Constituição e desenvolvimento do mergulho autônomo recreativo (Scuba Diving) nos mares brasileiros a partir do circuito São Paulo-Rio de Janeiro (1975–1990)

Abstract

Recreational scuba diving is a leisure activity carried out in natural and artificial underwater environments, especially marine ones, made possible by the open-circuit breathing apparatus (SCUBA) developed from 1943 by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Émile Gagnan. The systematization of diving training and practice began abroad in the 1950s. In Brazil, contact with the equipment occurred through the press, gradual importation, and later domestic manufacturing. The practice became established based on international standards but with local political, economic, environmental, and cultural specificities. This research aimed to understand the processes of constitution and development of diving in Brazil between 1975 and 1990, guided by the question: What types of relationships did Brazilian divers build with the underwater environment, and how did these relationships evolve? The starting point of the time frame corresponds to the arrival of Álvaro Luis Santos Vilar Moreira in Brazil in 1975 and the foundation of the first diving school, Bandeirantes do Mar. The end of the period studied encompasses the years when diving began to take on characteristics that still define it today — such as equipment, teaching methodologies, certification systems, and the development of dive tourism. The geographical scope focused on the circuit between the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, which concentrated the main initiatives in the early decades of the practice in the country. Methodological procedures included oral history, bibliographic, and documentary research. Twenty-four interviews were conducted with eighteen pioneers of Brazilian diving. Data analysis, based on Minayo (2012), was organized into the categories: people; institutionalization/professionalization; learning; places; equipment; and practices. The results indicated two phases: constitution (1975–1981) and development (1982–1990), during which processes of differentiation and professionalization of recreational scuba diving occurred in relation to other forms of diving — such as commercial, military, and spearfishing — although it incorporated elements from these practices. To distinguish itself, it needed to affirm itself as an amateur practice, in which the objective was no longer capture or underwater work. This new way of diving required training processes centered on observation, respect for marine life, and care for ecosystems. The figure of the hunter-hero — celebrated for bravery and physical strength — gave way to the explorer-hero, whose legitimacy was built on preservation and coexistence with marine animals. This symbolic shift was accompanied by the introduction of new equipment, commercial dive tourism operations, and the entry of international certifying agencies, which reconfigured training. Operations began offering greater support, becoming structured services. The introduction of equipment that made diving easier — especially the buoyancy compensator — expanded access to the practice. A new logic emerged, oriented towards underwater tourism, with greater standardization and new forms of enjoyment and interaction with the marine environment. The practice became more accessible, but more restrictive in terms of adventure and exploration, as operations control risk and limit access to certain sites. Brazilian diving was a cultural construction sustained by disputes over meaning, pedagogical redefinitions, technological transformations, and changes in the profiles and sensibilities of practitioners regarding the environment. Today, the practice may take contemplative and basic forms or challenging ones that require ongoing training. Its future meanings will depend on political and educational choices.