The story of scuba diving began in the 1930s with the production of the first underwater film by Jacques Cousteau. A French engineer, Cousteau, was responsible for the creation. Simone and Cousteau loaded a black and blue still camera film into a camera to make the first underwater movie. Emile Gagnan from L'Air Liquide et Cie designs the Aqualung. This is the first commercially viable scuba equipment. In 1943, the Cousteau family tested the prototype units.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau
Jacques-Yves Cousteau, a French native, was born in Marseilles. His childhood included snorkeling in warm waters near his home. After graduating from highschool, he chose to join the navy. He became a naval gunnery teacher and a master diver while serving in the navy. He became fascinated by the underwater world, and began to dive down to explore it. He also invented an underwater camera.
Emile Gagnan
Emile Gagnan is responsible for many of the innovations in modern SCUBA dives. Aqualung, a breathing system that allows a diver breathe in underwater water, was the result of his efforts in the 1950s. The Aqualung was invented to make scuba diving safer and more accessible for everyone.
Henry Fleuss
Henry Fleuss was a pioneer in scuba diving history. He was credited with numerous other innovations and the invention of the first self-contained breath apparatus. His designs were patented by Siebe, Gorman & Co. in 1878. He worked for many companies, including Siebe, Gorman & Co. His invention was revolutionary as it allowed the diver not to depend on any pump or crew to operate independently from the surface.
Harry Houdini
When you think of scuba diving, you probably think of Harry Houdini. Harry Houdini was a master escape artist who performed many amazing escapes including one from an underwater box! He also demonstrated how to escape from a straitjacket, locks, and suspended objects. And his escape skills have been immortalized in motion pictures.
Mark V diving helmet
The Mark V diving helmet has a rich history in scuba diving. It was first designed for the US Navy in 1916 and was used until 1984. It is considered the first diving helmet. But, there are still other helmets from the 1820s.
William Beebe
William Beebe's tale of scubadiving is more than just an account of his adventures. He was a scientist, who did many dives into the water for scientific research. He established a marine laboratory at Nonsuch Island, Bermudas, and studied the aquatic life. He researched the behavior of marine animals and created a unique diving helmet. Beebe also became the first to dive into the deep ocean with a bathysphere. The device was capable of lowering a person down to 3,028ft (923m) below the surface. This record stood until 1949.