CMAS & BSAC vs others Schools depth limit on Air

[Dr. Lecter]

Liberté​, indeed.

 

[chrisch]

in France diving (in structure or club) is very regulated, the 60m limit is for air (it's stated by the law) if you want to diver below who must use other gas...

Also trimix is limited to 120m (80 in training) Article 322.76 http://www.ffessm.fr/ckfinder/userfiles/files/Code du Sport 2012 JO_20120222_0044.pdf

I don't think all these rules are totally followed

 

[niavlys]

Also trimix is limited to 120m (80 in training) Article 322.76 http://www.ffessm.fr/ckfinder/userfiles/files/Code du Sport 2012 JO_20120222_0044.pdf
I don't think all these rules are totally followed

Yes and no ^^
The club and dive operator can be checked by police, they follows the law (in Brittany the dive operator are very strict).
But the law apply only on club and dive operator, an individual is "outlaw" ie the law don't apply to him.
In France if you dive alone no law can forbid yo to dive below 120m on air (or whatever you want to breath).

 

[chrisch]

....
The club and dive operator can be checked by police, they follows the law (in Brittany the dive operator are very strict).
But the law apply only on club and dive operator, an individual is "outlaw" ie the law don't apply to him.
In France if you dive alone no law can forbid yo to dive below 120m on air (or whatever you want to breath).

Yes. I think this is a good thing if I'm honest. The wrecks in Brittany still have lots of artefacts on them and are worth diving. This side of the "manche" they are stripped of anything you can chisel off. Equally the law is there to protect people so dive operators should be regulated. And, just to finish, individual people should enjoy liberty and freedom even if it is to do something stupid. France has got it about right. I look forward to diving the Chaouen again in the summer!

 

[Edward3c]

You are quite wrong. CMAS is an organisation that oversees diver training. It is not a school and does not have schools. One does not "graduate" from diver training nor does one become a "diver". You are confusing a pastime with a vocation. If you wish to go scuba diving all you need do is buy the gear and dive. In most countries of the world it is an unregulated pastime. The primary role of CMAS is to attempt to bring some common standards to the many organisations that exist globally which concern themselves with diver training, either for commercial profit or on an amateur basis. CMAS teaches nothing to anyone.
...

I find it amusing the CMAS organisation in the UK don't meets he International Standards Organisation (ISO) for scuba diving. Both PADI and BSAC do.

 

[chrisch]

I find it amusing the CMAS organisation in the UK don't meets he International Standards Organisation (ISO) for scuba diving. Both PADI and BSAC do.

SAA has kind of "had it's day" though, don't you think? There are so many different organisations for our pastime that it is hard to see which and what are relevant. The World Recreational Scuba Training Council (WRSTC) aims to be the global one, and ISO is more geared at business I think. PADI is also a member of WRSTC as is SSI, but not SAA or BSAC. This list, I am sure goes on.....

 

[Remy B.]

I'm confused, CMAS is in some Univercities, I have a friend that is CMAS certified took 1 year at his Univercity, as well not so long ago at the LDS, a couple of germans rented tanks and they were CMAS certified they told me that it took them 6 months of attending to a class room some hours every month to get graduated.

If they gave out certifications from different courses and they have a class program and dictate the best guides and content of the course, are they not a school as well ?, I know it is a federation, but for what I undestood from their web site they dictate courses or am I confused.

Anyway how was your classes structered, was it like other agencies/school were in a weekend you get certified ???

 

[chrisch]

I'm confused, CMAS is in some Univercities, I have a friend that is CMAS certified took 1 year at his Univercity, ...

Many universities have scuba clubs which offer training; PADI here in the USA - SCUBA Diving or BSAC in the UK - Leeds University Union Sub Aqua Club The resultant training is often given a CMAS equivalence.

The people attending these clubs are not at university to become a diver, they are there to become an engineer, a doctor, a marketing consultant or an accountant - scuba is their hobby and the university offers a club for students.

If they gave out certifications from different courses and they have a class program and dictate the best guides and content of the course, are they not a school as well?

No. You are confusing the syllabus with the teacher. CMAS review and influence the content of the training program in order to give it a star rating. The school deliver a syllabus designed by an agency - PADI for example. In this case PADI would apply to CMAS in order to get it's syllabus approved with a CMAS star rating. To gain the rating the agency must cover a minimum of points, not the "best guides" simply the minimum required to become CMAS 1,2,3 or greater stars. Equally CMAS are not an arbiter of quality, nor do they control quality. A CMAS certification can be a sign of good or mediocre, even poor training. At it's most basic - CMAS one star - the certification is near to meaningless.

You do not graduate from a scuba certification - it is not an exam. Scuba training is aimed at teaching people a pastime which is (mostly) unregulated. The certification certifies you did the training and met the requirements of the instructor. It is not a qualification - it does not entitle you to do anything. In most of the world you can dive (to any depth, on any gas, with any equipment you choose) without any training, either formal or informal, at all. A big wallet full of scuba certification cards means only that the person with them has enough money and time to do the courses, that includes instructor certifications too.

 

[Remy B.]

Ok, understood. And yes I know the CMAS courses or whatever they were teaching in the univercity was as part of hobby/points curriculum to feel in for the studies they were doing, but so far I know they undergo a lot of more practice/training than the normal agencies that certify you in 2 days, or at least the 3 inviduals that I met, did go thru a lot more to optain the CMAS c-card.

 

[Edward3c]

Ok, understood. And yes I know the CMAS courses or whatever they were teaching in the univercity was as part of hobby/points curriculum to feel in for the studies they were doing, but so far I know they undergo a lot of more practice/training than the normal agencies that certify you in 2 days, or at least the 3 inviduals that I met, did go thru a lot more to optain the CMAS c-card.

If I wanted a CMAS C-card all I need do if write a cheque for £15 and send it off with a copy of my certification. One will arrive by return of post. That's the value of a CMAS qualification.