By: Katie Gillis
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Leonardo da Vinci was a man ahead of his time. So I guess it doesn’t come as a real surprise that Leonardo had plans for a scuba suit. Yes, a scuba suit.
This begs the question, why on earth would da Vinci need a scuba suit? What made him think of the idea in the first place? To answer these questions, we must transport ourselves to Venice in the 1400’s.
While Leonardo was living in Venice, there was a threat of invasion by the Turks. Leonardo proposed a plan to defend Venice and all its inhabitants. He schemed to launch an underwater invasion by using a primitive scuba apparatus.
The British Library states that the suit was to be made from cane tubes which would be joined by leather with steel rings. These tubes would be attached to a float at one end and the mask at the other, which would allow the diver access to fresh air. Leonardo paid attention to detail, choosing steel rings as the material could hold up to the water pressure. T
his scuba suit apparatus was to be used to travel along the sea floor to the foreign invader’s ships where soldiers would then put large gashes in their hulls and sink the enemy’s armada. His drawings even include a urine bottle so the diver could go to the bathroom, indicating da Vinci intended for them to be down below for quite some time. The drawing also included an air balloon attached to the face mask to be used for buoyancy control.
This system that Leonardo designed is basically an umbilical system, which has been modified and is still used today. The British Library indicates that Jacquie Cozens later constructed a suit based off Leonardo’s design, complete with bamboo tubes and a cork float. It was tested and actually worked well in shallow water. Leonardo’s designs also included a wineskin for the diver to hold extra air while they were underwater.
This concept was revisited, according to the British Library, by English engineer William James when he outlined an aqualung for compressed air in 1825. Emile Gagnon and Jacques Cousteau then made history when they designed the necessary valve in 1943.
While the Venetian army was not impressed with da Vinci’s idea of an underwater invasion, others throughout time were. His drawings inspired other inventors and explorers to dive into the unknown and challenge the status quo. The invaders were eventually driven away before Leonardo’s proposed plan could be carried out, so his work on a scuba suit was left at the planning stage.
Sources say that Leonardo da Vinci drew inspiration from his surroundings. While living in Venice, he most likely drew inspiration from the water around him, thus delivering the scuba suit. Today, scuba is a popular recreational sport and scientific endeavor. Diving has enabled us to learn things about the ocean that we could not before. It has brought us closer to the underwater realm, allowing us to be completely immersed in nature.
It’s all thanks to the brilliant minds that strive to invent and imagine a future in which all things are possible.
Here is a bit of further reading, and you can learn more from our sources here and here.