What year was scuba discovered? Many people will argue that it was the 1960s. But when was actually scuba first invented? Let's start by looking at the first scuba equipment. Emile Gagnan and Jacques Cousteau were all key players in the development of scuba diving. They helped pave the way for freedom of navigation, but who is responsible for its development? Who was responsible for the development of the first regulator for scuba diving?
Jacques Cousteau
In the early 1960s, Jacques Cousteau was part of a program called the Conshelf Saturation Dive, which aimed to determine the feasibility of living underwater for extended periods. The film World Without Sun documented the five divers' experiments. Since the introduction of scuba equipment, ocean exploration has seen a significant increase in its potential. 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 was joined by Cousteau in the design of a machine that would allow people to survive under water. They knew that air-pressure regulation of oxygen would be the keys 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 featured a bag with which you could fill it with a caustic Potash solution. This sealed circuit system allowed divers air to be able to breathe for up to three hours.
Scuba regulator from the 1860s
In 1860s, scuba regulators were quite different to the modern technology. They were created by Auguste Denayrouze and Benoit Rouquayrol. The demand valve designed by Benoit Rouquayrol was initially used in smoky areas and poisonous mines. However, it was later modified for diving. In 1865, the Rouquayrol-Denayrouze apparatus became a mass-produced product and was adopted as a French Navy standard. The invention of this regulator was not universally accepted by the French diving community, however.
Davis Submerged Escape Apparatus
R. H. Davis created the Davis Submerged Rescue Device, also known as 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. 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 to do industrial diving.
1860s scuba goggles
The 1860s was a time when diving gear was not as sophisticated as today's. Divers would have to use glass or wooden diving helmets before scuba goggles were invented. They are ineffective against the pressure of the water. Otis Barton from a wealthy family was one of the two who tried underwater exploration. Barton had used a makeshift diving helmet to explore the Massachusetts waters, and was supported by rocks.
Deane brothers' scuba system
The Deane brothers tested their underwater apparatus for the first time in 1829. The scuba system consisted primarily of a helmet and breathing apparatus. The Deane brothers made a very successful invention, and their business exploded. Their invention lead to The Method of Using Deane Brothers Patent Diving Apparatus. It was the first diving manual.
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 adapt Rouquayrol’s designs to underwater diving in 1864. Today, the principle behind this device is the same. A similar system is used by modern scuba regulators.