Leonardo da Vinci designed a diving suit for underwater exploration.
His proposal is recorded in notes associated with the Codex Atlanticus and is usually dated to the early sixteenth century. The suit included a mask, breathing tubes, and a system intended to let a diver remain underwater. Leonardo also considered how air could be supplied and how the diver might move while wearing protective equipment.
The design is often linked to military sabotage plans, particularly the possibility of divers approaching enemy ships. However, historians cannot prove that Leonardo’s suit was ever built or used in an underwater operation. It should therefore be understood as a documented concept rather than a confirmed practical invention.
Leonardo’s design predates modern scuba equipment by centuries. Modern diving suits and breathing systems depend on materials, regulators, and compressed-gas technology unavailable to him. The project nevertheless shows his interest in anatomy, fluid movement, breathing, and military engineering.