The World Recreational Scuba Training Council (WRSTC) was founded in 1999 and is dedicated to creating minimum recreational diving training standards for the various recreational scuba diving certification agencies across the world. The WRSTC restricts its membership to national or regional councils. These councils consist of individual training organizations who collectively represent at least 50% of the annual diver certifications in the member council's country or region. A national council is referred to as a RSTC (Recreational Scuba Training Council).
25-598: Significant training organisations which are not associated with WRSTC via membership of its regional RSTCs include Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS). On the basis of the experience of past attempts within the United States (US) to control various aspects of recreational diving activity by legislation, the US RSTC was created in 1986 as a permanent body to sustain a relationship between various recreational diving training organisations. In 1991, it replaced
50-617: A US RSTC council member is one of the recognition criteria used by Boy Scouts of America (BSA) for the selection of recreational scuba diving instructors for the training of its members in order to receive the BSA Scuba Diving merit badge . As of 2020, the following agencies are members: The following agencies are currently members: RSTC Europe currently is a member of the European Underwater Federation . The following agencies are currently members: As of 2018,
75-522: A board of directors (BoD) elected periodically at the annually convened general assembly. The BoD, the sport committee and the scientific committee oversee sub-committees known as commissions. Day-to-day operation is overseen by a steering committee appointed from the BoD. Its headquarters is currently located in Rome . The steering committee consists of eight members. As of 2020, the members were: CMAS Sports Committee
100-475: A qualification system currently known as the "CMAS International Diver Training Standards" which consists of published universal standards for recreational diving , technical diving and leadership diver grades . The CMAS Technical Committee has also developed a diving certification system called the "CMAS International Diver Training Certification System" for most of its diver training standards and which permits divers that have been trained in accordance with
125-557: A system of diving standards and certification that operates in parallel to the CMAS International Diver Training Certification System. The system was developed to which recognize the status of a diver who is qualified to dive in the course of research whilst employed. This internationally recognized standard of competence is a distinct advantage for working scientists who wish to travel between laboratories and institutes in different countries. Known as
150-459: 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, and 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. The CMAS Technical Committee has developed
175-512: Is also known by its Spanish name, Confederación Mundial De Actividades Subacuáticas . Its foundation in Monaco during January 1959 makes it one of the world's oldest underwater diving organisations. An international congress of diving federations representing all underwater disciplines met in Brussels on 28 September 1958. National delegates attended from following countries: Belgium, Brazil, France,
200-540: Is the predecessor of Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS) in respect to spearfishing . CMAS was founded in 1959 by national federations which at the time were members of the Comité des Sports Sous-Marins (Underwater Sports Committee) of CIPS. CIPS is a member of SportAccord . It is also one of the international sports federations that has agreed to comply with the World Anti-Doping Code which
225-453: Is the world governing body of 11 underwater sports : Across these sports, CMAS organises the several world championships: Year in brackets () denotes inaugural event In 2007, CMAS organised the inaugural CMAS World Games in attempt to boost popularity of underwater sports by hosting all world championships as one event. However, this ultimately failed as it brought too many sports outside of their pre-established calendars, resulting in
250-514: Is to bring to the attention of the world underwater diving community, the important issues concerning the marine environment and how divers can play a major role in protecting it by serving as frontline observers of its overall health, particularly in respect to invasive species, coastal ecosystems and biodiversity. Its officers who are elected from persons nominated at the CMAS General Assembly by affiliated national diving federations include
275-702: The Diving Equipment Manufacturers Association (DEMA) (renamed as the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association in 1998) as the secretariat for the then American National Standards Institute (ANSI) committee for Underwater Safety (also known as the Z86 Committee). The Z86 committee was subsequently replaced by the committee for Diving Instructional Standards and Safety (also known as the Z375 committee). In 2007 it retained its appointment as
SECTION 10
#1733085869934300-449: The 2007 event being the only one ever organised and played. The role of the technical committee is the provision of "safe diving for CMAS members" and seeks to achieve this by "promoting world class standards for all aspects of Scuba Diving and ensuring adherence of them by member federations and dive providers". Its officers who are elected from persons nominated at the CMAS General Assembly by affiliated national diving federations include
325-737: The ANSI Accredited Standards Developer (ASD) for the Z375 committee . The US RSTC has been responsible for the development of a standard medical statement (in conjunction with the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society ) and minimum training standards for diving hand signals and the following recreational diver grades - Introductory Scuba Experience, Supervised Diver, Open Water Diver , Enriched Air Nitrox Certification , Entry level Rescue Diver , Dive Supervisor , Assistant Instructor, Scuba Instructor and Scuba Instructor Trainer. In 2020
