REMEMBERING THE LEGEND OF JACQUES COUSTEAU

Jacques Cousteau

At one point, Jacques Cousteau was the most famous scuba diver in the world. Thanks to his best-selling books and his popular television show, he was a hero to millions of people worldwide and one of the most influential inspirations for the scuba diving community.

Unfortunately, fame is fleeting. And after Cousteau’s death in 1997, he fell out of the public eye. Today, most young people have never heard of the daring adventurer.

Scuba Diving Oahu — Co-Inventor of the Aqualung

You could say Jacques Cousteau invented scuba diving — or at least helped develop the underwater breathing device that made it possible for people to spend long amounts of time beneath the waves without coming up for air.

Before he was a world-famous explorer and adventurer, Jacques Cousteau was a French military hero. He served as a commando who fought against Italian espionage services in France and was decorated numerous times for his heroism.

After the war, he helped create many other the types of scuba diving equipment still used widely today, including modern types of scuba diving goggles.

Scuba Diving Oahu — Cousteau’s Legacy

Aboard his famed ship, the Calypso, which he leased from brewing heir Thomas Loel Guinness for a symbolic one franc per year, Cousteau starred in his own worldwide television program, “The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau”, which introduced scuba diving to a worldwide audience.

Cousteau’s thrilling adventures each week thrilled billions of television viewers and inspired millions of people to take up scuba diving as a hobby.

Throughout his amazing life, he was awarded many distinguished honors, including the US Presidential Medal of Freedom and France’s distinguished Legion of Honour.

There has been perhaps no more important figure to the sport of scuba diving than Jacques Cousteau. And his legend deserves to be shared with future generations to come.