The Nederlandse Onderwatersport Bond, (NOB) is the national governing body for recreational diving and underwater sports in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. It was founded in 1962. In 2008 there were 290 scuba diving clubs and schools with a total of 20.000 members. The NOB is a member of CMAS ''

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 ...

''. The aim of the NOB is to develop recreational scuba diving in the Netherlands.

Underwater sport

NOB supports competition at all levels for the following

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 ...

finswimming Finswimming is an underwater sport consisting of four techniques involving swimming with the use of fins either on the water's surface using a snorkel with either monofins or bifins or underwater with monofin either by holding one's breath or ...

and

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 ...

Qualifications

The NOB offers training with particular attention to the difficult dive conditions encountered in the Netherlands (currents, limited visibility, cold water).

Youth program

* - (Snorkeling & scubadiving, 8–14 years old) * - Junior Open Water Diver (min. 12 years old, autonomy at 10 meters)

Diving skills certification

* - Open Water Diver (min 14 years old, autonomy at 20 meters) * - Advanced Open Water Diver (min 15 years old, autonomy at 30 meters) * - Dive Master and Rescue Diver/Oxygen Provider (min 18 years old: assistant, dive leader, diving officer for fun dives autonomy at 50 meters) * - Master Scuba Diver (3*-Duiker with 250 certified dives and 6 specialties)

Specialty training

Prerequisite: 1 star diver * Underwater biology * Nitrox basics (#) * Digital photography * Dry suit * Rescue (pre-requisite for the 3 star diver. Same as ''RIFA Plongée'' of FFESSM) Prerequisite: 2 star diver * Full-face mask (#) * Underwater orientation * Wreck diving (#) * Drift diving * Ice diving (#) * Search and recovery Prerequisite: 3 star diver * Decompression (#) * Advanced Nitrox (#) * Cave-diving techniques (#) (#) Those specialties are validated by 2* instructors (minimum) who followed an additional instructor course. Other specialties by any 2*-instructor (minimum) having self the specialty as a diver. (##) Maximum 20 minutes decompression stops; maximal depth 50 meters.

Leadership courses

* - Assistant Instructor: certifies 1* divers (confined water), and assists 2* instructors * - Instructor: certifies 1*-4* divers and provides specialty courses (confined and open water). * - Master-Instructor or Regional instructor: trains instructors (1*-2*) under the supervision of a ''Docent''. * - Instructor-trainer: trains instructors (1*-2*) under the supervision of a ''Docent''. * - Instructor certifier or National instructor: trains and certifies any level of diver and instructor. The ''Docent'' and Master-Instructor are the two highest levels of instructors within the NOB. They lead commissions, speak on behalf of the NOB when required, etc. Given the stringent selection process, based upon application and approval from the board of directors, very few NOB instructors reach this level of certification.

Compliance with European Standards

The NOB obtained CEN certification from the EUF certification body in 2008 for the following diver and instructor grades: * ''1*-Duiker'' -> EN-14153-2: Autonomous Diver * ''2*-Duiker'' -> EN-14153-2: Autonomous Diver * ''3*-Duiker'' -> EN-14153-3: Dive Leader * ''1*-Assistant Instructeur'' -> EN-14413-1: Scuba Instructor Level 1 * ''2*-Instructeur'' -> EN-14413-2: Scuba Instructor Level 2

References

External links

NOB website

Scubadoe

NOB Finswimming homepage

NOB Underwater Hockey homepage

EUF certification webpage
{{Authority control Finswimming Underwater sports organizations Underwater diving training organizations Underwater hockey governing bodies Sports governing bodies in the Netherlands Water sports in the Netherlands Organisations based in Utrecht (province) Veenendaal