Leonardo da Vinci designed a diving suit as part of a plan for underwater military operations.
His drawings show a diver wearing a protective suit connected to the surface by breathing tubes. The design included a mask, a breathing arrangement, and equipment intended to help the diver remain underwater. Leonardo also considered ways to conceal the diver and damage enemy vessels in a harbor.
The proposal belongs to the early history of underwater breathing apparatus, but it was not scuba equipment in the modern sense. Leonardo did not have compressed-air cylinders, regulators, or the modern materials needed for reliable underwater use. The exact practicality of the breathing system remains uncertain.
Leonardo’s concept is sometimes confused with a diving bell. A diving bell encloses an air space around the diver or passengers, whereas his design was a wearable suit supplied with air through tubes. The drawing demonstrates advanced curiosity about pressure, buoyancy, and underwater operations.