Scuba Diving – How it started?
About a year ago, I had the
privilege of shunning all my worries, assignments and college and all such
onerous things and going on a short and quite a memorable trip to Konkan. Let
me make it very clear, I am an absolute beach person. So very obviously, Konkan
was like bliss for me. The lush greenery, the placid waters, the scintillating sand,
and the scrumptious sea-food meals, it all seemed like consummate enjoyment for
me. But there was one thing I was yet to experience, one thing that would give
me indelible memories.
That one thing,
was, “Scuba Diving”.
The name itself
takes me back into the serene waters, amidst the beautiful and most exotic
marine life, the adrenaline rush I felt before diving into the water, and so
much more. Scuba Diving is not just any other adventure sport. It’s a lot more
than that. But one thing that peculiarly strikes me is how would someone have possibly
even invented Scuba Diving?
Before I get any
further, one important thing: SCUBA, out of Scuba Diving, is not just a random
word. It stands for ‘Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus’. I bet you
didn’t know this. Well, now you do.
So, as far as
the history of Scuba Diving goes, it is way older than you probably would’ve
imagined. The history dates back to around 500 B.C. in Scyllias, when a Greek
soldier was said to have taken a dive from the ship of Persian King Xerxes and
held his breath for quite a long time. He seemed to have made use of a hollow
reed (a tall plant from grass family growing in water). This reed helped him to
grasp the air from above the surface of the water, creating an effect similar
to what we call “snorkelling”. Obviously, he didn’t do all this just for fun.
This experiment of his helped him to warn the King of any possible danger or
approaching enemies.
Later, in 332
B.C., it is said that Alexander the Great made use of a wooden barrel as a
diving gear to clear the harbour while the siege of Tyre was taking place.
All such
incidents have ever since fascinated the inventors and enthusiasts, and they
have spent years in developing just the perfect gear for aiding the underwater
experience. One of such enthusiasts is the very well-known Leonardo Da Vinci.
He had designed some prototypes too.
However, the
first Scuba apparatus was developed by Benoit Rouquayrol and Auguste
Denoyrouse. Their apparatus consisted of a helmet, a tank containing compressed
air, and a basic demand regulator. Their invention laid the foundation for the
modern day Scuba apparatus. Hats off to them!
When we talk of Scuba Diving, it wouldn’t be
fair to not talk about Jacques Cousteau. He is credited for making the Scuba
apparatus accessible to the public. He managed to ameliorate the previous
version of the apparatus with a modern demand regulator as well as a diving
suit, in roughly around 1943. From thereon, many developments were made in this
field, eventually making Scuba Diving highly popular amongst the masses.
Rebecca Correia
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