What water-breathing equipment did Leonardo da Vinci design for divers?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a diving suit with a mask, breathing tubes, and a surface-supported air supply.

His notes describe equipment intended to let a diver work underwater for military or engineering purposes. The design included a mask connected to tubes reaching above the water, along with a suit and provisions for buoyancy and bodily functions. The idea is associated with plans for underwater operations near Venice, although the historical evidence does not show that Leonardo tested it.

Leonardo’s concept belongs to the long history of diving equipment, which also includes diving bells and later suits supplied by pumps. A key limitation of his design was the danger that flexible tubes could kink, collapse, or be obstructed. Underwater pressure and air management also posed serious practical problems.

The design is often described as a “scuba suit,” but modern scuba equipment uses compressed gas carried by the diver. Leonardo’s proposal depended on air supplied from the surface.