When was scuba invented? Many will answer that it was the 1860s. But, when was scuba invented? Let's begin with the oldest scuba equipment. Emile Gagnan (Jacques Cousteau), and many other pioneers have played important roles in the evolution scuba diving. 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
Jacques Cousteau, who was part of a program called Conshelf Saturation Dive in the 1960s that sought to determine if living underwater for extended periods of time was possible, participated in this program. Five divers took part in the experiments. They were documented in a film called World Without Sun. The ocean exploration goal has greatly improved since the invention of scuba equipment. Robotic undersea robots now perform this work. Cousteau's documentary won third Academy Award.
Emile Gagnan
Scuba was discovered by Emile Gagnan, an engineer from France who was developing valve designs for a Paris-based company that produced compressed gas. He realized that scuba divers were in danger of developing nitrogen narcosis, a condition that makes people behave crazy and suffer from intense pain. Gagnan was joined by Cousteau in the design of a machine that would allow people to survive under water. They realized that oxygen-pressure regulation would be key to survival.
1860s
Henry A. Fleuss (a London-based dive engineer) invented Scuba in the 1960s. Fleuss created a diving helmet with a spout which could be filled with compressed oxygen. It also featured a bag with which you could fill it with a caustic Potash solution. Divers could breathe in air for as long as three hours thanks to the sealed circuit.
1860s regulator for scuba diving
In 1860s, scuba regulators were quite different to the modern technology. They were developed 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. However, the French diving community did not accept this regulator's invention.
Davis Submerged Escape Apparatus
R. H. Davis was the inventor of Davis Submerged rescue apparatus, or Davis scuba. It contained a rubber breathing & buoyancy bag, a barium hydroxide canister, and a steel pressurecylinder with 56 litres of oxygen at 120 bars. This cylinder was connected directly to the breathing bags and was powered by the pressure in the surrounding water. 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 to do industrial diving.
1860s scuba goggles
In the 1860s, diving gear was less sophisticated than it is today. Divers would have to use glass or wooden diving helmets before scuba goggles were invented. They are ineffective against the pressure of the water. Otis Barton is one of two wealthy families who had explored underwater exploration when they were young. Barton had floated around Massachusetts in a makeshift diving mask and weighed himself with rocks.
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' system was a successful invention and soon the two brothers had a booming business. Their invention led them to create the first diving manual The Method of Using Deane Brothers Patent Diving Apparatus. The manual detailed the functions of each apparatus as well as safety precautions.
1860s scuba reservoir
Benoit Rouquayrol first developed compressed air as a scuba reservoir in the 1860s. Rouquayrol had already invented the "demand regulator" for underground mines and smoke-filled rooms. In 1864, Auguste Denayrouze adapted Rouquayrol's design to underwater diving. The principle behind this device still holds true today. A similar system is used in modern scuba regulators.