Leonardo da Vinci’s proposed underwater breathing apparatus was a diving suit.
Leonardo described the equipment in studies made around 1500 while working in Venice. His concept included a sealed suit, a mask, and tubes leading upward to the surface. The tubes were intended to let a diver breathe while remaining underwater, making the design an early ancestor of later diving equipment.
The apparatus was associated with a military idea: divers could approach enemy ships underwater and damage them. Leonardo’s notes also included details such as a container for collecting urine, reflecting how closely he considered the practical problems of remaining submerged for extended periods.
This invention is often incorrectly called a scuba system. Modern scuba equipment carries compressed gas in tanks, whereas Leonardo’s design depended on breathing tubes connected to the air above the water. There is no reliable evidence that Leonardo’s suit was built or used in his lifetime.