Aqua-Lung, the world's first self-contained, open-circuit underwater breathing apparatus, gained worldwide fame and commercial success. This class of equipment is now commonly referred to as the demand valve or twin-hose diving regulator. Aqua-Lung breathing apparatus has a basic structure similar to traditional scuba tanks. The regulator is connected and controlled by a demand valve.
Jacques Cousteau
Jacques Cousteau and the aqua lung - a remarkable story in Scuba tech! The original Aqua-Lung was invented during World War II. Cousteau, a French national, developed the underwater breathing apparatus in 1943. He was inspired by a 1925 invention by Captain Yves Le Prieur. While the Aqua-Lung was initially a limited-functioning device, the Germans requisitioned automobile gas to use on the battlefield. Adapting an existing regulator, Cousteau developed the Aqua-Lung and eventually invented the autonomous diving system.
Cousteau was instrumental in the development of scuba technology and discovered underwater archeology. He led the first self-contained diving expedition in 1946 and recovered the Roman shipwreck Mahdia. The next year, he made a British minersweeper an oceanographic research ship. He struggled to raise the money for the expeditions. His passion for diving eventually led him to create The Silent World, a book that became a success.
Aqua-Lung is the best innovation in scuba diving. It was developed by Jacques Cousteau, in 1959. Since then it has allowed divers to freely swim under water. The Aqua-Lung has been a common tool for many, and Cousteau contributed many other tools to oceanographic exploration. In fact, the first underwater camera was also invented by Cousteau in 1959. Cousteau s innovative innovations made scuba diving possible.
Emile Gagnan
1945: Emile Gagnan (Jacques Yves Cousteau) and Emile Gaugnan (Emile Gagnan) patent the Aqua-Lung diving regulation. Aire Liquide, an American company, purchased the rights to make the regulator. It was later sold to the U.S. Divers Corporation. It was the latest version of the French CG45 regulatory and was built in Canada. This regulator was extremely successful.
Initially, the Aqualung was called Aqua-lung. The first Aqua-lung sold in France was in 1946. The Aqua-lung was then introduced to the U.S.A in 1952. In 1958, Air Liquide purchased U.S. Aqua Lung America was created by divers and purchased by Air Liquide in 1958. Air Liquide later acquired the company and made it the largest diving company worldwide. Today, the Aqua-lung is a major component of nearly every set of Scuba gear worldwide.
The Aqua-Lung was invented by two Frenchmen: Emile Gagnan and Jacques Cousteau. Both men were spies for the French Resistance during World War II. Robert Ballard kept his interest in the ocean even after the war. Emile Gagnan, who was also a Frenchman working for L'Air Liquide, became his friend. They both learned how to use high pressure pneumatic design while engineers. Gagnan's original idea evolved into the Aqua-Lung, a fully-automated compressed air scuba system.