Ha, ha, this is interesting...Notorious CMAS...I thought that they are unclear and confusing only in my country.
First of all let me state the following:main reason the CMAS federation operates well in some countries are following (all this from a personal experience):
1.Cheap annual instructor licensing: 50$ in my country, and minimum of 5 divers trained.Bargain compared to PADI.
2.Allowing national diving councils do do whatever they like, in terms of regulating Instructor and higher (three star) diving courses.In short, you can produce as many one-stars as you want , but you must not over-saturate the market with two or three star divers , good forbid Instructors that you cannot control efficiently.You see, in CMAS apart from fulfilling the requirements for a specific category and passing the written and practical exam, you need RECOMMENDATION from your own club president.On the official site of my country CMAS representative, there is a denied request (put there for example I suppose) of validating the instructors license acquired in Egypt.Translated bluntly it means "There is no way around us!If we say you cannot be an instructor, that is final."Satyr calld them Dinosaurs, ours here call themselves "ScubaSaurus".They are 60 Y old on average, and each has its successor ready.Many of the divers has just given up and went to some other federation.
3.Club diving.Better suited for a countries with no major diving locations.Also better suited for poor countries.If you want to start diving all you need is to pay for the course, and become member of the club.Cheap ticket to enter the very expensive sport.You will get equipment from club and dive for a fraction of a cost.CMAS diver needs to have at least 10 dives a year to renew rank.Also club organizes diving camps on sea, and you only pay the accommodation.When you tell a CMAS diver in my country he needs to pay PER ONE DIVE he amount of money he spends for a year's membership he laughs.But thats the way it is.
Good things about CMAS:
1.Good training.Even basic (one star) training is something that many federations don't get into after third certified rank.Diving and gearing up in the 5m depth is a cinch for a diver but for a person just starting, is a tremendous stress.How many ordinary people even think about diving to that depth?Practical and theoretical TECHNICAL knowledge of equipment (even ancient and not in use) and medicine.How many of you can explain schematics of a valve group WITH reserve?Diving medicine?Buddy breathe?It is all there.Not everyone can pass it sadly, and many do not, which discourages them to dive altogether.Not much woman either.Here I have to disagree with Satyr , final exam for an one star diver is an open water dive with instructor (at least here).And that open water is a lake 10m deep with zero visibility and 5c bottom water temperature.So in conclusion, whoever passes is a good diver material.
2.Price.You cannot beat it.CMAS was never meant to be money-making business.
3.Club diving.When things among people work fine, there is no better experience then going diving with your club.Setting up a diving camp, maintaining daily chores, filling tanks, operating boats having all the fun in between, windsurfing, water skiing, making BBQ in the evening...We all live for our club divings.Finding dive buddy?They are all around you.You make around 15 to 25 dives in a 12 day period on top locations, for an accommodation fee?Only in club diving.
I am most interested to hear your experiences from all over the world regarding CMAS.It was a great idea of great late Costeau, it just needs a little polishing.