In 1866 Photios Mastoridis brought to Greece from Smyrna the first scuba apparatus with diving suit for use in sponge harvesting.
The scuba apparatus consists of a baggy waterproof and airtight full-body suit. The head is covered by a metal helmet that is attached circularly onto the diver’s shoulders and is also fastened onto a metal plaque. On the front there is a glass aperture and the air-flow hose, which connects the helmet to the air-pump of the ship. Other parts of the suit are the heavy shoes, weighing 4-6 kilos, and the lead weights of 14-16 kilos.
As autonomous diving, it is defined the possibility of diving with an autonomous apparatus. It differs from free diving, in which the diver dives autonomously, without underwater breathing equipment.
The equipment of the autonomous diver includes: Mask, fins, underwater breathing apparatus, diving knife, buoyancy compensator, pressure regulator, weight belt, diving suit, air bottle, instrument consoles.
