Comhairle Fo-Thuinn (pronounced [ˈkoːɾˠl̠ʲə fˠɔˈhiːnʲ]; Irish 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.
Irish Underwater Council | |
| Abbreviation | CFT |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1963 |
| Type | NGO |
| Legal status | Guarantee Company Without Share Capital. |
| Purpose | Recreational diving, diver training, underwater sports & sciences national governing body |
| Headquarters | Dún Laoghaire, Ireland |
| Location |
|
Region served | Ireland and Northern Ireland |
Membership | 3000 member & 84 clubs (2004) |
President | Ciaran Kissane |
National Diving Officer | Paddy Lambe |
Main organ | Executive Committee |
| Affiliations | CMAS CMAS Europe EUF |
| Website | http://diving.ie/ |
Organisation
editCFT 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, 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.[1] While the majority of its activities are in the Republic of Ireland, a small number of members and clubs are located in Northern Ireland.[2] It is incorporated as a Guarantee Company Without Share Capital under the name 'Comhairle Fo-Thuinn – Irish Underwater Council'.[3]
Recognition
editCFT is recognised by the Irish Sports Council as the national governing body for recreational diving and underwater sports in the Republic of Ireland.[4] It is the Irish representative to Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques with affiliations to the Sports, Technical and Scientific Committees. It is also a member of CMAS Europe and the European Underwater Federation.[5][6][7] CFT is both a supporter and a member of the National Steering Group of the Marine Conservation Society-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'.[8][9]
Underwater sports
editAs of October 2013, underwater hockey is the only underwater sport supported by CFT.[10]
The CFT oversees competition between clubs and the national team.
- UWH Celtic Cup results
| Year | A Team | B Team | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 4th | 3rd | [11] |
| 2023 | Did not participate | ||
| 2024 | |||
Qualifications
editThe CFT training program which is delivered by instructors based within its member clubs was structured as follows as of January 2013.[12][13]
Snorkel gradesedit
|
Scuba Diver gradesedit
|
Instructor gradesedit
|
Speciality gradesedit
|
Speciality gradesedit
|
CMAS equivalencies
editThe following equivalencies were those in place as of January 2013.[14]
| CMAS | CFT |
|---|---|
| CMAS 1 Star Diver | CFT Diver 1 Star |
| CMAS 2 Star Diver | CFT Diver 2 Star |
| CMAS 3 Star Diver | CFT Leading Diver |
| CMAS 4 Star Diver | CFT National Diver |
| CMAS 1 Star Instructor | CFT Instructor |
| CMAS 2 Star Instructor | CFT Examiner |
| CMAS 3 Star Instructor | CFT Leading Instructor |
| CFT National Instructor |
EUF Certification
editThe CFT obtained CEN certification from the EUF certification body in 2006.[15]
See also
edit- Sport in Ireland
- Northern Ireland Federation of Sub-Aqua Clubs – National governing body for recreational diving and underwater sport in Northern Ireland
References
edit- ^ "Irish Underwater Council- Comhairle Fo Thuinn (CFT)". Marine Institute. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
- ^ "Join a Club". Comhairle Fo-Thuinn. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
- ^ "Irish Company Name: Comhairle Fo-Thuinn – Irish Underwater Council". Vision-net.ie. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
- ^ "Underwater Sport". Irish Sports Council (An Chomhairle Spoirt). Archived from the original on 21 December 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
- ^ "Comhairle Fo-Thuinn". Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
- ^ "Les pays membres". CMAS Europe. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
- ^ "non-profit distributing members". European Underwater Federation. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
- ^ "National Seasearch Project Aim and Objectives". Seasearch c/o Marine Conservation Society. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
- ^ "Who is Involved?". Seasearch c/o Marine Conservation Society. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
- ^ "Underwater Hockey". CFT. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ "Underwater Hockey Wales on Instagram: "Some photos from yesterday's inaugural Celtic Cup where we had both our a and B teams competing. We would like to thank our sponsors of Milford Haven Port Authority, @parfittscarpets, Bentfish Design and @merrows.shop for supporting us in hosting yesterday's Celtic Cup tournament. See you next year!@underwaterhockeyireland @scottishuwh 🏴🇮🇪🏴🏴🇮🇪🏴🏴🇮🇪🏴🏴🇮🇪🏴 #underwaterhockey #octopush #celticnations #walessport"".
- ^ "Snorkelling Courses". Comhairle Fo-Thuinn. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
- ^ "Diving Courses". Comhairle Fo-Thuinn. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
- ^ "Diving courses". CFT. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
- ^ "EUF Certified Training Systems/Training Organisations". EUF Certification International. Retrieved 30 September 2013.