Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques

CMAS logo

The Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS) is the World Underwater Federation. CMAS is the international umbrella organisation for recreational diver training organisations represented in the CMAS Technical Committee and underwater sports governed by the CMAS Sport Committee.^[1][2] It also operates a third (Scientific) committee that promotes recreational diver awareness of and involvement in underwater science pursuits and marine conservation.^[3]

It was founded in Monaco in January 1959. As such, it is one of the world's oldest scuba diving organisations.^[4] The international office is currently in Rome.

CMAS offers an international framework for diver and instructor qualifications in scuba diving and snorkelling.^[5] Members of the CMAS Council are representatives of recognised national diving organisations that guarantee the CMAS standards are upheld within the constraints of local diving conditions. These national organisations award CMAS qualification cards which have the appropriate CMAS grade on one side and details of the relevant national organisation and the person they have qualified on the other.

Since CMAS effectively started as a volunteer organisation for hobbyists, its courses tend to reflect the full range of European and world diving standards. Compared to other diving organisations which may be more geared towards holiday and tropical water diving, the training philosophy of CMAS members' clubs originates from professional or military diving backgrounds. While organisations like PADI or SSI tend to bring divers into the water immediately, CMAS entry-level training is more extensive, featuring more "classroom" delivered theory and strives to produce more experienced, knowledgeable and skilled divers.^[6]

The differences between CMAS and US-originated dive education in their philosophies for diving are still very noticeable. CMAS as a diving organisation is entirely about quality education and the implied increase in diving safety over profit, and its programmes tend to be taught worldwide more in dive schools than dive shops.^{[citation needed]} Implicit in this is that non-CMAS affiliated diving organisations are more often operated on a commercial basis.

History

An international congress of federations representing all underwater disciplines met in Brussels on 28 September 1958. Delegates were drawn from following countries: Belgium, Brazil, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Italy, Monaco, Portugal, Switzerland, the United States of America and Yugoslavia. Following a decision at that congress, a meeting was held in Monaco on 9–11 January 1959, which established the "World Confederation of Underwater Activities", known by the acronym of its French title as "CMAS". One of the founding members was the French underwater pioneer Jacques-Yves Cousteau.^[7]

CMAS became the successor to the "Comité des Sports Sous-Marins" (Underwater Sports Committee) of the International Confederation of Sport Fishing, which was founded on 22 February 1952.^[7]

Qualifications and certifications

The CMAS training system.

CMAS has a star system for grading diver and instructor qualifications and certifications:^[5]

Scuba diving certifications

• CMAS Scuba Diver - (Resort Course) limited depth, etc. No certification since only pool training done

• 1 Star - "A diver who is competent in the safe and correct use of all appropriate open water scuba diving equipment in a sheltered water training area and is ready to gain open water diving experience in the company of an experienced diver."
• 2 Star - "A diver who has gained some open water diving experience and is considered ready to take part in dives partnered by a diver of at least the same or higher grade."
• 3 Star - "A fully trained, experienced, and responsible diver who is considered competent to lead other divers of any grade in open water dives."
• 4 Star - "A three star diver who has attained a higher than average level of knowledge and ability supported by broad experience. He will be competent to use divers and diving to achieve major tasks or project objectives."

Skin Diver/Snorkel Diver diving certifications

• 1 Star - Snorkel Diver
• 2 Star - Snorkel Diver
• 3 Star - Snorkel Diver

Instructor certifications

• 1 Star - "A three star diver who has a knowledge of the techniques of diving instruction and is competent in practical instructional skills: he is qualified to direct and certify a full CMAS One Star Diver course."
• 2 Star - "An experienced one star instructor who has the knowledge, skills, and experience required to teach groups of divers in the classroom, pool and open water, and to assist in the training of One Star Instructor. He is qualified to direct and certify all CMAS diver levels and all CMAS Snorkel Instructor levels."
• 3 Star - "A fully experienced two star instructor who is competent to take responsibility for the conduct of diving schools and events, [and] to train all grade of divers and instructors and centres, and specialised training courses."
• Nitrox instructor
• Confirmed Nitrox instructor
• Photo instructor level I
• Cave diver instructor level II
• Marine Science instructor level I
• Apnea instructor
• Rebreather instructor

Speciality certifications

• Basic Nitrox diver
• Advanced Nitrox diver
• Night diving
• Search and recovery
• Photographer level III
• Cave diver level II
• Marine science level I
• Rebreather diver

Apnea (free-diving)

• Apnea level I
• Apnea level II
• Apnea level III

Sports

CMAS organises the following sports (although parallel 'world governing bodies' exist for some of these):

• Apnea (Free-diving)
• Aquathlon
• Finswimming
• Orienteering
• Spearfishing
• Sport diving
• Underwater hockey
• Underwater photography
• Underwater rugby
• Underwater target shooting

The Steering Committee

The steering committee consists of 7 members. The current members are:^[8]

• President - Achille Ferrero (Italy)
• Secretary General - Alessandro Zerbi (Monaco)
• Vice President - Ivan Nyiri (Hungary)
• President Scientific Committee - Hassen Baccouche (Tunisia)
• President Sports Committee - Xavier Duran Soler (Spain)
• President Technical Committee - Kevin O'Shaughnessy (Ireland)
• Treasurer - Alain Germain (France)

See also

• Scuba diving
• Snorkelling
• History of swimming

References

1. ^ "The Technical Committee". Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques. http://www.cmas.org/federations.php?commission=technical. Retrieved 30 November 2010. 
2. ^ "The Sport Committee". Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques. http://www.cmas.org/sport_committee.php. Retrieved 30 November 2010. 
3. ^ "The Scientific Committee". Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques. http://www.cmas.org/scientific_committee.php. Retrieved 30 November 2010. 
4. ^ The Cave Diving Group (CDG) was founded in 1946 in the UK. The British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) was founded in 1953.
5. ^ ^{a b} Diver and Instructor Standards & Requirements. Version 2002/00. Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques. 7 February 2008. 
6. ^ C.M.A.S. Diver *, **, ***, ****Training Program Diver. Version 2007/01. Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques. 7 February 2008. 
7. ^ ^{a b} "The history of CMAS". Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques. http://www.cmas.org/about_cmas.php. Retrieved 20 April 2010. 
8. ^ "The Steering Committee". Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques. http://www.cmas.org/the_steering_committee.php. Retrieved 20 April 2010. 

External links

• CMAS homepage
• CMAS AMERICAS Homepage