FP - PADI deep diver needed?

[CWK]

I was diving with some Belgians a couple of months ago and they were CMAS certified. I think they were saying that a CMAS *** is not restricted by depth or deco. Padi Rescue plus deep may equate only to CMAS**.

The French system is different. You have to slot into their system. Perhaps someone who is CMAS certified can explain.

 

[CWK]

CMAS** is 40m and no deco. CMAS*** is 55m/60m and deco. I believe that the French do not differentiate between recreational and technical, and most French divers aim for CMAS*** (but I could be wrong).

Your wife may need Tec50 or TDI Extended Range to get on advanced dives.

 

[taimen]

CMAS** is 40m and no deco. CMAS*** is 55m/60m and deco. I believe that the French do not differentiate between recreational and technical, and most French divers aim for CMAS*** (but I could be wrong).

Your wife may need Tec50 or TDI Extended Range to get on advanced dives.

CMAS is a strange creature. It has international organisation and standards, but obviously local CMAS organisations can modify the standards, still giving out CMAS certification cards.
In my country, CMAS*** does not include deco stops and is limited to 40 m. It is mostly a DM course for club environment.
I checked www.cmas.org, and there three star diver includes deco stops and depth is limited to ppO2 1.4 atm.
Thus a CMAS card may mean different things depending where it was issued.

 

[CWK]

CMAS is a strange creature ... Thus a CMAS card may mean different things depending where it was issued.

CMAS may be inconstant as you say.

All I know is that this year I've come across about 10 Belgian CMAS certified divers in the Maldives and 2 Swiss CMAS trained divers at Tubbataha. I believe they were all CMAS*** and certified to 55M/60M and deco. I would expect to meet French CMAS divers in FP and I suspect the boat for experienced divers will be full of CMAS*** and that the OPs wife will not be on it unless she has a c-card that says she can do deco and 55M.

 

[Wingy]

Boiler - go down to Krabi and see Daniel Sasse at Poseidon dive academy - I did my CMAS Certs through him prior to going to FP

 

[OceanEyes]

I suggest contacting the dive operators that you’ll be utilizing. I paid my first visit to FP last year and one operator barely glanced at my cert, (if they looked at all), and another was quite specific in dictating that those certified by PADI have at least a Rescue certification in order to be granted a slightly less conservative depth limit than those people lacking that cert. In the case of the more stringent operation, possession of a Deep Diver certification was not sufficient to allow a diver to use the more liberal depth limits.

 

[lavieafond]

Heading to Fakarava and Manihi, FP next November. Taking Rescue Diver right now, as I type. Not interested in restrictions like we experienced the first time there five years ago (2013). My husband has almost 500 dives and me, 275, and it is just frustrating being put on the beginner boat since we 'only' have PADI Advanced. I lived in France 13 years and know this attitude is elsewhere too. At one point I wanted to start a Master's degree, after having graduated in the US with a dual major Bachelor degree from a highly competitive college. I was basically told that since the US system isn't up to par that I'd have to start in year one of a "licence" which is now translated as a Bachelor. This was before European laws defined more accurate equivalencies, so I'm sure this would no longer be an issue, but same same for the PADI vs. FFESSM levels. Plus, geez, it is about time we push our formal knowledge a bit further. Do Rescue Diver if you have time before a FP trip. It'll be worth it on multiple levels.