Standard diving dress

Standard Diving Dress is a type of diving suit that was used in the early 20th century for underwater work that required more than breath-hold duration. It was the first type of diving suit to incorporate a self-contained breathing apparatus and was used for underwater salvage, civil engineering, pearl shell diving and other commercial diving work, and during naval wars as a naval diving gear.

History

The Standard Diving Dress was developed during the 19th century. The design was inspired by the work of Augustus Siebe, a German-born British engineer who is often considered the father of diving. Siebe introduced the sealed diving helmet to the design, which was connected to a diving pump on the surface that supplied air to the diver.

Design

The Standard Diving Dress consists of a diving helmet, a diving suit made of canvas, a belt and weighted boots. The helmet is usually made of copper and has a rectangular viewing window. The suit is waterproof and is designed to withstand high pressure underwater. The belt and boots are used to counteract the buoyancy of the suit and helmet.

Use

The Standard Diving Dress was used for a variety of underwater tasks, including salvage operations, construction and repair of ships, and underwater exploration. It was also used in military operations, such as during the World War I and World War II.

Modern Developments

While the Standard Diving Dress is no longer used in modern diving, it has had a significant impact on the development of diving technology. Modern scuba diving equipment, for example, has been greatly influenced by the design of the Standard Diving Dress.

See Also

• Diving suit
• Scuba diving
• Underwater diving