Early Diving Technology

Going scuba diving sounds much more appealing than going self-contained underwater breathing apparatus diving, and saying scuba leaves more breath for swimming. Such equipment allows divers to explore many different water environments. The desire to experience such underwater depths since then has become more and more recognized. This is known through numerous undersea artifacts which have been found in ancient civilization. There have also been various representations of divers which are dated back to these early times.

The most basic method of underwater diving was simply to hold one’s breathe. The least complex forms of underwater gear were hollow reeds. These were cut and used as a basic form of snorkel.

Writings dating back to Ancient Greece, references are made to expert diving skills used in warfare. Diving techniques and primitive scuba equipments were also acknowledged. These things include sponge gatherers holding a heavy stone for a quick and deep descent.

Up to this time, the physical dangers inherent in the act of diving were not understood. The increased pressure demands were still felt. An attempt to counteract these difficulties, oil would be poured into the ears prior to the descent. Some oil was held within the mouth and spit out once you’ve reached the bottom of the water. A tether was used to pull these sponge gatherers back to the surface as quickly as needed.

In Greek writing, air hoses as well as crude diving bells were mentioned as far as breathing apparatus is concerned. In the fourteenth century, thinly sliced and polished tortoise shells were used as goggles. This was done by Persian divers.
The first diving bell was created by Guglielmo de Loreno in 1535. He used it to complete the first one-hour dive.

Different cultures during different time periods developed their own versions of diving bells. Bells were the first basic form of scuba equipment which allows divers to completely travel under water with more than one breath of air.

Perhaps, people may get interested if they know that humans are not the only species who have made use of such apparatus! A spider living underwater known as the diving bell spider construct its webs that are very similar to diving bells which provide oxygen for their needs.