A Brief History Of Scuba Diving

Scuba. The word conjures up images of divers slowly weaving their way among beautiful coral reefs as exotic fish swim by, trails of bubbles drifting off behind them. Scuba or scuba diving has entered the vernacular to describe any self-contained equipment that allows one to breath and remain underwater for extended periods of time. But the word SCUBA was originally an Acronym for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus, and was applied specifically to the equipment used by US navy divers, also known as frogman, developed during WWII by scientist and engineer Dr. Christian Lambertsen. Around the same time the man most associated with Scuba diving and underwater adventure Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Emile Gagnan modified an automobile regulator and invented the on-demand underwater breathing regulator that became known as the "Aqualung" and set the standard for modern Scuba diving equipment.

While all modern Scuba gear uses the same ideas and designs of the first rigs invented by Cousteau and Lambertson in the '40's - basically tanks of gas strapped to the divers back and some type of on-demand regulator - man's desire to swim like a fish and need to explore the underwater world goes back much further then that. People have been "free diving" or simply staying under water for as long as they could hold their breath for centuries. A simple reed snorkel was added probably about 100 AD. In the 1300's Persian divers were using what looked very much like modern goggles made from polished tortoise shells. The first primitive "diving bells" basically inverted barrels began making appearances around the 16th century and for the first time divers were able to stay under for longer than just a sustained breath of air. But not for too much longer; that didn't occur until British engineer John Smeaton invented a pump that could pump air down to the diver from the surface.

The first real "self contained rebreather" soon followed, when in 1772 Frenchman Sieur Freminet invented a device that recycled the air within the diving bell, but the invention was far from perfect, in fact like many pioneers Freminet gave his life succumbing to lack of oxygen after being on the device for less than 20 minutes. Still he proved that self-contained underwater breathing was possible. Many improvements, triumphs and tragedies followed - most notably were the developments of the familiar "deep sea" diving helmets and suits, which opened a whole new world of underwater exploration, construction, commercial salvage and warfare. However these suits while becoming safe and practical still required the diver to be tethered to a surface air supply. In 1865 the forerunner of what would become known as SCUBA gear was tested and patented by Benoit Rouquayrol and Auguste Denayrouse. The system consisted of a horizontal steel tank of compressed air worn on a diver's back, connected to a valve and a mouthpiece. As with traditional diving suits of the time, the diver was still connected to the surface by a hose that pumped fresh air into the tank, but he was able to disconnect from the tether and dive with just the tank on his back like a modern scuba diver, albeit for just a few minutes. From there the quest for a true simple to use underwater breathing apparatus that almost anyone could use was born. Over the next few decades rubber fins, goggles and eventually diving masks were invented, and the familiar image of the "frogman" began to take shape, until finally, Cousteau and Gagnan's Aqualung was made available commercially, first in Europe and here in the States around 1951, and the modern era of Scuba Diving was born.

Today Scuba diving is one of the fastest growing recreational sports worldwide. With new gear evolving continuously and all manner of diving trips, excursions and vacations available. Men, woman, even children can become certified in Basic Scuba Diving in just a few days and exotic worlds that humans once only dreamed about, and many gave their lives to explore, are now accessible for almost anyone to safely enjoy.