Received my CMAS 2 Star Instructor Card

[Jim Lapenta]

I recieved my CMAS 2 star instructor card yesterday and already have one student asking about a CMAS cert. As I posted previously Our OW diver card is equal to a CMAS one star diver. They must be accompanied by a higher level diver. After some studying of the issue I have decided to offer a new deal.

Sign up for OW plus ( 6 dives), do ten dives with me or with anyone after that, AOW ( 6 dives) for a total of 22 dives and you qualify for the 2 star diver rating which alows one to dive without the one star caveat. Normally this would run 379 for the OW plus including classroom materials, no charge to just go out an dive with me for the 10 dives, and 195 for the AOW class. The total would normally be $574. I will offer this for $500 even! Must have 2 divers for this class and students are responsible for their own OW gear as with any class.

[randytay]

Hi Jim, I tried contacting a few CMAS instructors on the CMAS Americas website to no avail, and hopefully you can help me with some questions I have.

I am interested to be certified CMAS and I am currently NAUI Advanced scuba diver, nitrox, and rescue diver. So if I want my next step to be CMAS, what would be the corresponding course? Would that be a CMAS 3*? If so, would the CMAS 3* be roughly equivalent to the NAUI MSD?

If I stick with NAUI, I would be taking the DM after MSD but it seemed CMAS has a 4*. What is the rough equivalent for the 4*?

Thank you so much in advance!

[Jim Lapenta]

CMAS certs vary by country. Under our system the following ratings correspond with our ratings. NAUI would be close due to the knowledge and skills. PADI AOW for example would not due to the lack of rescue and decompression procedures that are not addressed under that system. When I was interning for NAUI DM and AI they were covered.
CMAS SEI Diving
1 Star Diver Open Water Diver (age 15+)
2 Star Diver Advanced OW (age 15+ w/ 20 logged dives)
3 Star Diver Advanced Plus Diver (age 16+ w/ 50 logged dives)
4 Star Diver Master Diver + DRAM Rescue Diver + 100 logged dives
INSTRUCTOR
CMAS SEI Diving
1 Star Instructor Divemaster (age 18+ w/40 logged dives)
2 Star Instructor Instructor (age 19+ w/ 100 logged dives)
3 Star Instructor Instructor Trainer (age 21+ w/ 200 logged dives)

Hope this clears things up a bit. I have not looked at NAUI course standards in a while and would have to check on them. But you would need to find an SEI Instructor who has also obtained the CMAS card and they would have to evaluate your training, dives, and skills to be sure they are all up to our standards and theirs before issuing you a card. That could mean classroom, pool, and dives. If you met the qualifications for the corresponding SEI ratings they could issue an equaivalent CMAS rating.

[randytay]

Thanks Jim. What is the difference between Advanced and Advanced Plus? I have a few more to log 50 dives, so does that mean that ceteris paribus, I can go for the 4* course?

With regards to your last para, are you saying that if I go to a SEI instructor who also has a CMAS card can issue me a CMAS rating after assessment of my skills without taking a course e.g. at my current level and if I meet the standard, I will be given a 2* (or 3*) CMAS rating? Thanks again.

[Mike Campbell]

Randy I won't answer for Jim, but I don't see any SEI instructor inclined to issue a CMAS card under that condition. My SEI courses are like the old YMCA courses. Long, intense, with lots of pool AND classroom. I on occassion will offer CMAS to my SEI or NAUI students as long as they fulfill my personal expectations and the old CMAS rules. Usually I do that on a case by case basis. My university classes are 60 hours plus and my private classes pretty much the same so it takes a pretty strong commitment to get to that assessment. But good on you for looking at more indepth classes. It makes a difference.
Mike

[Jim Lapenta]

I have to agree with Mike on this. Sorry for being off this for a while. Again it is up to the instructor but like him I would not issue the card unless the diver met all agency standards for knowledge, skills ,and dives. In addition they would have to meet my standards as well. Considering what I did with the AOW class I teach that would pretty much guarantee that they would need to take the class. Starting from scratch my OW, and AOW classes would need 40 hours for OW, 16 -20 for AOW, and another 10 dives on top of that. Plus the pool skills other agencies do not do that we require.