350-485: The CMAS International Diver Training Standards, to have their training recognised worldwide particularly in countries where CMAS affiliated federations exist. The system includes a double sided certification card format where one side depicts the achieved CMAS standard while the other side has details of the issuing organisation and the diver. CMAS itself does not provide training or conduct
375-557: The CMAS Scientific Diver Standard, the system consists of the following diver and instructor grades: A programme of specialist courses both at entry and advanced levels in underwater archaeology , freshwater biology , marine biology , marine geology and oceanology is also offered. Training and certification (also known as brevets) for the above qualifications is available from organisations known as CMAS Scientific Centres (CSC). Organisations which recognise CMAS as
400-652: The Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Italy, Monaco, Portugal, Switzerland, the United States of America and the former Yugoslavia . Following a decision at that congress, a meeting was held in Monaco on 9–11 January 1959, which officially established the World Underwater Federation, with an acronym based on its French title as CMAS . A founding member and key proponent of CMAS was the French underwater explorer and diving pioneer Jacques-Yves Cousteau who
425-447: The following agencies were members: Conf%C3%A9d%C3%A9ration Mondiale des Activit%C3%A9s Subaquatiques The World Underwater Federation or CMAS ( Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques ) is an international federation that represents underwater activities in underwater sport and underwater sciences, and oversees an international system of recreational snorkel and scuba diver training and recognition. It
450-514: The following grades of scuba and snorkel divers. Snorkelling Standards are provided for the following speciality training for recreational divers: Standards are provided for the following technical diver training grades: Standards are provided for the training of the following grades of recreational snorkel and scuba instructors: Standards are provided for speciality training of assistants, dive supervisors , snorkel instructors and scuba instructors: The committee considers its main task
475-505: The following positions – president, secretary, a number of general members and presidents of the following commissions – marine biology, marine archaeology, geology and professional relationships. Over a 10-year period from 1977, the CMAS Scientific Committee was responsible for the development of the "Code of Practice for Scientific Diving" for UNESCO in cooperation with Sea Grant . The CMAS Scientific Committee oversees
500-438: The following positions – president, secretary, standards director, education director, technical director, diving security director, special tasks director and a number of general members. It oversees the two following systems – a diver training standards system known as the "CMAS International Diver Training Standards" and a certification system known as "CMAS International Diver Certificates". Since CMAS effectively started as
525-567: The international federation for underwater sport and activities include: In Feb 2024, 105 nations: CMAS membership consists of at least 130 national federations from five continents: Conf%C3%A9d%C3%A9ration Internationale de la P%C3%AAche Sportive The International Confederation of Sport Fishing was founded in 1952 is the international sport federation representing a number of international federations concerned with angling sports that are carried out in fresh or seawater environments, fly fishing and with casting sport . CIPS
SECTION 20
#1733085869934550-668: The issuing of certifications – this is available from two sources. Firstly, from national diving federations affiliated to the CMAS Technical Committee using their member diving clubs, their member instructors where the federation is exclusively an instructor organisation or by agreement with independent underwater diving training organizations operating in the countries where those federations are based. Secondly, from specially accredited dive centres known as "CMAS Dive Centers" (CDC) who use dedicated CMAS training materials. Standards are offered for recreational diver training for
575-449: The revised 'RSTC Medical Declaration Form' and 'Notes for Physicians' (diving medical guidance) were published, following a three-year review by the 'Diver Medical Screen Committee'. (DMSC) comprises a team of internationally respected diving medicine experts; Dr Nick Bird, Dr Oliver Firth, (the late) Professor Tony Frew, Dr Alessandro Marroni, Professor Simon Mitchell , Associate Professor Neal Pollock and Dr Adel Taher. Membership of
600-542: Was chosen to be the inaugural president with Luigi Ferraro , Italian underwater pioneer, appointed as vice-president. CMAS succeeded the Comité des Sports Sous-Marins (Underwater Sports Committee) of the Confédération Internationale de la Pêche Sportive (CIPS) (International Confederation of Sport Fishing), which was founded on 22 February 1952. CMAS consists of three major committees – sport, technical and scientific. These committees are overseen by
625-530: Was founded in Rome , Italy on 22 February 1952. The CIPS is a confederation of the following international federations: CIPS via its constituent international federations is reported as representing 115 National Federations who in turn represent a total of 50 million individual members. CIPS headquarters are located in Rome , Italy where its day-to-day operations are conducted. World and continental championships are directly organised by its international federations. Source: 67 nation in 2024. CIPS
#933066