In the 1930s, Jacques Cousteau, a French engineer and filmmaker, created the first underwater film. 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. In 1943, Emile Gagnan (an industrial gas control system engineer at L'Air Liquide et Cie) designs the Aqualung, which is the first commercially viable scuba unit. In 1943, the Cousteau family tested the prototype units.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau
Jacques-Yves Cousteau was born in Marseilles, France, and spent his early life snorkeling in the warm sea around his hometown. After graduating from highschool he entered the navy. During his time in the navy, he became a naval gunnery instructor and became a master diver. Afterward, he became fascinated with the underwater world and swam down to explore the seabed. He also created an underwater camera.
Emile Gagnan
Many of the innovations used in modern SCUBA diving were developed by Emile Gagnan. Aqualung was created by Emile Gagnan in the 1950s. This breathing apparatus allows the diver to inhale underwater air. The Aqualung was invented to make scuba diving safer and more accessible for everyone.
Henry Fleuss
Henry Fleuss is an innovator in scubadiving history. He invented the self-contained breathing system and many other innovations. He worked at several companies, including Siebe, Gorman & Co., where he patented the designs in 1878. His invention was revolutionary as it allowed the diver not to depend on any pump or crew to operate independently from the surface.
Harry Houdini
When you think of scuba diving, you probably think of Harry Houdini. The master escape artist was known for performing a number of amazing escapes, including one from a container underwater. He also demonstrated how you can escape from a straitjacket or lock. His escape skills were immortalized in motion pictures.
Mark V diving helmet
Mark V diving helmet has a rich heritage in scuba diving. It was designed by the US Navy in 1916. It was then used until 1984. It is considered the first diving helmet. There are many other helmets that date back to the 1820s or earlier.
William Beebe
William Beebe's scuba diving story is not just a tale of adventures under the sea. He was also an explorer who took many dives to the sea for scientific research. He created a marine lab on Nonsuch Island in Bermudas and studied underwater life. He developed a diving helmet and breathing apparatus that mimic the behavior of sea animals. Beebe was also the first person to descend into deep sea using a bathysphere. This device lowered people to depths of 3,028 feet (923 metres). This record stood until 1949.