Jacques Cousteau
After World War II, Jacques Cousteau devoted himself to ocean exploration. He bought the Calypso, a minesweeper, and sailed it around all of the globe, even the Antarctic Circle. He conducted experiments and collected data that he used to develop the Calypso-Phot underwater camera and the SP-350 deep-sea two-man submarine.
Cousteau began research by inventing the aqua-lung, a new breathing system. Although this apparatus was able to allow Cousteau to breathe in controlled air, it was only suited for shallow diving. Cousteau recognized that he needed to find the deepest parts of the oceans and a better way regulate air flow. The demand regulator was the result of his experiments. Air can only flow on demand. This invention would help divers extend their air supply and avoid decompression sickness.
Yves le Prieur
Yves le Prieur scuba diving dates back to the very beginning of the 1900s. In 1946, he designed a fullface helmet with a removable front plate. This mask was a type of diaphragm that could be used to regulate the demand. The diving regulator was his next invention.
1933 saw the invention of the first scuba diving device. The Fernez-Le-Prieur Air Supply System was combined with the Denayrouze & Rouquayrol's demand regulator. It changed the world of scuba diving by making underwater breathing apparatuses affordable and easily accessible. This was the birthplace recreational scuba.
Guy Gilpatric
Guy Gilpatric made many contributions to the history of scuba dive during his lifetime. He wrote the first manual for sport diving, and his articles in The Saturday Evening Post were amongst the first to discuss scuba diving. His love of the sea and natural world led him to write about the Mediterranean. The book is credited as inspiring Jacques Cousteau. He would go on later to create modern scubadiving.
The early 20th century saw the development of the modern scuba diving system. Guy Gilpatric (an American marine biologist) invented a system which allowed divers to breath air without having to use surface air. Later, Yves Le Prier created an underwater breathing system that was self-contained. The scuba rig was quickly popularized by Owen Churchill after he sold it to him. Guy Gilpatric designed rubber goggles with lenses made from glass, swim fins, masks, snorkels, and face masks.
Yves Gagnan
Divers had to rely on air hoses to reach the surface, as well as diving bells and helmets at the beginning century. Yves Gagnan (Parisian engineer) helped them to create a demand valve system. The new device could provide compressed air on demand and adjust to the pressure in the water. This discovery made it possible for people of all levels to explore the oceans.
Gagnan was a French citizen, born in Burgundy, France in 1900. After graduating from college, he took up employment with Air Liquide and studied high-pressure pneumatic design. This led to the creation of the scuba equipment we use today.