| Scuba diving is the term used to describe
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| | B.C.) is perhaps the most famous, as told
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| the use of a self-contained breathing set
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| | by the 5th century B.C. Greek historian
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| to stay underwater for periods of time
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| | Herodotus (and quoted in numerous modern
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| greater than the average individual can
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| | texts).
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| breath-hold. The diver carries all
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| | During a naval campaign the Greek Scyllis
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| equipment necessary for diving and is not
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| | was taken aboard ship as prisoner by the
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| reliant upon equipment elsewhere (e.g. on
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| | Persian King Xerxes I. When Scyllis
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| the surface) to supply breathing gas or
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| | learned that Xerxes was to attack a Greek
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| other support during the dive. The diver
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| | flotilla, he seized a knife and jumped
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| swims underwater using fins attached to
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| | overboard. The Persians could not find
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| his/her feet. Some divers also move
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| | him in the water and presumed he had
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| around with the assistance of a DPV
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| | drowned. Scyllis surfaced at night and
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| (Diver Propulsion Vehicle), commonly
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| | made his way among all the ships in
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| referred to as a "scooter", or by using
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| | Xerxes' fleet, cutting each ship loose
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| surface-tethered devices called sleds,
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| | from its moorings; he used a hollow reed
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| which are pulled by a boat.
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| | as snorkel to remain unobserved. Then he
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| The word 'SCUBA' is an acronym for "Self
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| | swam nine miles (15 kilometers) to rejoin
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| Contained Underwater Breathing
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| | the Greeks off Cape Artemisium.
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| Apparatus", but it has become acceptable
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| | The desire to go under water has probably
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| to refer to 'scuba equipment' or 'scuba
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| | always existed: to hunt for food, uncover
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| apparatus'. The term SCUBA in common
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| | artifacts, repair ships (or sink them),
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| usage usually means open-circuit
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| | and observe marine life. Until humans
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| equipment in which gas (usually air) is
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| | found a way to breathe underwater,
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| breathed from a tank of compressed gas
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| | however, each dive was necessarily short
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| and then exhaled into the water, usually
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| | and frantic.
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| in the line of kit development started by
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| | One of the major hurdles of diving is to
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| Emile Gagnan and Jacques-Yves Cousteau.
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| | stay under water for a longer period of
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| But rebreathers (both semi-closed circuit
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| | time. Breathing through a hollow reed
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| and closed circuit) are also
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| | allows the body to be submerged, but
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| self-contained systems and could be
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| | reeds more than two feet long do not work
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| classed as SCUBA. The term SCUBA arose
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| | well; difficulty inhaling against water
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| during WWII and originally meant USA
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| | pressure effectively limits snorkel
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| combat frogmen's oxygen rebreathers.
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| | length. Breathing from an air-filled bag
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| Or surface-supplied systems may be used
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| | brought under water was also tried, but
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| depending on the needs of the diver.
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| | it failed due to rebreathing of carbon
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| Scuba diving is still evolving, but
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| | dioxide and the buoyancy of the air bag.
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| general classifications have grown up to
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| | In the 16th century people began to use
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| describe the pursuits a diver might
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| | diving bells supplied with air from the
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| follow. These classifications include,
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| | surface, the first effective means of
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| but are not limited to:
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| | staying under water for any length of
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| Within recreational diving there are
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| | time. The bell was held stationary a few
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| those who are considered professional
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| | feet from the surface, its bottom open to
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| divers, because they maintain a
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| | water and its top portion containing air
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| professional standard of training and
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| | compressed by the water pressure. A diver
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| skills (and must, in theory, according to
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| | standing upright would have his head in
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| the laws of the area, carry professional
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| | the air. He could leave the bell for a
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| liability insurance).
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| | minute or two to collect sponges or
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| Some consider Technical Diving to be a
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| | explore the bottom, then return for a
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| subset of recreational diving, but others
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| | short while until air in the bell was no
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| separate it out due to the extensively
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| | longer breathable.
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| different training equipment and
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| | In 16th century England and France, full
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| knowledge needed for technical dives.
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| | diving suits made of leather were used to
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| Public safety diving and military diving
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| | depths of 60 feet. Air was pumped down
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| might likewise be classified as
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| | from the surface with the aid of manual
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| commercial diving because public safety
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| | pumps. Soon helmets were made of metal to
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| divers and military divers make a living
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| | withstand even greater water pressure and
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| from their pursuit of diving. However,
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| | divers went deeper. By the 1830s the
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| public safety divers (police or rescue)
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| | surface-supplied air helmet was perfected
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| and military divers have a different
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| | well enough to allow extensive salvage
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| mission from the typical commercial
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| | work.
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| diver.
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| | Starting in the 19th century, two main
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| Scientific diving is used by marine
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| | avenues of investigation - one
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| scientists, including marine biologists,
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| | scientific, the other technological -
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| as a tool for collecting their research
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| | greatly accelerated underwater
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| data.
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| | exploration. Scientific research was
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| History of diving
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| | advanced by the work of Paul Bert and
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| Men and women have practiced breath-hold
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| | John Scott Haldane, from France and
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| diving (Free-diving) for centuries.
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| | Scotland, respectively. Their studies
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| Indirect evidence comes from ancient
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| | helped explain effects of water pressure
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| artifacts of undersea origin found on
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| | on the body, and also defined safe limits
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| land (e.g. mother-of-pearl ornaments),
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| | for compressed air diving. At the same
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| and depictions of divers in ancient
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| | time, improvements in technology -
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| drawings. In ancient Greece, breath-hold
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| | compressed air pumps, carbon dioxide
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| divers are known to have hunted for
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| | scrubbers, regulators, etc., - made it
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| sponges and engaged in military exploits.
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| | possible for people to stay underwater
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| Of the latter, the story of Scyllis
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| | for long periods.
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| (sometimes spelled Scyllias; about 500
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