Jacques Cousteau
Jacques Cousteau devoted his life to ocean exploration after World War II. He purchased a minesweeper called the Calypso and sailed it around the world, including the Antarctic Circle. He conducted experiments and collected data that he used to develop the Calypso-Phot underwater camera and the SP-350 deep-sea two-man submarine.
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. Cousteau realized that there had to be a better way of controlling the flow of air to explore the depths of oceans. The demand regulator was the result of his experiments. Air can only flow 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 designed a fullface helmet with a removable front plate. This mask was a type of diaphragm that could be used to regulate the demand. The diving regulator was his next invention.
1933 saw the invention of the first scuba diving device. The Fernez-Le-Prieur air supply system was combined with the Denayrouze-Rouquayrol demand regulator. It revolutionized the world of scuba diving, making it affordable and easy to use underwater breathing devices. 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. His fascination with the sea and nature led him to explore the Mediterranean and write about it. It is believed that the book inspired Jacques Cousteau to develop modern scuba diving.
In the early 20th-century, the invention of modern scuba diving equipment began. In 1921, American marine biologist Guy Gilpatric patented a system that allowed divers to breathe air without the use of surface air. Later, Yves Le Prier created an underwater breathing system that was self-contained. The scuba rig was quickly popularized by Owen Churchill after he sold it to him. Guy Gilpatric then developed rubber goggles with glass lenses, face masks, snorkels, 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. The new device offered compressed air on demand, and was capable adjusting to the water pressure. This discovery made it possible to explore all the oceans for everyone.
Gagnan, a Frenchman, was born in Burgundy in 1900. After graduating from college, Gagnan began work at Air Liquide. He studied high pressure pneumatic design. This eventually led to the design of the scuba equipment today.