Leonardo da Vinci designed an early snorkel concept using a reed tube and a float.
The proposed apparatus was intended to let a diver breathe while remaining beneath the water’s surface. A tube extended above the water and was supported by a floating structure, allowing air to reach the diver. Leonardo’s design reflects his practical concern with buoyancy, tube placement and the limits of underwater breathing.
This concept should not be confused with his more elaborate diving suit, which included a sealed garment and a surface breathing system. It also was not a submarine, because it did not enclose the diver in a navigable underwater vessel. Modern snorkels are short breathing tubes used by swimmers near the surface; Leonardo’s concept was more ambitious and intended for submerged military or exploratory activity.