in 1900. After graduating from college, he took up employment with Air Liquide and studied high-pressure pneumatic design. This work eventually led to the development of scuba equipment that we use today.