Aqualung

The Genesis of the Underwater World

To speak of Aqualung is to speak of the origin of scuba diving itself. In the winter of 1942, in occupied France, a naval officer named Jacques-Yves Cousteau and an engineer named Émile Gagnan met with a shared vision. They sought to free the diver from the heavy copper helmets and umbilical air hoses of the past. Their invention, the CG45 regulator, became the “Aqua-Lung”—the first safe, commercially viable open-circuit breathing apparatus.

Aqualung is not just a manufacturer; they are the “First to Dive.” Every time you take a breath underwater, you are relying on technology that traces its lineage directly back to that moment of genius. Over the last 80 years, Aqualung has grown from a single invention into a global titan, equipping explorers, scientists, and recreational divers in every ocean on Earth.

Their legacy is built on a philosophy of making the underwater world accessible. From the legendary Calypso and Titan regulators that have rented millions of divers their first breaths, to the high-performance Leg3nd series that powers elite professionals, Aqualung covers the entire spectrum of the sport. They were the pioneers of the single-hose regulator, the modern buoyancy compensator, and the dive computer integration that we take for granted today.

For the UK diver, Aqualung represents a heritage of reliability. They are a brand that understands the sheer breadth of the ocean. Whether you are snorkeling in a shallow bay or conducting a deep decompression dive, Aqualung provides a complete ecosystem of equipment—masks, fins, suits, and instruments—that work in perfect harmony. They are the custodians of the sport’s history, yet they remain at the forefront of its future, constantly refining the “lung” that gave us the sea.