Comhairle Fo-Thuinn

Comhairle Fo-Thuinn (CFT; pronounced [ˈkoːɾʲ.lʲə fˠɔ.hiːnʲ], Irish for "Under-Wave Council"), also known as Irish Underwater Council, is the national governing body for recreational diving and underwater sports in Ireland.

Comhairle Fo-Thuinn
Irish Underwater Council
AbbreviationCFT
Formation1963
TypeNGO
Legal statusGuarantee Company Without Share Capital.
PurposeRecreational diving, diver training, underwater sports & sciences
national governing body
HeadquartersDún Laoghaire, Ireland
Location
  • 78A Patrick Street, Dún Laoghaire
Region served
Ireland and Northern Ireland
Membership
3000 member & 84 clubs (2004)
President
Jean Kelleher
National Diving Officer
Ray Yeats
Main organ
Executive Committee
AffiliationsCMAS
CMAS Europe
EUF
Websitehttp://diving.ie/

Organisation

CFT organises and promotes recreational scuba diving and snorkelling via a club system. It is administered by an executive committee is supported by the following four commissions: a Technical Commission which sets standards and tests for diving courses offered by its member clubs; a Medical Commission which advises on diving medical standards, treatment of diving medical conditions and monitors developments in hyperbaric medicine; a Sporting Commission which organises underwater sports, photography and an event known as the national gala; and a Scientific Commission which promotes underwater biology and archaeology. Its membership consists of both clubs and individuals which as of 2004 respectively totalled 3,000 and 84.[1] While the majority of its activities are in the Republic of Ireland, a small number of members and clubs are located in Northern Ireland.[2] It is incorporated as a Guarantee Company Without Share Capital under the name 'Comhairle Fo-Thuinn – Irish Underwater Council'.[3]

Recognition

CFT is recognised by the Irish Sports Council as the national governing body for recreational diving and underwater sports in the Republic of Ireland.[4] It is the Irish representative to Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques with affiliations to the Sports, Technical and Scientific Committees. It is also a member of CMAS Europe and the European Underwater Federation.[5][6][7] CFT is both a supporter and a member of the National Steering Group of the Marine Conservation Society-co-ordinated Seasearch program which seeks to 'gather information on seabed habitats and associated marine wildlife in Britain and Ireland through the participation of volunteer recreational divers'.[8][9]

Underwater sports

As of October 2013, underwater hockey is the only underwater sport supported by CFT with competition based in Dublin and Cork.[10]

Qualifications

The CFT training program which is delivered by instructors based within its member clubs was structured as follows as of January 2013.[11][12]

CMAS equivalencies

The following equivalencies were those in place as of January 2013.[13]

CMASCFT
CMAS 1 Star DiverCFT Trainee Diver
CMAS 2 Star DiverCFT Club Diver
CMAS 3 Star DiverCFT Leading Diver
CMAS 4 Star DiverCFT National Diver
CMAS 1 Star InstructorCFT Instructor
CMAS 2 Star InstructorCFT Examiner
CMAS 3 Star InstructorCFT Leading Instructor
CMAS 4 Star InstructorCFT National Instructor
Further information: CMAS International Diver Training Certification System

EUF Certification

The CFT obtained CEN certification from the EUF certification body in 2006.[14]

See also

References
  1. "Irish Underwater Council- Comhairle Fo Thuinn (CFT)". Marine Institute. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  2. "Join a Club". Comhairle Fo-Thuinn. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  3. "Irish Company Name: Comhairle Fo-Thuinn – Irish Underwater Council". Vision-net.ie. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  4. "Underwater Sport". Irish Sports Council (An Chomhairle Spoirt). Archived from the original on 21 December 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  5. "Comhairle Fo-Thuinn". Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  6. "Les pays membres". CMAS Europe. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  7. "non-profit distributing members". European Underwater Federation. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  8. "National Seasearch Project Aim and Objectives". Seasearch c/o Marine Conservation Society. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  9. "Who is Involved?". Seasearch c/o Marine Conservation Society. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  10. "Underwater Hockey". CFT. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  11. "Snorkelling Courses". Comhairle Fo-Thuinn. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  12. "Diving Courses". Comhairle Fo-Thuinn. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  13. "Diving courses". CFT. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
  14. "EUF Certified Training Systems/Training Organisations". EUF Certification International. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.