Solo diving II. In the late 1940s, after the invention of the Aqua-lung by Cousteau and Gagnan, the first retail underwater breathing apparatus for sport was commercially marketed. As the sport expanded through the 1950s, several sporting organisations – notably the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) – began scuba training programmes for swimming enthusiasts, thus began the codification of what was believed to be proper practices for the expanding amateur sport of scuba diving. The buddy system was thought to be a useful corollary to the "never swim alone" edicts of the YMCA swimming and lifesaving programmes. Cousteau independently implemented a buddy
Simone Melchior Simone Melchior Simone Melchior Cousteau (19 January 1919 – 1 December 1990) was the wife and business partner of undersea explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau. The first woman scuba diver and aquanaut, Simone was at Jacques's side during his major underwater accomplishments. She led him to the men and money who would build his scuba invention, she helped buy their beloved ship Calypso, saved the ship during a storm, and made sure each exploration achieved its objective. Although never visible in the "Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau" series, Simone played a key role in the operation at sea. Acting as mother, healer,