When was scuba first invented? Many people will argue that it was the 1960s. But when was actually scuba first invented? Let's start with the earliest scuba equipment. Emile Gagnan, Jacques Cousteau, and other early pioneers have all played important roles in the evolution of scuba diving. They were instrumental in paving the way to freedom of navigation. But, who is responsible and why? And who is responsible for the earliest scuba regulator?
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. The five divers involved in the experiment were documented in a film called World Without Sun. Since the introduction of scuba equipment, ocean exploration has seen a significant increase in its potential. Today, robot undersea robotics do this work. Cousteau's documentary won a third Academy Award 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 realized that scuba divers were at high risk of developing nitrogen addiction, which can cause extreme pain and make people insane. Gagnan collaborated with Cousteau to develop a machine that could be used to enable people to swim underwater. They realized that oxygen regulation by air pressure would be crucial to survival.
1860s
Henry A. Fleuss - a London-based diver engineer - invented Scuba in 1861. Fleuss created a diving helmet with a spout which could be filled with compressed oxygen. It also contained a bag that could hold a caustic potassium solution. Divers could breathe in air for as long as three hours thanks to the sealed circuit.
1860s Scuba regulator
The 1960s scuba regulators are a far cry away from today's technology. They were developed by Auguste Denayrouze & Benoit Rouquayrol. Benoit Rouquayrol invented the demand valve. It was originally used in poisonous mines and smoky rooms. But it was later made suitable for 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 Device
R. H. Davis invented the Davis Submerged Rescue Apparatus (or Davis scuba) in 1914. It consisted of a rubber breathing and buoyancy bag, a canister of barium hydroxide, and a steel pressure cylinder containing 56 litres of oxygen at 120 bar. The pressure of the water around the user charged the cylinder, which was connected to the breathing bag. 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 useful for industrial diving.
Scuba goggles from the 1860s
The 1860s were a time when diving equipment was not as sophisticated and advanced as it is now. Before the advent of scuba gear, divers used wooden or glass diving helmets that were not effective against the water's pressure. Otis Barton from a wealthy family was one of the two who tried underwater exploration. Barton had swum around the waters of Massachusetts with a makeshift diving helmet and weighed himself down 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
Using compressed air as a scuba reservoir was first invented in the 1860s by Benoit Rouquayrol. Rouquayrol already had the 'demand regulator', which he used in underground mines or smoke-filled rooms. Auguste Denayrouze, an 1864 entrepreneur, adapted Rouquayrol’s design for underwater diving. The principle behind the device remains the same today. The modern scuba regulator uses a similar system.