CMAS EQUIVALENT - 4 STAR DIVER

CMAS COURS

CMAS-ISA 4 STAR DIVER CERTIFICATE. CMAS EQUIVALENT – 4 STAR DIVER

OBJECTIVE
To supply the individual diver with a framework of requirements to enable him/her to comply with the requirement of this advanced diving qualification.

SYLLABUS
The candidate has to obtain advanced knowledge and experience to enable him/her to submit a thesis related to diving. The candidate has to accumulate additional knowledge and experience in practical course to comply with the requirements.

PREREQUISITES

Must be at least 18 years old.
Must have at least 5 years continuous membership of CMAS-ISA, a SAUU affiliated Club, School or Association.
Must have served on a Club or Provincial Committee for at least a year in one or more of the following capacities.
President/Chairman Scuba Competitions Officer
Treasurer Scuba Records Officer
Secretary Medical Officer
Scuba training Officer Equipment Officer
The candidate must have held a CMAS-ISA 3 Star Master Diver Certificate for at least 2 years.
Must have logged at least 100 hours of varied scuba diving.

Must submit a medical certificate clearing the holder as fit to participate in the sport of underwater diving. A medical practitioner using the CMAS-ISA Sport Diver medical examination form, must have carried out the medical examination not more than 12 months previously.

The candidate has the choice of obtaining his/her certificate by either submitting a thesis or going the practical route by obtaining certificates in the extra courses mentioned below. A minimum of 12 points is required for either route.

THE THESIS ROUTE:

The candidate must register the thesis with the CMAS-ISA Executive Council before starting to work on it. Upon completion, the candidate must submit 8 copies to the CMAS-ISA Executive Council of the thesis, being of an acceptable and suitably high standard on some aspect closely related to diving, in which personal diving involvement is highlighted. CMAS-ISA shall then become the owner of said thesis and holds the right to publish the thesis, in part or in whole, after certification has been issued. The exception here shall be the submittal of a Diver Training manual as a thesis.
The subject shall not have been used for any previous academic qualification.

The thesis shall be of a length of at least 25 000 typewritten characters (± 10 typewritten pages).
The thesis will be awarded points by the CMAS-ISA Executive Council as follows:
The total value of the thesis is 20 points.

The content of the thesis will be 14 points and the presentation 6 points.
In order for the thesis to be accepted the overall average points allocated by the CMAS-ISA Executive Council shall be 12 or more.

If the thesis average is 7 – 11, additional 6 points must be accrued in adding qualifying courses from the practical route.

If the thesis average is 6 or less, then the thesis will be accepted as the report required under the practical route to obtain this qualification.

THE PRACTICAL ROUTE:

The candidate must submit the following:
A complete report on any subject or project concerned with diving in which the candidate was involved. The report must be evaluated and endorsed a referee appointed by the CMAS-ISA Executive Council.
The report must be of a length of at least 7 500 typewritten characters.

Proof of the successful issue of any of the following certificates to accrue 12 points:
CMAS-ISA Three Star Instructor - 4 points
CMAS-ISA Two Star Instructor - 3 points
CMAS-ISA Cave Diver Zone III - 3 points
CMAS-ISA Trimix Diver - 3 points
CMAS-ISA Decompression Chamber Operator - 2 points
CMAS-ISA Service Technician/Nitrox Blender/Trimix Blender - 2 points
CMAS-ISA Cave Diver Zone II - 2 points
CMAS-ISA Advanced Nitrox Diver - 2 points
CMAS-ISA Wreck Diver II - 2 points
CMAS-ISA Divemaster - 2 points
CMAS-ISA Compressor Operator - 1 point
CMAS-ISA Cavern Diver - 1 point
CMAS-ISA Nitrox Diver - 1 point
CMAS-ISA Wreck Diver I - 1 point
CMAS-ISA Oxygen Administration - 1 point
Must submit 8 copies of a C.V. to the CMAS-ISA Executive Council of his/her personal diving career (approx. 3,000 words) together with either a thesis or proof of the practical route as described in 7a & 7b above.

The CMAS-ISA Executive Council reserves the right to require the candidate to present himself/herself for an oral examination should they deem it necessary
The CMAS-ISA Executive Council will inform the candidate whether his/her application for the 4 Star Diver qualification was successful or not. This letter of approval must be submitted with the application for the certificate.

The candidate must satisfy the CMAS-ISA Executive Council that he/she is a worthy recipient of the CMAS-ISA 4 Star Diver certificate. Their support and approval must therefore also be endorsed on the certificate record card before application.

After approval by the CMAS-ISA Executive Council, the candidate must apply for the certificate through the referee appointed by the CMAS-ISA Executive Council. NOTE: Thesis topics have to be registered with the CMAS-ISA Executive Council in advance and must be approved by them. Some indication of the proposed content must be submitted with the application for registration. The CMAS-ISA Executive Council will appoint a mentor/referee for the candidate. The prerequisites mentioned above are the minimum required for the CMAS-ISA Four Star Diver Certificate