The timeline of underwater diving technology is a chronological list of notable events in the history of the development of underwater diving equipment. With the partial exception of breath-hold diving, the development of underwater diving capacity, scope, and popularity, has been closely linked to available technology, and the physiological constraints of the underwater environment.
A diver propulsion vehicle (DPV), also known as an underwater propulsion vehicle, sea scooter, underwater scooter, or swimmer delivery vehicle (SDV) by armed forces, is an item of diving equipment used by scuba divers to increase range underwater. Range is restricted by the amount of breathing gas that can be carried, the rate at which that breathing gas is consumed, and the battery power of the DPV. Time limits imposed on the diver by decompression requirements may also limit safe range in practice. DPVs have recreational, scientific and military applications.
A midget submarine is any submarine under 150 tons, typically operated by a crew of one or two but sometimes up to six or nine, with little or no on-board living accommodation. They normally work with mother ships, from which they are launched and recovered and which provide living accommodation for the crew and support staff.
Human torpedoes or manned torpedoes are a type of diver propulsion vehicle on which the diver rides, generally in a seated position behind a fairing. They were used as secret naval weapons in World War II. The basic concept is still in use.
Submarine Products Ltd (1959−1990) was a diving gear manufacturer, with a factory in Hexham in Northumberland, England. It was founded in 1959 by Lieutenant-Commander Hugh Oswell.
A deep-submergence rescue vehicle (DSRV) is a type of deep-submergence vehicle used for rescue of personnel from disabled submarines and submersibles. While DSRV is the term most often used by the United States Navy, other nations have different designations for their equivalent vehicles.
Nisshin (日進) was a seaplane tender (AV) of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
The Cosmos-class submarine, officially Cos.Mo.S MG-110 locally designated as X-Craft, are a class of midget submarines designed by the Italian firm Cos.Mo.S, in Karachi Naval Dockyard, Pakistan.
The Royal Swedish Navy's Submarine Escape and Rescue system (SMER) is a set of equipment used by the Swedish Navy to provide rescue facilities for the crews of disabled submarines. The submarine rescue ship, the submarine rescue vessel, and the escape system on the submarines, which consists of an escape trunk and an escape suit, are its three main parts.
URF is the Royal Swedish Navy’s Submarine Rescue Vessel.
The SX-404-class submarine, was a class of midget submarines produced by the Italian firm Cos.Mo.S.
A semi-submersible naval vessel is a hybrid warship, that combines the properties of a surface ship and submarine by using water ballast to partially immerse and minimize its above-waterline profile, thereby improving its stealth characteristics when in hostile waters. The USS Monitor was an antecedent to such craft with its low-profile deck and gun turret. Russian and North Korean semi-submersible naval vessels evolved from torpedo boats and special forces boats that could partially submerge to perform their missions. The US Navy SEALs use such vessels for clandestine special forces actions. Efforts to embody advantageous surface-ship characteristics into submarines have not been widely adopted.
The history of underwater diving starts with freediving as a widespread means of hunting and gathering, both for food and other valuable resources such as pearls and coral. By classical Greek and Roman times commercial applications such as sponge diving and marine salvage were established. Military diving also has a long history, going back at least as far as the Peloponnesian War, with recreational and sporting applications being a recent development. Technological development in ambient pressure diving started with stone weights (skandalopetra) for fast descent. In the 16th and 17th centuries diving bells became functionally useful when a renewable supply of air could be provided to the diver at depth, and progressed to surface-supplied diving helmets—in effect miniature diving bells covering the diver's head and supplied with compressed air by manually operated pumps—which were improved by attaching a waterproof suit to the helmet and in the early 19th century became the standard diving dress.
Anteo is a submarine rescue ship of the Italian Navy, assigned to Raggruppamento Subacquei ed Incursori "Teseo Tesei" (COMSUBIN). Anteo is the third ship to bear this name in the Italian Navy. The ship's design was developed by the "Ufficio Navi Speciali del Reparto Progetti Navi", according to the guidelines provided by the Navy General Staff. The ship was built at Cantiere Navale Breda di Porto Marghera and commissioned to the Italian Navy on 31 July 1980.
SRV-300 is a deep-submergence rescue vehicle that is rated to dive up to 300 m (980 ft). It was built by DRASS (Livorno) for the Marina Militare, and is capable of descending to 300 metres (980 ft) carrying 12 passengers in addition to crew. SRV-300 is hosted by Anteo, berthed at La Spezia.
MSM-1 USEL was a deep-submergence rescue vehicle (DSRV) that was rated to dive up to 600 m (1,969 ft). It was built by Cantieri Navali Ernesto Breda/Fincantieri for the Marina Militare. The sub was capable of descending to 600 metres (2,000 ft) below the surface and could carry 8 passengers at a time in addition to her crew. MSM-1 USEL was hosted by mother ship Anteo at La Spezia from 1980 to 2002. That year MSM-1 USEL was replaced by the DRASS Galeazzi SRV-300.
USSP is a planned Submarine rescue ship of the Marina Militare, financed with 2017's balance law.
It is expected to replace Italian ship Anteo.
The following index is provided as an overview of and topical guide to underwater diving: Links to articles and redirects to sections of articles which provide information on each topic are listed with a short description of the topic. When there is more than one article with information on a topic, the most relevant is usually listed, and it may be cross-linked to further information from the linked page or section.
CABI Cattaneo is an Italian boat and submersible builder which primarily supplies the Special Operations Forces market. Due to the nature of their work they are extremely secretive.
Cos.Mo.S, officially Costruzione Motoscafi Sottomarini s.a.s, was an Italian submarine and submersible manufacturer.
