Leonardo da Vinci designed a diving suit as a wearable underwater breathing apparatus.
Leonardo’s underwater suit appears among his studies of water and military engineering. The design included a sealed garment, a mask, and tubes intended to connect the diver to the surface air. It was conceived as a way for a person to remain underwater while breathing through a flexible or supported air system.
The idea is frequently described as a military invention, because Leonardo considered how divers might approach enemy ships underwater. However, there is no reliable evidence that his suit was actually constructed or tested in Renaissance Venice.
It should not be confused with modern scuba equipment. Modern scuba systems carry compressed air, while Leonardo’s concept depended on air supplied from above. His design nevertheless shows a remarkably early attempt to solve underwater breathing as an engineering problem.