Scuba Diving History

Development of scuba diving

Scuba diving means being able to breath underwater up to a certain depth for a limited period. This is done by using a breathing apparatus and swimming gear designed to provide the body with protection from the cold water and high pressure as the diver descends into the water. The diver wears a rubber suit, flippers, face mask or goggles, and an air tank in diving.

Scuba diving commonly refers to two things. First, as the activity of diving under water with the aide of a breathing apparatus and swimming gear. As an activity, scuba diving has been generally categorised into skin diving and free diving. Second, as the equipment used in swimming underwater. As an underwater diving equipment, SCUBA stands for Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus, an open-circuit apparatus allowing the user to breath air contained in a tank, placed over the back of divers.

Scuba diving developed out of man's drive to survive and learn more about life underwater. With new technology, the reasons for wanting to breath underwater diversified. Initially, this was considered as a profession and source of livelihood. Then this became viewed as a scientific research exploration before becoming a recreational activity.

General history of scuba diving

Historically, scuba diving has close links to the process of innovating on existing diving equipment until the capabilities offered by scuba diving gear came about. Scuba diving can be traced to the early civilisations. Extending one's breath underwater was necessary to catch food from the sea. Without equipment to help them breathe longer under water, people had to rely on their physical capacity to hold their breath. The need for food, encouraged innovations on underwater diving devices as the civilisations progressed.

During the 16th and 17th century, early innovators developed a diving-bell that holds compressed air within the device. By the 18th century, compressing air into a container able to withstand high pressure was developed. Trapped air was compressed in oak barrels, carried by divers. During this time, waterproof diving suits were also made by placing grease on leather. By the next century, helmets were used in diving. The helmets were linked to a tube taking in air above water. It was also during this time that diving suits were matched with helmets, although the head gear was joined to the suit with straps. After a decade, rubber suits and helmets were sealed to make the equipment airtight.

With this significant development came the establishment of the Royal Navy diving school, making the activity a serious business. Three decades from this development, the air tank was developed based on studies of air pressure. These studies were used by the US Navy to test the limit of several diving equipment. By the early 20th century, several diving gears such as goggles, face mask, snorkels and fins were commonly used in diving. The air tank was also improved by fitting a customised demand-valve to the air tanks to free the diver from lines and hoses. After more than a decade, the air tank was also fitted with a redesigned car regulator to release air every time the diver breaths in. During the 1950s, underwater diving technology was propelled to the next level through the bathyscaphe, a sealed vessel intended for deep sea exploration. This innovation was an improvement to the bathysphere with its ability to reach deeper water without breaking under pressure.

Scuba diving in Australia

In Australia, scuba diving is more commonly viewed as a recreational or sporting activity constituting a significant tourist attraction. Scuba diving also developed from the innovations made by early settlers to harvest the bounties of the sea. However, underwater activities popularised in Australia has been attributed to Alex Wickham, hailing from the islands in the South Pacific, who amazed the early settlers with his ability to remain underwater longer than the record time.

Underwater diving was introduced before the second world war by a group of aquatic adventurers. After the war, scuba diving picked-up as a popular activity among the snorkeling and spearfishing clubs. With many people gaining interest in scuba diving, six men established the Underwater Explorers Club, the first club exclusively for scuba divers. At the start of the 1960s, the Australian Underwater Federation was established as the national body certified by the government to represent scuba divers and spearfishing sportsmen.

The organisation promoted scuba diving as a sport and sponsored the first scuba diving national championship in 1958, which became an annual event. At present, scuba diving has raised the interest of different people, not just sports and adventure enthusiasts, who are fond of water and fascinated with underwater life.