Comhairle Fo-Thuinn (;
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
for "Under-Wave Council"; CFT), also known as Irish Underwater Council (IUC) and trading as Diving Ireland, is the
national governing body for recreational diving and underwater sports in Ireland.
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
Underwater sports is a group of competitive sports using one or a combination of the following underwater diving techniques - breath-hold, snorkelling or scuba, usually including the use of equipment such as diving masks and fins. These sport ...
, 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. While the majority of its activities are in the Republic of Ireland, a small number of members and clubs are located in
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
. It is incorporated as a
Guarantee Company Without Share Capital under the name 'Comhairle Fo-Thuinn – Irish Underwater Council'.
Recognition
CFT is recognised by the
Irish Sports Council
Sport Ireland ( ga, Spórt Éireann), formerly the Irish Sports Council, is a statutory authority that oversees, and partly funds, the development of sport within Ireland. It is located at the National Sports Campus in the townland of Sheephill ...
as the national governing body for recreational diving and underwater sports in the Republic of Ireland.
It is the Irish representative to
Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques
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 scu ...
with affiliations to the Sports, Technical and Scientific Committees.
It is also a member of
CMAS Europe and the
European Underwater Federation
The European Underwater Federation (EUF) is an umbrella organisation representing the interests of scuba diver training organisations operating in both the not for profit and for profit sectors within Europe.
Purpose and scope
EUF seeks to be ...
. CFT is both a supporter and a member of the National Steering Group of the
Marine Conservation Society
The Marine Conservation Society is a UK based not-for-profit organization working with businesses, governments and communities to clean and protect the oceans. Founded in 1983, the group claims to be working towards "cleaner, better-protected, h ...
-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'.
Underwater sports
As of October 2013,
underwater hockey
Underwater hockey (UWH), (also known as Octopush in the United Kingdom) is a globally played limited-contact sport in which two teams compete to manoeuvre a puck across the bottom of a swimming pool into the opposing team's goal by propelling ...
is the only
underwater sport supported by CFT with competition based in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
and
Cork.
Qualifications
The CFT training program which is delivered by instructors based within its member clubs was structured as follows as of January 2013.
Snorkel grades
* Snorkel Skills One
* Snorkel Skills Two
* Snorkel Guide
Scuba Diver grades
* Diver 1 Star
* Diver 2 Star
* Rescue Diver
* Leading Diver
* National Diver
Instructor grades
* Snorkel Instructor
* Instructor
* Examiner
* Leading Instructor
* National Instructor
Speciality grades
*
Nitrox diver
* Diver First Responder
(PHECC Cardiac First Responder)
* Diver Coxswain
* Advanced Nitrox Diver
Speciality grades
* Extended Range Diver
* Seasearch Diver
*
Search & Recovery Diver
*
Underwater Photographer Diver
CMAS equivalencies
The following equivalencies were those in place as of January 2013.
EUF Certification
The CFT obtained
CEN certification from the
EUF certification body in 2006.
See also
*
*
*
References
External links
CFT homepage Dive Ireland 2012 – International Dive Expo
{{Authority control
Underwater sports
Underwater sports is a group of competitive sports using one or a combination of the following underwater diving techniques - breath-hold, snorkelling or scuba, usually including the use of equipment such as diving masks and fins. These sport ...
Underwater diving training organizations
1963 establishments in Ireland
Organizations established in 1963
Underwater hockey governing bodies
Water sports in Ireland
Diver organizations