Milestones in Scuba History

Note: Click on the year to see the link from where I gathered the information, or refer to the footnotes at the end.

1878¹

Henry Fleuss receives a patent for his self-contained breathing device, and tests it by breathing underwater.

1911²

The company Draeger (or Dräger) in Germany releases an underwater oxygen rebreather, which recycles air so to re-breathe the same air. (See photo below.)

Source: Draeger History²

1924³

Yves Le Prieur creates a breathing device that does not recycle air, and it becomes known as "the forerunner of modern scuba." 

1933⁴

Fins are first patented in France and then in the US by Louis Corlieu, and the fins are made of rubber strengthened by steel.

1940⁵

Rubber fins are patented by Owen Churchill, as an improvement of Corlieu's fins. (See photo below.)

Source: Smithsonian⁵

1942⁶
The design of the aqualung is improved by Jacques Cousteau throughout the 1940s, and hits the market by the 1950s. (See advertisement below.)

Source: My Watch

1956⁷

The red-and-white dive flag (still used today) becomes popularized by Ted Nixon, even though Denzel James "Doc" Dockery invented the design. 

1961⁸

NASDS (National Association of Scuba Diving Schools) is founded.

1966⁹

The Professional Association of Diving Instructors, or PADI, is founded.

1970⁸

SSI (Scuba Schools International) is founded.

Footnotes

[1] Henry Fleuss. (2010, November 15). Wikipedia. Retrieved February 27, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Fleuss

[2] History About Dräger. (2011). Dräger. Retrieved February 26, 2011, from http://www.draeger.com/US/en_US/company/about_draeger/history/

[3] The History of Scuba Diving. (n.d.). Best Scuba Diving Tips. Retrieved February 27, 2011, from http://www.best-scuba-diving-tips.com/history-of-scuba-diving.html

[4] Thomas Tillman. (2010). Timeline of Diving History. Diving History. Retrieved February 26, 2011, from http://www.divinghistory.com/id11.html

[5] Owen Churchill. (n.d.). Smithsonian. Retrieved February 27, 2011, from http://americanhistory.si.edu/sports/exhibit/removers/churchill/index.cfm

[6] Scuba Diving. (2008, April 2). New World Encyclopedia. Wiki, . Retrieved February 27, 2011, from http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Scuba_diving

[7] Chris Whitten. (n.d.). Dive Flags. Retrieved February 27, 2011, from http://www.dive-flag.com/

[8] Recreational Diving. (2011, February 18). Wikipedia. Retrieved February 27, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recreational_diving

[9] About PADI. (2011). PADI. Retrieved February 27, 2011, from http://www.padi.com/scuba/about-padi/default.aspx

Welcome to Texas Scuba Diving

Meet the Author

Hello everyone! My name is Amanda J., and I am a freshman college student at the University of Texas in Dallas. I have lived in Texas my entire life, and I love to scuba dive, play with my two cats, and write poetry. I’m excited to share with you my scuba experiences, and provide a great scuba blog that you can enjoy.
       

Texas Scuba Diving Blog
In this blog, I will provide you with diving locations in Texas to help you discover Texas diving all in one place. I will share my firsthand experiences about Texas diving locations, scuba gear, and other diving hints.
     
Scuba facts and specific dive site information will also be provided, so you can get the current and correct information you need.

   

My Scuba Qualifications
I received my Open Water scuba certification from PADI in early 2006, and since then have been diving every year. I have dived at five freshwater dive sites in Texas:

• Athens Scuba Park
• Aquarena Springs
• Clear Springs Scuba Park
• Comal River 
• Possum Kingdom 

I also went diving in the Florida Keys, which was a great saltwater diving experience.
 

In Future Posts

You can look forward to seeing information about these diving locations, and more:

• Balmorhea State Park
• Flower Gardens
• Lake Sam Rayburn
• South Padre Island
• Windy Point Park