Since the early 20th century, SCUBA diving has gone from an incredibly risky undertaking well out of reach for all but the fabulously wealthy to a relatively safe sport with a rapidly growing participant community.
SCUBA stands for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus, so named for the tanks and other gear which divers carry on their backs allowing them to breathe underwater. Although this gear termed life-support equipment and a commitment of real training is necessary in order to become safe and proficient enough with it to dive even in a small lake or quarry, technological advancements and improvements in science and engineering have enabled longer times underwater, deeper dives, and reduced danger in this exhilarating activity enjoyed by athletes and nature lovers.
Having originally been popularized by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Emile Gagnan, who built the Aqualung (a name still used in Britain to describe Scuba equipment today), Scuba is now enjoyed by millions of people worldwide ranging from locations as temperate tropical waters to under-ice sub-arctic diving for scientific purposes or by adventure seekers.
Many people are unaware of the...