UESE - Underwater Exploration Survival Equipment

Some time in around 12078 HE, the otherwise technologically stagnant world of SCUBA was shaken up by the release of UESE, Underwater Exploration & Survival Equipment, by Eurasian underwater equipment manufacturer [insert name]. The equipment was revolutionary, combining existing and new technologies into a brand new configuration. Diving with UESE was at least 68% safer under normal conditions, and was swiftly adopted as the new standard for commercial and military work. Recreational and scientific diving was slower to adopt the new technology, primarily owing to the price. After multiple lawsuits, the core technologies and concepts in UESE were made public to avoid a monopoly on it, and it was swiftly replicated and built on. By 12103, 25 years after its release, it was the new standard for diving everywhere, with scuba and old rebreather units being relegated to historical dive events and museums. Further developments expanded UESE to include all the equipment needed for underwater survival and exploration.
UESBA (Underwater Exploration & Survival Breathing Apparatus) is the core of anyone's UESE. It's a full face mask that connects to a small back mounted MSE (monitoring scrubber-exchanger) unit that can have between one and three gas cylinders installed depending on the model (always one oxygen,then one or both of helium or hydrogen), and one emergency ascent cylinder. The user has two computers to use to keep track of the system's status, gas levels, their current depth, length of dive, and rough geolocation. One computer is wireless and wrist mounted, and other is hardwired to the MSE and typically worn coming under the left arm and hooked onto the diver's UESBCVH. The full face mask can be quite basic, or include a HUD system, light filters (for welding or similar), and/or communications equipment. UESBA provides a continuously modified blend of gases to the user to breath, allowing them to explore to the maximum depth rating of the system (50m, 150m, 200m, 300m, or 500m), then do the needed decompression to return to the surface safely.
UESBCVH (Underwater Exploration & Survival Buoyancy Control Vest-Harness) replaced the older "buoyancy control device". Ruggedly designed, the new UESBCVH combines the utility of a harness set up with the intuitive use and comfort of a vest. Models vary along a spectrum (commercial work UESBCVH are more harness like and recreational ones are more vest like), but are similar in that they all utilize integrated, individually releasable weights, feature cargo pockets, and have heavy duty connection points for safety lines and specialized equipment. They're also designed to integrate with the UESBA's MSE, both protecting it and allowing for easy buddy checks.
UESEP (Underwater Exploration & Survival Environmental Protection) is the collective term for the suit, undersuit, gloves, hood, and boots used by divers. This set up can vary by the conditions the diver is headed into and is comfortable diving in, and come in open and closed systems. And open system allows water through and then uses it as an additional insulation layer, and is popular in warm water (18C or more) and with hardier cold water divers. Closed systems keep all the water out, and rely on a heavier undersuit to help the diver stay warm, these are very popular with cold water divers, and the baseline standard for any hazardous commercial work in contaminated water. All UESEP are form fitting, and people are unbothered by it because diving is for all body shapes. In the warmest waters, open UESEP users may forego hoods and often wear suits with short or no sleeves, or suits with short sleeves and short legs for comfort.
UESMS (Underwater Exploration & Survival Mobility Systems) come in two forms, physical and motor. The physical ones are specially engineered fins designed to maximize efficiency with every kick, and sometimes a webbed glove. The gloves are generally seen as the equipment of the eccentric however, a reputation and connection centuries old that predates UESE. The fins are worn over the boots, and can carried separately or even removed underwater if needed.

Utility

UESE is used by divers in all three Terran colonized systems. It's also at the core of many hazardous environment survival suits and most vacc-suits. It's popular for recreational, commercial, and military use. Its main misuse comes from unqualified people getting thier hands on it and then incorrectly using it. This has been the main cause of fatalities with the system.

Manufacturing

One of the best parts about UESE is that it can be manufactured anywhere that has late 21st century fabrication systems, provided they have access to the correct ores and minerals. Locations without those ores and minerals have had limited luck recreating UESE, and their systems are often less efficient and/or less capable.

Social Impact

The impact of UESE was immediate and profound. It radically changed all fields of diving and related areas that needed special equipment to survive in hostile environments. Its implications were so profound that the copyrights around the technologies it uses were broken to prevent not just a monopoly, but also a bottleneck on getting this tech into service.

UESE technologies are one of the key advancements in the Tanitverse that has allowed Terrans to explore planets and moons with  hostile environments, and to learn more about their homeworld, Earth. It's great weakness is that it relies on materials not native to the Solar System, or the Amun and Kane Systems. This makes it very vulnerable to supply side disruptions and is one of the lead reasons why UESE-B equipment exists and is in common use where the materials are hard to get. UESE-B refers to UESE gear made with alternative materials that still meet the Intergalactic Diving Instructors & Regulators (IDIR) standards for use. As noted, it's generally less efficient and/or safe, but meets the thresholds for sanctioned use. UESE-B also meets the requirements of the Transgalactic Standards Organization and the Quint-Galaxy Workers Safety Board.

Access & Availability

UESE is readily available from a variety of manufacturers and outlets, but is regulated in the sense that it can only be legally sold to individuals with training certifications or to organizations with a need for diving equipment. the reason is simple for this restriction; UESE made diving safer, not "perfectly safe", and people can still be injured if they're sold the gear and then use it improperly.

Complexity

UESE gear's most complex components are in the computers and sensors that operate it. To many people's shock on investigation, much of it was simply re-engineered rebreather components. The difference came in the filters and scrubber compound that removes waste carbon dioxide from the user's exhalations. Using ores and minerals mined off planet, they were able to create a system that was 30% the size and weight of a traditional diving set up.

Discovery

UESE was developed as extraterrestrial ores and minerals came available on Earth. Through roughly a decade's worth of research and development, the UESE systems were developed and revolutionized diving forever.