The origins of the word SCUBA
The word ‘SCUBA’ is an acronym for “Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus”, but it has become acceptable to refer to ‘scuba equipment‘ ‘scuba diving‘ or ’scuba apparatus’. The term SCUBA in common usage usually means open-circuit equipment in which gas (usually air) is breathed from a tank of compressed gas and then exhaled into the water, usually in the line of kit development started by Emile Gagnan and Jacques-Yves Cousteau. However, rebreathers (both semi-closed circuit and closed circuit) are also self-contained systems (as opposed to surface-supplied systems) and could be classed as SCUBA. The term SCUBA arose during World War II and originally referred to USA combat frogmen’s oxygen rebreathers, developed by Dr. Christian Lambertsen for underwater warfare.