| The history of scuba diving is very | | | | These methods were not very efficient, |
| interesting. Many civilizations throughout | | | | however, and did not nearly resemble scuba |
| time have engaged in breath-hold diving, also | | | | diving as we know it today. The reeds did not |
| known as free-diving. The evidence of early | | | | allow divers to go deep into the water and |
| free-diving is the finding of sea items found | | | | air-filled bags soon filled with |
| on land and ancient pictures of divers. These | | | | carbon-monoxide as the air was exhaled. |
| civilizations used free-diving to spearfish | | | | Diving bells did not allow the divers much |
| and also in competitions. The Ancient Greeks | | | | mobility.The first diving suits were used in |
| are known free-divers. They used free-diving | | | | France and England. They were made of leather |
| to hunt for sponges and also in their | | | | and air was pumped into them from the surface |
| military.Some of the early attempts in the | | | | with manual pumps. Once the discovery was |
| history of scuba diving to dive with the use | | | | made to use metal to make helmets, these |
| of air include snorkeling with hollow reeds, | | | | suits were able to stand greater pressure. |
| using air-filled bags and diving bells. | | | | With air manually pumped into these helmets, |
| Diving bells are watertight chambers on | | | | divers were able to enter deeper into the |
| cables. The diving bell is designed to remain | | | | ocean and the history of scuba diving was |
| full of air as it is pushed under water, | | | | furthered. |
| allowing a few divers to be transported. | | | | |