Dive History

This article is an abridged version of an early chapter in Simon Pridmore’s history of the early days of technical diving, Technically Speaking—Talks on Technical Diving, Volume 1: Genesis and Exodus. The nitrox saga would end up as the subject of vitriolic debate and bitter division in the sport diving community for half a decade. This is its origin story.

How did some of the advanced technologies we use as divers today come to be? Simon Pridmore takes an intriguing look into the early days of rebreathers with an excerpt from his new book, Technically Speaking—Talks on Technical Diving, Volume 1: Genesis and Exodus.

Up until the ‘60s, the major advances in diving technology were driven by big-budget military programmes. Extending the depth limits to which divers might safely go—and still be capable of performing meaningful work when they got there—had a practical purpose. David Strike has the story, as told by George Wookey.