Jacques Cousteau
Jacques Cousteau devoted much of his time to ocean exploration following World War II. He bought a Calypso minesweeper and took it on a round-the-world trip, including the Antarctic Circle. He did experiments and collected data. These were used to design the Calypso-Phot underwater camera and SP-350 deep-sea two-man submarine.
Cousteau began his research with the creation of an apparatus for breathing called the aqualung. The aqua-lung allowed Cousteau to breath air in a controlled way, but it was restricted to shallow diving. Cousteau discovered that there was a better way for air to flow to help him explore the depths. Through his experimentation, he developed the demand regulator which allows air to flow only on demand. This invention would allow divers to increase their air supply and prevent decompression sickness.
Yves le Prieur
Yves le Prieur and scuba diving go back to the early 1900s. He invented the fullface mask, which had a loose frontplate and was used as a diaphragm to regulate demand. His next invention was the diving regulator.
1933 saw the invention of the first scuba diving device. The Fernez-Le-Prieur air supply system was combined with the Denayrouze-Rouquayrol demand regulator. This device made underwater breathing apparatuses more affordable and easier to access, which revolutionized scuba diving. This was the birth of recreational diving.
Guy Gilpatric
Guy Gilpatric made many contributions to the history of scuba dive during his lifetime. He wrote the first manual for sport diving, and his articles in The Saturday Evening Post were amongst the first to discuss scuba diving. His passion for the sea and its natural beauty led him explore the Mediterranean and to write about it. It is believed that the book inspired Jacques Cousteau to develop modern scuba diving.
The invention of the modern scuba diving apparatus began in the early 20th century. Guy Gilpatric an American marine biologist invented a system that allowed divers access to air without the use or surface air. Later, Yves Le Prier designed an underwater breathing system. Owen Churchill purchased the system. The scuba diving rig was soon popular. Guy Gilpatric created rubber goggles, which included lenses made of glass, swim fins, snorkels and masks.
Yves Gagnan
Divers had to rely on air hoses to reach the surface, as well as diving bells and helmets at the beginning century. Yves Gagnan (Parisian engineer) helped them to create a demand valve system. This new device provided compressed air on demand and was capable of adjusting to the pressure of the surrounding water. This discovery allowed people from all walks of life to explore the oceans.
Gagnan was born 1900 in Burgundy in France. After graduating from college, Gagnan began work at Air Liquide. He studied high pressure pneumatic design. This eventually led to the design of the scuba equipment today.