A Timeline of the Evolution of SCUBA -

A Timeline of the Evolution of SCUBA

Article by Alex Brylske, Ph.D.

When we think about how “scuba” came about, thoughts turn almost exclusively to the daddy of the “aqualung” Jacque-Yves Cousteau. However, what ultimately led to this now-familiar device resulted from a long process, with many inventors contributing to its development. In fact, the development of open-circuit scuba began precisely 200 years ago. So, in this bicentennial year, here are some notable milestones along the way:

1825: English inventor William James created a system with a cylindrical iron “belt” attached to a copper helmet. The belt held about 450 psi of air, allowing for a dive of approximately seven minutes.

1863: American T. Cato McKeen refined an earlier design by adding a large back-mounted air reservoir and a rubber suit. His system also included a second air system to inflate the suit and bring the diver to the surface, essentially the first buoyancy compensator.

1865: One of the most famous self-contained designs of the 19th century was the Aerophore, developed by French mining engineer Benoit Rouquayrol and French naval officer Auguste Denayrouze. The Aerophore was a significant advancement because it was the first to incorporate a regulator to control air delivery. This system gained widespread popularity and was even featured in Jules Verne’s novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

1878: Englishman Henry Fleuss developed an apparatus consisting of a rubberized fabric hood, a breathing bag, and a copper cylinder containing oxygen compressed to 30 atmospheres (440 psi). The tank and a carbon dioxide scrubber were worn on the back. As the diver rebreathed his expired air, the system needed periodic recharging from the oxygen supply.

1900: Louis Bouton, an inventor and underwater photographer, addressed the issue of limited air supply by incorporating high-pressure tanks capable of holding 200 atmospheres (about 3,000 psi).

1918: The Ohgushi Peerless Respirator was developed in Japan. It featured a modern mask design and was used by the Japanese Navy for salvage operations at depths exceeding 200 feet. However, its regulator system required a complex breathing process.

1934: Yves Le Prieur, a French naval officer, recognized the potential for recreational diving and developed an improved system using tanks of compressed air. While his “Le Prieur Improved Diving Apparatus” was a major step forward, it was a free-flow system that wasted a significant amount of air.

1937: The first fully automatic scuba system was developed by George Commeinhes. He improved upon Le Prieur’s design by incorporating a demand valve mounted between the diver’s shoulders. Tragically, he was killed in combat during World War II. Otherwise, he might have been the one to make the “aqualung” famous rather than his French countryman.

1943: Daddy Scuba, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, co-inventor and Emile Gagnan invent the aqualung, a turning point in the history of diving. Cousteau’s experience with the Le Prieur device and Gagnan’s expertise in valve design led to the creation of a reliable and user-friendly underwater breathing apparatus. The aqualung quickly gained popularity, making scuba diving accessible to a wider audience, and as they say, “The rest is history.”

The evolution of SCUBA from early, limited systems to the modern, sophisticated equipment we use today is a testament to human innovation and the desire to explore the underwater world.

For a deeper dive into the history of scuba and its evolution from ancient times, check out The Complete Diver: The History, Science, and Practice of Scuba Diving

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