The beginning of scuba diving's history begins in 1930s when Jacques Cousteau (a French engineer) creates the first underwater movie. Simone Cousteau and her husband loaded black and white still camera films into a movie camera. The first underwater movie was produced. Emile Gagnan from L'Air Liquide et Cie designs the Aqualung. This is the first commercially viable scuba equipment. The prototype units were tested in 1943 by the Cousteau clan.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau
Jacques-Yves Cousteau grew up in Marseilles, France. He spent his childhood swimming in the warm ocean around his home. After graduating from highschool, he chose to join the navy. During his time with the navy, he was a naval guns instructor and a master diver. He was fascinated by the ocean and began diving to explore it. He also created an underwater camcorder.
Emile Gagnan
Many of the innovations used in modern SCUBA diving were developed by Emile Gagnan. Aqualung, a breathing system that allows a diver breathe in underwater water, was the result of his efforts in the 1950s. This invention made scubadiving safer and more accessible.
Henry Fleuss
Henry Fleuss was a pioneer in scuba diving history. He is also credited for many other innovations, including the self-contained breathing apparatus. He worked for several companies, including Siebe, Gorman & Co., and patented his 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
Harry Houdini is a common name for scuba divers. Harry Houdini was a master escape artist who performed many amazing escapes including one from an underwater box! He also showed how to escape from locks and straitjackets. And his escape skills have been immortalized in motion pictures.
Mark V diving helmet
The Mark V diving helmet has a rich history in scuba diving. It was first created for the US Navy, in 1916. It continued to be used until 1984. It is the original diving helmet. However, there are other helmets dating back to the 1820s and earlier.
William Beebe
William Beebe's scuba diving story is not just a tale of adventures under the sea. He was a scientist who made many diving trips into the ocean to study scientific phenomena. 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 also achieved the first ever descent into the deep sea with a bathysphere. It was a device that allowed a person to be lowered to depths of 3 028 feet (923 meters). This record stood for 49 years.