In 1955, in Australia the Sydney department store Hi-Ho Sports Store launched the Aquadive hookah among its scuba products, which was immediately featured prominently in the national magazine Skin Diving. The photo of the hookah emphasized its simplicity compared to the expensive regulators and heavy tanks of standard diving equipment.
The Aquadive consisted of a simple manual pump, a reservoir with a pressure gauge, and a long floating hose that connected to a breathing bag worn on the diver's shoulders. From the breathing bag, which maintained air equipressure with the ambient, a corrugated tube carried air to the mouthpiece. A short exhaust hose exited from the mouthpiece. The entire assembly weighed no more than 15 kilos.
According to the advertisement, it had the great advantage of being always ready and extremely easy to use, ideal for any diving activity, from exploration to hunting to underwater work. Naturally, the operating depth had to be very shallow.
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