Cousteau Enters Inventors Hall Of Fame For Aqua-Lung

Jacques-Yves Cousteau and co-inventor Emile Gagnan posthumously entered the U.S. Inventors Hall of Fame recently for their breathing regulator that become an integral part of their Aqua-Lung diving equipment. Their invention changed our view of the oceans as it allowed divers to breathe and swim untethered underwater. Jacques and Emile invented the Aqua-Lung in 1943 and the U.S. Divers Company was the first company to manufacture the Aqua-Lung in the United States. Of all of Cousteau's accomplishments, the Aqua-Lung is arguably the most profound.


1958 Aqua-Lung Advertisement - Credit: Vintage Divers Treasures

A fascinating pictorial of the evolution of the Aqua-Lung may be found at Vintage Divers Treasures:
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More on the U.S. Inventors Hall of Fame:
Post-it notes inventor and Jacques Cousteau enter Inventors Hall of Fame - Telegraph

 

Jacques-Yves Cousteau has been a hero of mine since 4th grade (~13 years ago). Imagine what the world would be like w/out that regulator.

 

Jacks Coostee means a lot to me. I absolutely loved his TV show when I was a kid. It had quite an impact on me. It started my fascination with the ocean. I even loved John Denver's song Calypso.

Let's all sing now.

 

All I can say is, it's about time!!! That invention has done wonders for us. There are endless examples of how his device has helped us in the present times. Basically, if you need to breath underwater whether it's for research, building/boat/structure maintenance or construction, or fixing whatever problem you can dream up involving water, his Aqua-lungs allow us to do that today. One could even argue that our hobby woudn't be anywhere close to what it is today without the research through underwater teams.