The history of scuba diving begins in the 1930s, when Jacques Cousteau, a French engineer, produces 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. The prototype units were tested by the Cousteau Family in 1943.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau
Jacques-Yves Cousteau, a French native, was born in Marseilles. His childhood included snorkeling in warm waters near his home. After graduating from highschool he entered the navy. He became a naval gunnery teacher and a master diver while serving in the navy. He fell in love with the underwater world after which he began to swim down to investigate the seabed. He also developed an underwater camera.
Emile Gagnan
Emile Gagnan is the man behind many of the innovations that are used in modern SCUBA diving. Aqualung, which allows divers to breathe underwater air, was born from his 1950s work. This invention made scubadiving safer and more accessible.
Henry Fleuss
Henry Fleuss is a pioneer in the history of scuba diving. He invented the self-contained breathing system and many other innovations. He worked for several companies, including Siebe, Gorman & Co., and patented his designs in 1878. His invention was revolutionary in that it allowed the diver the freedom to work without the assistance of a pump and a large crew.
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 demonstrated how you can escape from a straitjacket or lock. And his escape skills have been immortalized in motion pictures.
Mark V diving helmet
Mark V diving helmets have a long history 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. However, there are other helmets dating back to the 1820s and earlier.
William Beebe
William Beebe's tale of scubadiving is more than just an account of his adventures. He was a scientist who made numerous dives into the sea for scientific study. He created a marine lab on Nonsuch Island in Bermudas and studied underwater life. He created a unique diving helmet, and breathing apparatus to study the behavior and habits of sea creatures. Beebe also was the first to make a descent into deep water using a bathysphere. A device that lowers a person to 3 028 feet (923 m) in depth. This record stood until 1949.