The UHEXSO Rebreathers & SCUBA Page
G.E.R.S. Diving Unit 1946
Some diving legends in the making: Cousteau, Georges, Taillez, Pinard, Dumas and Morandiere.
Lotte Hass using an oxygen rebreather while diving in the Red Sea in 1951. Lotte was one of the first woman diving pioneers. She and her husband Hans Hass produced many underwater films and books. These films were shown all across Europe. However, did not receive much publicity in the U.S.
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The Rouquayrol Denayrouze 1860's self-contained diving apparatus. The Rouquayrol is one of the first successful diaphragm-operated demand regulators. The diver wore a volume tank to which was attached a single stage diaphragm-operated demand regulator. A shutoff valve connection was provided for attachment of a surface supplied hose. It's interesting to note that Jules Verne equipped the divers in his 1870 novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea with this unit, which was also used by the French Navy for seven years. |
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Early model Siebe Gorman double-hose regulators. The regulators were produced in England by the Siebe Gorman company. |
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What is interesting about the development of the self contained underwater breathing apparatus, or SCUBA, as it is now known, is that rebreathers gained early commercial success before scuba. Explorers' desire to venture beneath the sea unencumbered by heavy helmets and tethers to the surface has always been there. The technology, however, has not. In 1797, the Breslau mechanic Karl Heinrich Klingert developed his self-contained open diving helmet. The diving suit was demonstrated in the River Oder near Breslau in a 10-foot dive. This was followed by the Rouquayol unit developed in France in the 1860's. Jumping ahead in history, in 1941, Hans Hass met Hermann Stelzner, the technical director of the Drager Company in Lubeck, Germany. Together they developed and rebuilt the Drager-Gegenlunge into an underwater rebreather. While this represented only a minor innovation, it allowed the "swimdiver" to move in a physically correct manner of underwater locomotion: that is, head forward and the flippers to the rear extremities, which all marine mammals employ. At about this same time in 1942, young French Naval lieutenant Jacques-Yves Cousteau made contact with Canadian gas engineer Emile Gagnan. Together they developed the double-hose regulator and in 1946, this unit went into production in Europe and the Aqua-Lung regulator became a reality.
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This photo of one of the Cousteau divers was taken in the Red Sea sometime between 1968-1969. While the diving rig looks like a rebreather unit, it is actually a scuba regulator and tanks encased in a streamlined case. Cousteau was one of the first to employ a head-mounted light and through-water communications for his divers. |
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Early Siebe Gorman rebreather mask. Pictured is a 1880's Fleus rescue apparatus with alkali chamber and gas bag (back mounted). |
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Compare the photo above to this modern Divex Stealth rebreather unit. A lot of technology and advancements in just over 100 years. Modern rebreathers allow today's explorers to dive deeper and longer than ever imagined when compared to traditional scuba or early rebreathers. This has opened up for exploration many areas of the oceans which before could only be explored using expensive deep-sea diving technology. |
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Left: The Lambertsen rebreather unit developed for the U.S. Office of Special Services, or O.S.S,. in WW II. The unit was developed by Dr. Christian J. Lambertsen for O.S.S. underwater espionage operations. It should be noted that the OSS developed into the CIA after the war.
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A UHEXSO diver showing good entry technique using a 1958 U.S. Divers Aquamaster double-hose regulator. The regulator is attached to a steel 72 cubic foot scuba tank with a reserve valve, or "J" valve. The reserve valve is operated by a rod attached to the valve. When the diver notices that breathing is becoming difficult, he pushes the rod up. This engages the reserve valve, which then allows the diver access to the last 500 psi of air in the tank as he comes to the surface. |
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Diver Pete Petrisky is using his U.S. Divers Aquamaster regulator in the "hookah" mode. Air can be supplied from the surface, allowing the diver extended bottom time without a scuba tank. Pete is holding an underwater metal detector. The metal detector is used for finding coins and metal objects buried in the bottom. |
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Above: UHEXSO dive show and exhibit at the battleship TEXAS.
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UHEXSO diver John Hoover using a U.S. Navy Waterlung Type III single-hose regulator. The regulator was made by Sportsways for the Navy. A civilian model was also developed. It is interesting to note that the first stage of the regulator has a built-in push rod reserve valve feature, as many of the Navy diving tanks did not have a reserve valve or "J" valve. |
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Right: Thom Dutton in his Drager rebreather unit. |
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Left: Another deep water shot of a diver wearing a Drager rebreather unit. Thom is holding an underwater digital camera made by Sonny. The quality of the pictures from this unit are incredible. |
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