The beginning of scuba diving's history begins in 1930s when Jacques Cousteau (a French engineer) creates the first underwater movie. Simone Cousteau and her husband loaded black and white still camera films into a movie camera. The first underwater movie was produced. Emile Gagnan of L'Air Liquide et Cie is responsible for designing the Aqualung. It's the first commercially viable scuba device. The prototype units were tested by the Cousteau Family in 1943.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau
Jacques-Yves Cousteau was a Marseilles native. He spent his youth snorkeling in and around the warm Mediterranean waters. After graduating from highschool, he chose to join the navy. He was a naval gunnery officer and a master diver during his time in the navy. He fell in love with the underwater world after which he began to swim down to investigate the seabed. He also developed an underwater camera.
Emile Gagnan
Emile Gagnan was the inventor of many modern innovations in SCUBA diving. Aqualung, a breathing system that allows a diver breathe in underwater water, was the result of his efforts in the 1950s. With this invention, scuba diving became safer and more accessible.
Henry Fleuss
Henry Fleuss, a pioneer of scuba dive history, is Henry Fleuss. He is known for inventing many other innovations. His designs were patented in 1878 by several companies, including Siebe, Gorman & Co. His invention was revolutionary in that it allowed the diver the freedom to work without the assistance of a pump and a large crew.
Harry Houdini
When you think of scuba diving, you probably think of Harry Houdini. He was an escape artist and performed incredible escapes. He also demonstrated how you can escape from a straitjacket or lock. His escape skills were immortalized in motion pictures.
Mark V diving helmet
The Mark V diving helmet has a rich history in scuba diving. It was created for the US Navy and used until 1984. It is considered the first diving helmet. There are however other helmets which date back to 1820s and even earlier.
William Beebe
William Beebe's story of scuba diving is more than a tale about adventures under the water. He was also an explorer who took many dives to the sea for scientific research. He created a marine lab on Nonsuch Island in Bermudas and studied underwater life. He studied the behavior of sea creatures and developed a unique diving helmet and breathing apparatus. Beebe also made the first known descent into the deep ocean using a bathysphere, a device that lowered a person to a depth of 3,028 feet (923 meters). This record stood for 49 years.