Leonardo da Vinci described a diving suit for underwater work in his codices.
His design included a leather suit, a mask, breathing tubes, and a system intended to keep the diver supplied with air. The concept was associated with military operations, including the possibility of underwater attacks on enemy ships. Leonardo also considered practical details such as buoyancy and the need to manage the breathing apparatus.
The suit is generally dated to the early 16th century, although the exact development history is uncertain because Leonardo’s notes were scattered across manuscripts. There is no reliable evidence that he built and tested the complete apparatus in the sea.
The design should not be confused with modern scuba equipment. It did not use a compressed-air cylinder carried on the diver’s back, and Leonardo’s proposed breathing arrangement had important safety limitations. Nevertheless, the sketches show an unusually systematic attempt to solve underwater breathing and movement problems before the development of modern diving technology.