What year was scuba discovered? Many people will argue that it was the 1960s. But when was actually scuba first invented? Let's begin with the oldest scuba equipment. Emile Gagnan, Jacques Cousteau, and other early pioneers have all played important roles in the evolution of scuba diving. 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 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. The film World Without Sun documented the five divers' experiments. The ocean exploration goal has greatly improved since the invention of scuba equipment. Today, robotic undersea robots perform this work, and Cousteau's documentary won the 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 realized that divers in the water were at risk for developing nitrogen narcosis. This can lead to extreme pain and a bizarre behavior. Gagnan was joined by Cousteau in the design of a machine that would allow people to survive under water. 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 designed a diving mask that could be filled using compressed air. It also had a bag that could contain a caustic-potash solution. The resulting sealed circuit system allowed divers to breathe air for up to three hours.
1860s scuba regulator
1860s scuba regulators were a far cry from the current technology. They were developed by Auguste Denayrouze & Benoit Rouquayrol. Benoit Rouquayrol invented the demand valve. It was originally used in poisonous mines and smoky rooms. But it was later made suitable for diving. In 1865, the Rouquayrol-Denayrouze apparatus became a mass-produced product and was adopted as a French Navy standard. The French diving community didn't accept the invention of this regulator.
Davis Submerged Escape Apparatus
R. H. Davis developed the Davis Submerged Rescue Equipment, or Davis Scuba, in 1914. It consisted of a rubber breathing and buoyancy bag, a canister of barium hydroxide, and a steel pressure cylinder containing 56 litres of 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 Goggles
The 1860s were a time when diving equipment was not as sophisticated and advanced as it is now. Divers used to use wooden or glass helmets for protection against water pressure before the invention of scuba goggles. Otis Barton, a wealthy man, was one of two families that had tried underwater exploration as a hobby. Barton had used a makeshift diving helmet to explore the Massachusetts waters, and was supported by rocks.
Deane brothers Scuba System
The Deane brothers tested their underwater apparatus for the first time in 1829. The scuba system consisted of a helmet and a breathing apparatus. The Deane brothers invented the scuba system and quickly became a huge success. Their invention was the catalyst for the creation of The Method of Using Deane Brothers Patent Diving Apparatus, the first diving manual. It detailed the functions of the device and provided safety guidelines.
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 modified Rouquayrol's design for underwater diving in 1864. The principle behind this device is still the same. The modern scuba regulator uses a similar system.