Who developed the first successful scuba diving system?

SCUBA is an abbreviation of Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. This means equipment that allows you to breathe underwater without being supplied air from the surface.

But before that, divers were using air supplied from the surface by various tubes and pipes.

In 1778, the British engineer, John Smeaton designed the first modern diving bell that could be totally submerged. He did this by using a force pump and tube to allow it to get below water.

French inventor and Navy officer Jacques-Yves Cousteau and engineer Emile Gagnan developed the first successful scuba diving system. The device, known as the "Aqua-Lung," allowed divers to breathe underwater using a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA).

Cousteau and Gagnan's invention was a major breakthrough in the field of diving technology, as it eliminated the need for divers to rely on surface-supplied air and allowed them to stay underwater for longer periods of time. The Aqua-Lung was made up of two main components: a high-pressure air tank that stored the breathing gas, and a demand regulator that controlled the flow of air to the diver.

Cousteau and Gagnan's invention was first tested in the Mediterranean Sea in 1943 and was an immediate success. The Aqua-Lung allowed divers to explore deeper and more remote underwater locations, which opened up new opportunities for scientific research and commercial diving operations.