Brief History of SCUBA
The first use of under water breathing was with the use of tubes, allowing a swimmer to swim underwater for extended periods of time. Physics shows us that a tube longer than a foot would be impossible to use and the first use of these tubes was for military purposes.
The first use of a diving bell was recorded in history involved Alexander, the Great, making a descent in a diving bell designed by Aristotle (4th century BC). The diving bell is essentually an upside down bucket with the bottom open to water, secured to the surface by cables. The bell had to be weighted so it would sink, and as the bell sank it would trap and compress the air within it. The divers would then swim down to the bell and use it as a base of operations returning to the bell for a fresh breath of air as they needed it. They air would soon foul by carbon dioxide and need to be pulled to the surface and resupplied with fresh air.Leaving the divers in grave danger while this was being done.
The first diving suits and helmets were literally enclosed diving bells made of leather, with sealed openings for arms and legs but could only be used to a depth of about 10 feet. Then in 1797 K. H. Klingret developed an egg shaped metal cylinder encasing the diver to the hips. The cylinder was strapped to a diver that was enclosed in a water tight leather suit. The early diving suits and bells severely limited the divers freedom to move at depth becouse there was no way to continually supply the diver with air.
Then in the late 1800's the development of pumps made it possable to deliver a continious supply of air to the bell at depth and under pressure. The development of the first diving helmets were designed as miniture diving bells and were open at the bottom and simply resting on the divers sholders. Sufficent air had to be pumped from the surface to keep water from entering the helmet, excess air would escape from the bottom of the helmet. A diver had to be very careful not to fall and tip the helmet over. The first fully enclosed diving suit soon came into development in the mid 1800's.
The 1900's brought with it the development of the SCUBA demand regulator (provides breathing gas at the proper pressure for the depth at which it is being used) and the development of high pressure compressors and tanks (so the tanks could be filled to max). This allowed the diver to be free of cables and tubes and allowing the diver to descend into inner space with a self containedlife support system.
Masks were developed to improve the divers vision underwater. Fins were developed to provide the diver with sufficient propulsion in the underwater environment. Then came the rubber suit for warmth and then weight belts to compensate the bouancy problem of the rubber suit.
The diver depends totally on his equipment and the training he has aquired, for his life support while underwater.
This is me the Barefoot Diver. I have the little emblem of two bare feet on all my dive equipment.
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