Development of SCUBA Gear Over Years

SCUBA gear, or Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus, was first used successfully in 1926 and has advanced significantly in the past 90 years with better technology and manufacturing processes. Today, SCUBA gear typically refers to the combination of weights, a wetsuit, compressed gasses, depth and air gauges, regulator, mask and fins.

  1. History

    • A scuba diver waves to the camera.

      Underwater diving dates to 153, when a man named Guglielmo de Loreno developed the first diving bell using designs created by Leonardo DaVinci. This was a spherical room with windows and an open floor that used air pressure to keep the passengers safe and dry at low depths. In 1808, diving helmets were invented that allowed divers to go deeper and be able to interact with the environment on the sea floor.

      SCUBA equipment that we recognize today was invented in 1923 and was first successfully used in an experiment by its creator, Yves le Prieur, a French Navy Lieutenant, using a closed circuit unit and manual valve to breathe. It wasn't until Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Emile Gagnan created an automatic-valved, open-circuit unit called the Aqualung in 1943 that SCUBA became widely known as a safe and viable option to explore and work underwater.

    Early SCUBA Development

    • Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Emile Gagnan pioneered what would eventually become the SCUBA gear that we are familiar with today. Many different people and countries became aware of the potential uses for SCUBA gear and began innovating and improving upon the original Aqualung design.

      The Aqualung was the first open-circuit style SCUBA gear. This method let the gas flow from the canister, to the mouthpiece, and then let the gas release into the water. Closed-circuit (rebreather) SCUBA gear had gas flow from the canister to the mouthpiece, then through a carbon dioxide scrubber before going into a secondary canister. This was risky, as the amount of oxygen would diminish over time and lead to accidents.

      The open-circuit style gear was very safe and led to many early improvements. Some of these improvements in the '50s were simply upgrading different materials such as stronger rubber, plastic and metals to help improve the overall safety of the SCUBA gear.

    SCUBA Gear Advancement In The 1960s

    • SCUBA gear didn't get many significant non-material improvements until the 1960s. This is when the first adjustable buoyancy life jackets first became available. This advancement served two distinct purposes. One was to help when buoyancy was lost at deeper depths because of compression and the other was for emergency ascents. If a diver was low on air and felt they may be in danger, this device could be inflated very quickly using a small cylinder full of CO2. This made diving much safer and less likely to result in fatalities.

      Another innovation in SCUBA gear in the 1960s was the creation of a single hosed Aqualung unit with a full face mask. This increased the field of vision for the divers and was extremely useful for spotting items on the ocean floor and for observing sea life.

    SCUBA Gear Advancement In the 1970s

    • By the 1970s, SCUBA gear already had the same form and style as it does today. The one major upgrade in the 1970s was the switch from having the compressed air canisters being held against a divers back to a rubber and plastic backed harness that held the canisters comfortably against the back.

    SCUBA Gear Today

    • Today, SCUBA gear hasn't changed a lot since the 1970s. New, lighter materials are used for all the components, which makes the entire system very light and comfortable for divers and newer canister technology allows for longer and deeper dives. SCUBA gear has also become pretty affordable and can lead to a great hobby once you've taken the prerequisite training.