Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS; ) 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. Its foundation in Monaco during January 1959 makes it one of the world's oldest underwater diving organisations.The Cave Diving Group (CDG) was founded in 1946 in the UK. The British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) was founded in 1953.
Origins 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, 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 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.
Organisation CMAS consists of three major committees – sport, technical and scientific. These committees are overseen by 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 The steering committee consists of eight members. Since may 2025 (GA in Egypt), the members are:
President – Anna Arzhanova (Serbia) Secretary general – Kevin O'Shaughnessy (Ireland) Vice president – Frédéric Di Méglio (France) Vice president – Jean-Marc Goiran (Monaco) President sports committee – Michel Gaunard (France) President technical committee – Alain Foret (France) President scientific committee – John Geurts (Holland) Treasurer – Ilias Xiarchos (Greece)
Sport committee CMAS Sports Committee is the world governing body of 11 underwater sports: Aquathlon Freediving Finswimming Spearfishing Sport diving Underwater hockey Underwater orienteering Underwater parasports Underwater rugby Underwater target shooting Visual (Underwater photography and Underwater videography)
Across these sports, CMAS organises the several world championships:
Year in brackets () denotes inaugural event
Underwater Orienteering World Championships (1973) Finswimming World Championships (1976) Underwater Hockey World Championships (1980) Underwater Rugby World Championships (1980) Underwater Photography World Championships (1985)
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 the 2007 event being the only one ever organised and played.
Technical committee
Role 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 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 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.
Qualifications
Standards, certification and training delivery The CMAS Technical Committee has developed 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 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 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.
Recreational diver training programmes
Standards are offered for recreational diver training for the following grades of scuba and snorkel divers.
Introductory SCUBA Experience – "this training programme aims at providing interested persons with an introductory diving experience, to a maximum depth of ten (10) metres under the direct supervision of a CMAS Instructor, whilst using air as a breathing gas, in a safe manner." One Star Diver – "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." Two Star Diver – "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 a higher grade. The two-star diver may dive with a One Star Diver in sheltered shallow water." Three Star Diver – "a fully trained, experienced, senior diver who is considered competent to supervise other divers of any grade in open water and support an instructor in the pool and open water training." Four Star Diver – "a three-star diver who has attained a higher than average level of knowledge and ability supported by broad diving experience. They are able to assist in the training of One Star Divers and be competent to lead divers in order to accomplish major diving tasks or project objectives."
Snorkelling
One Star Snorkel Diver – "a snorkel diver who is competent in the safe and correct use of relevant snorkel diving equipment used in a swimming pool or sheltered water. The snorkel diver is familiar with relevant personal equipment and its use in a sheltered open water area. The snorkel diver is ready to gain further open water training." Two Star Snorkel Diver – "a snorkel diver who has gained some open water diving experience. The snorkel diver is considered ready to take part in dives with other snorkel divers, under supervision if a minor. The CMAS 2 star snorkel diver is considered trained." Three Star Snorkel Diver – "A fully trained snorkel diver who has gained considerable experience in open water snorkel diving under various conditions. The three-star snorkel diver has acquired life-saving skills and can lead snorkel divers in open water dives."
Speciality diver training programmes Standards are provided for the following speciality training for recreational divers:
Apnoea Diver Level I Apnoea Diver Level II Apnoea Diver Level III Disabled Diver: Open Water Diving Environment Level I Disabled Diver: Open Water Diving Environment Level II Disabled Diver: Open Water Diving Environment Level III
Search and Recovery Diver
Compressor Operator
Cave Diver Level I (Cavern Diver) Recreational Scooter Diver Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and Basic life support (BLS]) Oxygen Administration
Recreational Trimix Diver Semi-Closed Rebreather Diver Advanced Semi-Closed Rebreather Diver Closed Circuit Rebreather Diver Children Diving Bronze Award Children Diving Gold Award Children Diving Silver Award Wreck Diver Level 1: – Autonomous, recreational, non-penetration wreck diving. Wreck Diver Level 2:– Autonomous, recreational, penetration wreck diving.
– Scuba gas planning skills, bailout to emergency gas supply carried by the diver, management of multiple gas cylinders, deployment of a decompression buoy from depth, tethered buoyant emergency ascent, use of long hose regulator, self-release from entanglement, and use of backup diving equipment.
Technical diver training programmes Standards are provided for the following technical diver training grades:
Advanced Semi-Closed Rebreather Diver Cave Diver Level II (Apprentice Cave Diver) Cave Diver Level III (Full Cave Diver) Extended Range Nitrox Diver Normoxic Trimix Diver Overhead environment Scooter Technical Scooter Diver Trimix Diver Advanced Trimix Diver
Leadership diver training programmes Standards are provided for the training of the following grades of recreational snorkel and scuba instructors:
– "a CMAS 2 star snorkel diver who is interested in and has knowledge of practical snorkel diver instruction. The instructor is qualified to conduct practical lessons in a swimming pool and to teach the CMAS 1 star snorkel diver certificate. The instructor can be used as an assistant instructor in open water, but cannot plan an open water dive and lead a group of divers on his own." – "an experienced one-star snorkel diver instructor who has the knowledge, skills, and experience required to lead and instruct 1, 2 and 3 Star snorkel diver students in the classroom, swimming pool, and open water. The experienced CMAS 2 Star snorkel diver instructor may assist in the training and education of CMAS 1 Star snorkel diver instructors." – "a three- or four-star diver who has demonstrated a knowledge of the techniques of diving instruction and has proven, under evaluation, to be competent in practical instructional skills and diving safety procedures: They are qualified to train and certify novice diving students in a full CMAS One-Star Diver scuba program." – "an experienced one-star instructor who has the knowledge, skills, and experience required to teach groups of divers in the classroom, pool, and in open water, and to train qualified dive supervisors, assistant instructors and assist in the training & evaluation of One-Star Instructors. They are qualified to teach and certify all CMAS diver levels including snorkel instructor levels."