SCUBA

stands for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. In 1942, Jacques Yves Cousteau and his friend Emile Gagnon modified a car regulator to supply air to the diver whenever breath is drawn. This is a huge step up from previous breathing devices in which the air was constantly circulating and the diver had to gasp for breath. After a few trials, the pair patented what became known as the Aqua Lung. With the invention of the Aqua Lung came a surge in interest in the undersea world. Since it was lightweight and affordable, the Aqua Lung allowed scientists, explorers, and the everyday person to increase their knowledge of the marine ecosystem. In the 1960's the accidents involving divers climbed dramatically, thus in 1966 the Professional Association of Diving Instructors was formed. PADI, as it is known, trains divers to understand their equipment, how it works, hand signals and commands used for communicating with other divers, and safety precautions, all of which aid in lowering accident rates related to diving. Every year over 500,000 new divers are certified. With the aid of dive computers, navigation devices, and other gadgets, diving has become a major tourist and recreational industry in the US and around the world.