Leonardo da Vinci designed a diving suit for people to breathe and work underwater.
His proposed suit appears in drawings from the late fifteenth or early sixteenth century. It included a leather garment, a mask, breathing tubes connected to floating air chambers, and other equipment intended to keep the diver supplied with air. The concept was associated with underwater military operations near Venice, although no contemporary evidence shows that Leonardo built it.
The design reflected his practical interest in anatomy, fluid movement, and military engineering. Some versions of the idea included a bag intended to collect urine, allowing a diver to remain underwater for a longer period.
Leonardo's suit was not a modern scuba system. It depended on air stored near the surface and did not include a pressure regulator or compressed-air cylinder. Later diving technology solved those problems with stronger materials, air pumps, and self-contained breathing equipment.