What year was scuba discovered? Many people will tell you that it was in 1860s. But when did scuba become a reality? Let's take a look at the early scuba equipment. Emile Gagnan, Jacques Cousteau and other early pioneers all played an important role in the evolution of scuba dive. These pioneers helped open the door to freedom of navigation. But who is responsible? And who was the first to regulate scuba diving in the world?
Jacques Cousteau
In the 1960s, Jacques Cousteau took part in a program called Conshelf Saturation Dive. It was intended to test the feasibility of living underwater for prolonged periods. The experiments, which involved five divers, were documented in a film called World Without Sun. The ocean exploration goal has greatly improved since the invention of scuba equipment. Nowadays, robotic undersea bots perform this task, and Cousteau’s documentary won Academy Award #3 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 discovered that scuba divers were at risk of developing nitrogen narcosis. This condition causes extreme pain and makes people crazy. Gagnan and Cousteau collaborated to design a machine that would enable people to survive underwater. They understood that the key to survival would be air-pressure regulation.
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 included a bag that could be filled with a caustic potash solution. This sealed circuit allowed divers to inhale air for up three hours.
Scuba regulator from the 1860s
In 1860s, scuba regulators were quite different to the modern technology. They were designed by Auguste Denayrouze (Benoit Rouquayrol). Benoit Rouquayrol designed the demand valve. At first, it was used in smoky places and poisonous mining areas. It was later modified to be suitable 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 Apparatus
The Davis Submerged Rescue Apparatus, or Davis scuba, was invented by R H. Davis 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 to a breathing bag and charged by the pressure in water surrounding 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 in industrial diving.
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 from a wealthy family was one of the two who tried underwater exploration. Barton had worn a makeshift dive helmet and weighed his body with rocks as he swam around Massachusetts waters.
Deane brothers' Scuba System
The Deane brothers first began testing their underwater apparatus in 1829. The scuba equipment consisted of a helmet with a breathing device. The Deane brothers made a very successful invention, and their business exploded. Their invention led to the first diving manual, The Method of Using Deane Brothers' Patent Diving Apparatus, which detailed the functions of the apparatus, as well as provided instructions for safety.
1860s scuba reservoir
Benoit Rouquayrol invente the first scuba reservoir using compressed air in the 1860s. Rouquayrol had already invented the "demand regulator" for underground mines and smoke-filled rooms. Auguste Denayrouze modified Rouquayrol's design for underwater diving in 1864. The principle behind the device remains the same today. The modern scuba regulator uses a similar system.