Scuba diving to some is an activity for the purpose of leisure. For others, it is a world renowned sport that requires prominent skills and professional knowledge. As early as the 12th century, long before formal scuba diving gear existed, a group of ancient swimmers were believed to have used primitive snorkels made from hollow reeds and eye goggles from thinly sliced shells of turtles.
By the 16th century, early inventors fascinated by the thought of underwater breathing, improvised wooden barrels as rudimentary diving bells. These are probably breakthrough inventions that triggered the revolutionary innovation in modern scuba diving. During the 1770s, a couple of European inventors elaborated more on the development of antique scuba diving gear. John Smeaton, a British engineer, built the first air pump which has a hose connected to the dive barrel which allowed air to be pumped to the diver. A Frenchman by the name of Sieur Freminet is not to be discredited for his contribution in scuba diving. He was the first inventor who attempted a rebreathing device. Unfortunately, he died due to a lack of oxygen in his device after 20 minutes.
Scuba Diving Inventions in the 19th and 20th Century
The 19th century saw a couple of developments in scuba diving equipment. William James designed a breathing apparatus which consisted of a copper helmet connected to a cylindrical iron belt. Another contributor in making scuba diving possible was an Englishman by the name of Henry Fleuss. His closed circuit oxygen rebreather, whose purpose was to rebuild a flooded ship’s iron door, also caused his death due to an overdose in oxygen during a 30 foot dive.
The history of scuba diving can also be traced back to the inventions of some magicians. A legendary magician by the name of Harry Houdini thrilled his audiences by escaping from straitjackets and handcuffs while submerged in water. Houdini is also to be credited for his contribution in making scuba diving possible. During these underwater acts, he used diving suits for emergency situations to safely escape underwater dangers.
However, it was only during 1942 when Emile Gagnan and Jacques Cousteau revolutionized commercial scuba diving with their invention. It was they who redesigned a car regulator and invented a demand regulator that would emit fresh air to the diver. A year after this breakthrough, this scuba set was marketed to the public as the Aqua-Lung.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
