In the 1930s, Jacques Cousteau, a French engineer and filmmaker, created the first underwater film. He and his wife Simone load a black and white still camera film into a movie camera, and it is the first underwater movie to be produced. Emile Gagnan from L'Air Liquide et Cie designs the Aqualung. This is the first commercially viable scuba equipment. The prototype units were tested by the Cousteau Family in 1943.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau
Jacques-Yves Cousteau was born in Marseilles, France, and spent his early life snorkeling in the warm sea around his hometown. After graduating from highschool he entered the navy. He served as a naval gunnery instructor, and later became a master diver. After his time in the navy, he was fascinated by the underwater world and started to swim down to explore the seabed. He also developed an underwater photography camera.
Emile Gagnan
Emile Gagnan is behind many of today's innovations in SCUBA diving. Aqualung was created by Emile Gagnan in the 1950s. This breathing apparatus allows the diver to inhale underwater air. The Aqualung was invented to make scuba diving safer and more accessible for everyone.
Henry Fleuss
Henry Fleuss is one of the pioneers in scuba diving history. He is also credited for many other innovations, including the self-contained breathing apparatus. His designs were patented by Siebe, Gorman & Co. in 1878. He worked for many companies, including Siebe, Gorman & Co. It was revolutionary in that it allowed the diver work alone without the need for a pump or large crew.
Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini is a common name for scuba divers. The master escape artist was known for performing a number of amazing escapes, including one from a container underwater. He also showed how to escape from locks and straitjackets. Motion pictures have captured his escape skills.
Mark V diving helmet
Mark V diving helmet has a rich heritage in scuba diving. It was designed by the US Navy in 1916. It was then used until 1984. It is the world's first diving helmet. However, there are other helmets dating back to the 1820s and 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 constructed a marine laboratory in Nonsuch Island, Bermudas to study the underwater world. He created a unique diving helmet, and breathing apparatus to study the behavior and habits of sea creatures. 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 lasted until 1949.