_____
/ \
/ . . \
| ( ) | THE AQUALUNG
\ === /
\_____/ A Tribute to
||| Jacques Cousteau
/ \
/| |\ 1910-1997
/ | | \
o | | o "The sea, once it
| | casts its spell,
/| |\ holds one in its
/ | | \ net of wonder
o | | o forever."
| |
/ \
/ \
| |
\ CALYPSO /
\_______/
Celebrating Jacques-Yves Cousteau
June 11, 1910 - June 25, 1997
Cousteau was not just an explorer but an inventor. To see the underwater world, he had to create the tools to reach it.
Co-invented with Émile Gagnan, the first open-circuit SCUBA system, revolutionizing underwater exploration
Two-person submarine for deep-sea exploration, reached depths of 350 meters
First underwater habitat for humans to live beneath the sea for extended periods
Starfish House habitat in the Red Sea, five oceanauts lived at 10m depth for a month
Six oceanauts lived at 100m depth for three weeks, proving deep saturation diving feasible
Wind-powered propulsion system using cylinder sails, reducing Alcyone's fuel consumption by 35%
One-person wet submarine for rapid underwater mobility
Pioneered waterproof camera equipment for underwater filmmaking
In occupied France during World War II, Cousteau and engineer Émile Gagnan worked to create a reliable self-contained breathing apparatus. The result was the Aqua-Lung—a demand regulator that delivered air only when the diver inhaled, making long underwater stays possible for the first time.
Before the Aqua-Lung, divers were tethered to surface air pumps or limited to brief breath-hold dives. After it, humans could finally become creatures of the sea.
________
/ \ THE AQUA-LUNG
| AIR |
| TANK | A simple demand regulator:
| | - Breathe in: air flows
|__________| - Breathe out: bubbles rise
|| - Freedom beneath the waves
/ \
/ \
( )( ) ← Demand Regulator
\ /
\ /
\/ → To mouthpiece