What year was scuba discovered? Many people will tell you that it was in 1860s. But when did scuba become a reality? Let's take a look at the early scuba equipment. Emile Gagnan, Jacques Cousteau and other early pioneers all played an important role in the evolution of scuba dive. Although they helped to open up navigation freedom, who is responsible for its evolution? Who is responsible for the first 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. Five divers participated in the experiment, which was documented in a film called World Without Sun. The goal of ocean exploration has become much more achievable since the advent of scuba gear. Today, robotic undersea robots perform this work, and Cousteau's documentary won the third Academy Award for Best Documentary.
Emile Gagnan
Scuba was first invented by Emile Gagnan, a French engineer who was designing valves for a Paris-based compressed gas company. He saw that divers could be at risk of suffering from nitrogen narcosis. This is a condition in which people can become insane and experience extreme pain. Gagnan and Cousteau worked together to create a machine that could allow people to survive underwater. They realized that oxygen-pressure regulation would be key to survival.
1860s
Henry A. Fleuss - a London-based diver engineer - invented Scuba in 1861. Fleuss invented a diving mask with an air spout, which could be filled by compressed air. It also had a bag that could contain a caustic-potash solution. This sealed circuit system allowed divers air to be able to breathe for up to three hours.
1860s regulator for scuba diving
1860s scuba regulators were a far cry from the current technology. They were designed and developed by Auguste Denayrouze, Benoit Rouquayrol, and Auguste Denayrouze. 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 was the inventor of Davis Submerged rescue apparatus, or Davis scuba. It contained a rubber breathing and buoyancy pack, a canister with barium hydroxide, and an iron pressure cylinder that contained 56 litres at 120 bar. 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 for industrial diving.
1860s scuba goggles
The 1860s were a time when diving equipment was not as sophisticated and advanced as it is now. Before the advent of scuba goggles, divers would rely on wooden or glass diving helmets, which were ineffective against the water's pressure. However, two wealthy families had experimented with underwater exploration in their youth, and Otis Barton was one of them. Barton had used a makeshift diving helmet to explore the Massachusetts waters, and was supported by rocks.
Deane brothers scuba system
The Deane brothers first began testing their underwater apparatus in 1829. The scuba system consisted of a helmet and a breathing apparatus. The Deane brothers made a very successful invention, and their business exploded. Their invention resulted in the first diving manual, The Method of Using Deane Brothers Patent Diving Apparatus. This detailed the functions of their apparatus and also provided safety instructions.
1860s scuba reservoir
Benoit Rouquayrol first developed compressed air as a scuba reservoir in the 1860s. 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. A similar system is used by modern scuba regulators.