History of Diving: How Diving Evolved Over the Years
Man has always had a fascination with the underwater world. The desire to spend some time in the depths of the seas and oceans had captured the attention of man. This inspired him to find ways and means that allow him to explore the marine world.
Many inventors were interested in developing equipment that would help underwater exploration. Ideas and equipment developed during the 1500s leaned toward a diving bell. This equipment was basically a bell-shaped device with the bottom open to the sea. Early diving bells were large and heavy to sink upright, thus trapping enough air to allow a diver to breathe.
So let’s start with the chronological events in the history of diving.
The first recorded reference to an actual practical diving bell was made in 1531. However, it was in the late 1600s that great advances in this technology were made. This meant that divers could now spend hours underwater.
In 1690, an English astronomer named Edmund Halley developed a diving bell in which replenished air was delivered to divers by sending heavy barrels of air from the surface.
The next evolution in the history of diving was the deep sea diving suit, which at the time was known as a diving suit.
In 1715, an Englishman named John Lethbridge developed what would become the first diving suit. It was basically a leather-covered barrel equipped with two armholes with waterproof sleeves and a glass porthole that allowed the diver to see underwater. This apparatus was lowered from a ship just like a diving bell.
Although various designs were used in later years, this equipment still had the same limitations as the diving bell in that the diver was restricted in his movements.
In 1828, John and Charles Deane developed the first revolutionary diving suit and heavy helmet that originated from the helmets used by firefighters. The helmet rested on the diver’s shoulders, supported by its own weight and attached to a belt. This helmet was connected to a hose that reached the surface and supplied the diver with constant fresh air.
An interesting fact in diving history is that in 1836, the Deanes published a diving manual, which may be the first of its kind to be produced.
Although there were great advances, the equipment developed by these pioneering inventors was limited by the fact that the diver still had to be connected to the surface via an air hose, which restricted movement. The only way forward was for the diver to carry a self-contained portable air supply. However, during the 19th century, cylinders were not strong enough to contain high pressure air.
An important event in the history of diving is the invention of the first diving regulator developed by Benoit Rouquayrol. The regulator would later become the main piece of diving equipment responsible for regulating the flow of air from the tank to meet the diver’s breathing and pressure requirements.
To view the full article, visit Scuba-Snorkeling-Adventures.com in the diving section of the site at http://Scuba-Snorkeling-Adventures.com/history-of-scuba-diving.html.
Copyright (c) 2010 Scuba-Snorkeling-Adventures.com. All rights reserved.