What year was scuba discovered? Many will answer that it was the 1860s. But, when was scuba invented? Let's take a look at the early scuba equipment. Emile Gagnan (Jacques Cousteau), and many other pioneers have played important roles in the evolution scuba diving. Although they helped to open up navigation freedom, who is responsible for its evolution? Who was responsible for the development of the first regulator for scuba diving?
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. Five divers took part in the experiments. They were documented in a film called World Without Sun. Since the emergence of scuba equipment, the goal of ocean exploration has been greatly enhanced. Robotic undersea robots now perform this work. Cousteau's documentary won third Academy Award.
Emile Gagnan
Scuba was first invented by Emile Gagnan, a French engineer who was designing valves for a Paris-based compressed gas company. He realized that scuba divers were at high risk of developing nitrogen addiction, which can cause extreme pain and make people insane. Gagnan, Cousteau and their team designed a machine to allow people to live underwater. They realized that oxygen regulation by air pressure would be crucial to survival.
1860s
Scuba was invented in the 1860s by Henry A. Fleuss, a diving engineer working for a company in London. Fleuss' design consisted of a diving mask with a spout that could be filled with compressed air. It also contained a bag that could hold a caustic potassium solution. This sealed circuit system allowed divers air to be able to breathe for up to three hours.
1860s scuba regulator
1860s scuba regulators were a far cry from the current technology. They were designed by Auguste Denayrouze (Benoit Rouquayrol). Benoit Rouquayrol first used the demand valve in smoky rooms, poisonous mines. Later, it was adapted to diving. In 1865, the Rouquayrol-Denayrouze apparatus became a mass-produced product and was adopted as a French Navy standard. This regulator was not widely accepted by the French diving community.
Davis Submerged Escape Mechatronus
R. H. Davis created the Davis Submerged Rescue Device, also known as Davis scuba 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 with the breathing bag. It was charged by the water pressure around 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 was a time when diving gear was not as sophisticated as today's. Before the advent of scuba goggles, divers would rely on wooden or glass diving helmets, which were ineffective against the water's pressure. Otis Barton and his family were wealthy enough to have tried out underwater exploration. Barton had used a makeshift diving helmet to explore the Massachusetts waters, and was supported by rocks.
Deane brothers' scuba diving system
The Deane brothers were the first to test their underwater apparatus, in 1829. The scuba system consisted primarily of a helmet and breathing apparatus. The Deane brothers' system was a successful invention and soon the two brothers had a booming business. Their invention was the catalyst for the creation of The Method of Using Deane Brothers Patent Diving Apparatus, the first diving manual. It detailed the functions of the device and provided safety guidelines.
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. Auguste Denayrouze, an 1864 entrepreneur, adapted Rouquayrol’s design for underwater diving. The principle behind this device is still the same. The modern regulator for scuba diving uses a similar system.