What year was scuba discovered? Many people will argue that it was the 1960s. But when was actually scuba first invented? Let's start by looking at the first scuba equipment. Emile Gagnan Jacques Cousteau, and others have played important parts in the development of scuba divers. They helped pave the way for freedom of navigation, but who is responsible for its development? Who was responsible for the development of the first regulator for scuba diving?
Jacques Cousteau
In the 1960s Jacques Cousteau was part a program called Conshelf Saturation Dive. The goal of the Conshelf Saturation Dive was to establish if it was possible to live underwater long enough. Five divers participated in the experiment, which was documented in a film called World Without Sun. The ultimate goal of ocean exploration is now possible thanks to the development of scuba equipment. Robotic undersea robots now perform this work. Cousteau's documentary won third Academy Award.
Emile Gagnan
Scuba was developed by Emile Gagnan in France, who was working on valve designs for Paris's compressed gas company. He discovered that scuba divers were at risk of developing nitrogen narcosis. This condition causes extreme pain and makes people crazy. Gagnan and Cousteau worked together to create a machine that could allow people to survive underwater. They realized that oxygen-pressure regulation would be key to survival.
1860s
Henry A. Fleuss, an engineer and diver from London, invented the sport of scuba in 1860s. Fleuss created a diving helmet with a spout which could be filled with compressed oxygen. It also contained a bag that could hold a caustic potassium solution. Divers could breathe in air for as long as three hours thanks to the sealed circuit.
1860s Scuba regulator
The 1960s scuba regulators are a far cry away from today's technology. They were created by Auguste Denayrouze and Benoit Rouquayrol. The demand valve designed by Benoit Rouquayrol was initially used in smoky areas and poisonous mines. However, it was later modified for diving. In 1865, the Rouquayrol-Denayrouze apparatus became a mass-produced product and was adopted as a French Navy standard. The invention of this regulator was not universally accepted by the French diving community, however.
Davis Submerged Escape Device
R. H. Davis developed the Davis Submerged Rescue Equipment, or Davis Scuba, in 1914. It was composed of a rubber breathing and buoyancy device, a canister containing barium hydroxide and a steel pressure tube containing 56 litres oxygen at 120 bar. This was connected with the breathing bag. It was charged by the water pressure around it. 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.
Scuba goggles from the 1860s
In the 1860s, diving gear was less sophisticated than it is today. Before the advent of scuba gear, divers used wooden or glass diving helmets that were not effective against the water's pressure. Otis Barton and his family were wealthy enough to have tried out underwater exploration. Barton had swum around the waters of Massachusetts with a makeshift diving helmet and weighed himself down with rocks.
Deane brothers' scuba system
In 1829, the Deane brothers started testing their underwater apparatus. The scuba system was composed of a helmet, a breathing apparatus, and a mask. The Deane brothers made a very successful invention, and their business exploded. 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. Rouquayrol already had the 'demand regulator', which he used in underground mines or smoke-filled rooms. Auguste Denayrouze adapt Rouquayrol’s designs to underwater diving in 1864. The principle behind this device is still the same. The modern scuba regulator uses a similar system.