Man has always wanted to explore the oceans, but if today new inventions in scuba diving allows us to dive under optimal conditions, this has not always been the case. Here is the list of the most amazing, crazy and strange scuba diving inventions of all time :
The diving bell
The idea is an amazingly heavy bell rolled up by a rope that trap the air as soon as it was plunged into the sea. It allowed the diver to stay for about twenty minutes under water. Alexander the Great, in 322 BC. J-C, would have been the first to use it, it would even have descended to a depth of 10 meters. Yes, that’s something you will be able to share with your next dive buddy, Alexander the great tried the first scuba diving prototype.
The plans of Leonardo Da Vinci
In the 16th century, the famous painter drew the plans of a diving suit. All made in leather, with a directly integrated mask, it could float or sink thanks to an air container that managed the flotation. Leonard had thought of everything. he even inserted a pocket, inside the outfit, which, in case of urgent urge, would collect the diver’s urine! He drew these plans for military purpose. The aim of the suit was to create a military diving team able to sabotage the enemy fleet, by drilling holes in the hull of the boats.
The Lethbridge Machine
In 1715, The Englishman John Lethbridge imagined a wooden barrel with a glass window type of diving suit. The diver had to slid his arms into oiled leather sleeves. Thanks to this invention, the divers could recover the lost treasures of the wrecks. The swimmer was able to descend to a depth of 18 meters, but had only half an hour of autonomy because he breathed the air trapped in the barrel.
The diving machine of Fréminet
In 1772, Fréminet invented a semi-automatic scuba diving helmet which he called “hydrostathetic machine”. This machine was made of leather and the helmet made of copper. The latter was connected to a reserve of air by means of two tubes, one for inhaling and the other for exhaling. The weights were placed on the feet, in order to let the diver stand up at the bottom of the water. Fréminet’s diving suit had a autonomy of 5 minutes.
The diving suit of the brothers Alphonse and Théodore Carmagnolle
In 1882, the two Carmagnolle brothers conceived a scuba of 380 kg. The combination, made of metal, consisted of 22 movable joints. The helmet had about 20 portholes to optimize vision. The Big Daddy’s diving suit of the video game Bioshock is largely inspired by this scuba gear of another time. If you are interested in this vestige, you can admire it at the National Museum of the Marine of Paris.
The invention of Chester E Macduffee
In 1910, Chester E Macduffee created a robot-like diving suit. The mobility of the joints was created on a ball bearings system. This scuba was tested in New York and allow diver to dive to a depth of 65 meters.
