Leonardo da Vinci designed a diving suit as an underwater breathing device in the 15th century.
His sketches show a diver wearing a full suit connected to breathing tubes that reached above the water’s surface. The concept was associated with underwater work and military operations, including the possibility of damaging enemy vessels beneath the waterline.
The design is often mistakenly described as a modern scuba outfit. It did not use a compressed-air cylinder carried by the diver. Instead, the proposed arrangement relied on air supplied through tubes, with a floating structure helping keep the breathing apparatus above water.
Leonardo’s notes also considered practical issues such as waterproof clothing and visibility. There is no strong evidence that his complete diving suit became a tested, operational device in his lifetime, so it is best understood as an advanced design study rather than the direct invention of scuba equipment.