Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques

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The Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS) is the World Underwater Federation. CMAS is the international umbrella organisation for diver training organizations. It was founded in Monaco on January 10, 1959. The international office is currently in Rome.

CMAS offers an international framework for dive qualifications. Members of the CMAS Councils are recognised national dive organisations which garantee the CMAS standards within the constraints of local dive situations. They award their own national qualification cards which has on one side has the CMAS grade and on the other the specific personal details of the person they have qualified.

Since CMAS started effectively as a volunteer organization for hobbyists, its courses tend to reflect the full range of all European and world dive situations. Many CMAS members clubs include cold water diving conditions which requires more dive experience than diving in tropical water. Commercial mass market dive organizations like like PADI, are more geared towards a mass market for diving , which happens to be easy warm water diving without much currents. Getting tourists through a one-week vacation to learn the ropes and do simple dives is their bread and butter business. However through an extensive range of short step by step course programmes PADI qualified divers can progress to dive instructor level like CMAS. CMAS courses are heavier on assesable dive practice which include local dive situations of member states. This has generated a framework which tend to be more demanding than dive sitations found in the warm water resort hollidays. However with the growth of diving as a sport international dive organisations have started to coordinate their standards. But the difference in the philosphy for diving is still noticeble between CMAS and PADI dive education.

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[edit] Qualifications and certifications

CMAS has a Star system for grading diver and instructor qualifications and certifications:

Scuba diving certifications

  • 1 Star - Entry level
  • 2 Star - Competent diver
  • 3 Star - Supervisor of a recreational diving group
  • 4 Star - Supervisor of a diving project

Snorkel diving certifications

  • 1 star - Snorkel Diver
  • 2 star - Snorkel Diver
  • 3 star - Snorkel Diver

Instructor certifications

  • 1 Star - Pool work and lecturing
  • 2 Star - Open water instructor
  • 3 Star - Instructor trainer
  • 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

Apnea

[edit] Sports

CMAS organises the following sports:

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] Pictures

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