Precursor
An old-fashioned copper diving helmet
The precursor to scuba equipment is found in the combination of air compressor, air line and diving suit. The most famous examples are the old copper and brass helmet diving rigs.
Aqualung
A modern regulator set, descended from the Aqualung
The first recognizably modern set of equipment was the Aqualung developed in the 1940s by Jacques Cousteau and Emile Gagnan. It consisted of an open circuit cylinder (tank) of compressed air and a regulator.
The BCD
In 1971, Scubapro introduced the first buoyancy control device, or BCD. This is a vest with air bladders, which can be filled (using air from the cylinder) or emptied to regulate a diver's buoyancy.
Analog Dive Computer
Scubapro was also an early experimenter with automatic decompression calculations, and in 1972, it introduced an analog forerunner of the dive computer.
Digital Dive Computer
The first workable digital dive computer was the Orca Edge, released in 1983.
Rebreathers
Although working rebreathers date to the 1940s, their general use and acceptance took much longer to achieve. Wreck divers in the U.S. did not start using them until the 1990s, and the British group BSAC did not authorize their use until 2001.
Article Written By Edwin Thomas
Edwin Thomas has been writing since 1997. His work has appeared in various online publications, including The Black Table, Proboxing-Fans and others. A travel blogger, editor and writer, Thomas has traveled from Argentina to Vietnam in pursuit of stories. He holds a Master of Arts in international affairs from American University.
