Underwater Society of America

Last updated
Underwater Society of America
AbbreviationUSOA
Predecessor AAU National Competitive Skindivers Committee
Type NGO
Legal statusA Maryland Not-For-Profit Corporation
PurposePeak body for underwater sports & recreational diving
Location
  • PO Box 628 Daly City, CA 94017, United States
Region served
United States
President
Karen Thullner [1]
Vice President
Ray Tucker [1]
General Secretary
Michael Gower [2]
Main organ
Executive Committee
Affiliations CMAS
DEMA
DAN
USOC
Website http://www.underwater-society.org/

The Underwater Society of America (USOA) is the peak body for underwater sport and recreational diving in the United States.

Contents

Organisation

The USOA is a membership-based organisation consisting of individuals, clubs and regional councils. Its day-to-day operations are controlled by an executive committee which reports to a board of governors and the delegates of the member councils and clubs. [1]

Origins and history

The USOA was established by a number of regional organisations in 1959 after the founding of Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS) initially to organise spearfishing teams for international competition. Prior to its creation, national competition in spearfishing (or skindiving as it was and is still known) and scuba diving was organised by the National Competitive Skindivers Committee of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). The National Competitive Skindivers Committee has previously established in 1954 as an initiative of both the AAU and the International Underwater Spearfishing Association (IUSA) and was the body representing the United States at the foundation of CMAS. [3] [4] [5]

Recognition

The USOA is a member of the following organisations - CMAS with affiliation to the sport, technical and scientific committees, the CMAS American Zone, the Divers Alert Network (DAN), the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). [1] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Underwater sport

USOA supports competition at all levels within the United States for the following underwater sports: competition scuba, finswimming, freediving, spearfishing, underwater hockey, underwater photography and underwater rugby. Competition is available at international level for all sports except for competition scuba. [5]

Diver training

As of August 2013, the USOA does not offer diver training.[ citation needed ] During 2010, USOA entered in an agreement with the Scuba Educators International (SEI) to permit SEI to issue CMAS International Diver Training Certificates on its behalf. [10]

Awards

The USOA both operates and participates in the following awards and recognition schemes.

It honours its own athletes with the Man & Woman Athlete of the Year being awarded for each sport and with all sports national champions being inducted in the All American Dive Team. There are also two underwater hockey sportsmanship awards - the Dan Wilkins Memorial Award for the National Championships and the Carl Judd Memorial Award for the Pacific Coast Championships. [1]

The USOA was the original supporter of the NOGI Award which is presumably named after the New Orleans Grand Isle Fishing Tournament which included an underwater section and was created during the 1950s to recognise leaders in all forms of underwater diving. The NOGI awards scheme is now the responsibility of the Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences. [11]

In the tradition of the NOGI award, the USOA also recognizes divers within the United States at the regional level with The Regional Divers of the Year Award in the categories of art, sports, education, science and service. [1]

As an affiliate of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), the USOA is eligible to nominate individuals for the USOC Athlete of the Year. [1] [12]

The USOA also is a joint-founder and a sponsor of the Women Divers Hall of Fame. [13]

International Bluewater Spearfishing Records Committee

The International Bluewater Spearfishing Records Committee (IBSRC) by agreement with the USOA operates as a ‘council of special interest’ within the USOA. The IBSRC was established in 1996 to promote ‘ethical, safe and sporting spearfishing practices, to establish uniform regulations for the compilation of world-bluewater gamefish records, and to provide basic spearfishing guidelines for use in bluewater contests and any other bluewater spearfishing activities worldwide.’ [14] [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

Freediving Underwater diving without breathing apparatus

Freediving, free-diving, free diving, breath-hold diving, or skin diving is a form of underwater diving that relies on breath-holding until resurfacing rather than the use of breathing apparatus such as scuba gear.

Spearfishing Hunting for fish using a spear

Spearfishing is a method of fishing that has been used throughout the world for millennia. Early civilizations were familiar with the custom of spearing fish from rivers and streams using sharpened sticks.

Finswimming Competitive watersport using swimfins for propulsion

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 using open circuit scuba diving equipment. Events exist over distances similar to swimming competitions for both swimming pool and open water venues. Competition at world and continental level is organised by the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS). The sport's first world championship was held in 1976. It also has been featured at the World Games as a trend sport since 1981 and was demonstrated at the 2015 European Games in June 2015.

CMAS one-star scuba diver is the entry-level diving certification for recreational scuba diving issued by the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS).

Underwater sports is a group of competitive sports using one or a combination of the following underwater diving techniques - breath-hold, snorkelling or scuba including the use of equipment such as diving masks and fins. These sports are conducted in the natural environment at sites such as open water and sheltered or confined water such as lakes and in artificial aquatic environments such as swimming pools. Underwater sports include the following - aquathlon, finswimming, freediving, spearfishing, sport diving, underwater football, underwater hockey, underwater ice hockey, underwater orienteering, underwater photography, underwater rugby, underwater target shooting and underwater video.

European Underwater Federation Umbrella organisation representing scuba diver training organisations in Europe

The European Underwater Federation (EUF) is an umbrella organisation representing the interests of scuba diver training organisations operating in both the not for profit and for profit sectors within Europe.

Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques International organisation for underwater activities in sport and science, and recreational diver training and certification

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 scuba diver training and recognition. It is also known by its English name, the World Underwater Federation, and its Spanish name, Confederación Mundial De Actividades Subacuáticas. Its foundation in Monaco during January 1959 makes it one of the world's oldest underwater diving organisations.

The Fédération Française d'Études et de Sports Sous-Marins (FFESSM) is a French sports federation specialized in recreational and competition underwater sports, like scuba diving and freediving. It is the main diver training organization in France.

The Nederlandse Onderwatersport Bond (NOB) is the national governing body for recreational diving and underwater sports in the Netherlands. 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. The aim of the NOB is to develop recreational scuba diving in the Netherlands.

The Australian Underwater Federation (AUF) is the governing body for underwater sports in Australia.

Sport diving is an underwater sport that uses recreational open circuit scuba diving equipment and consists of a set of individual and team events conducted in a swimming pool that test the competitors' competency in recreational scuba diving techniques. The sport was developed in Spain during the late 1990s and is currently played mainly in Europe. It is known as Plongée Sportive en Piscine in French and as Buceo De Competición in Spanish.

The Federación Española de Actividades Subacuáticas (FEDAS) is the highest authority in the field of Spanish aquatic sports, being the national federation of autonónicas groups across the country. While the federation normally uses the official state language, Castilian or Spanish, it also uses co-official languages common in the Galician, Basque and Catalan regions. It is a voting member of the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS).

Scuba Educators International (SEI) is a non-for-profit underwater diving training organisation established in the United States during 2008 to continue the underwater diving training program known as the YMCA SCUBA Program which ceased operation in 2008.

British Underwater Sports Association (BUSA) is the British affiliate of the Sports Committee of Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS).

Comhairle Fo-Thuinn, also known as Irish Underwater Council, is the national governing body for recreational diving and underwater sports in Ireland.

Turkish Underwater Sports Federation is the governing body for both underwater sports and lifesaving in Turkey. Founded in 1982 and based in Ankara, the TSSF is a member of both the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS) and the International Life Saving Federation (ILS). Its president is Ahmet İnkılap Obruk, who was also elected in 2009 to CMAS' board of directors for a term of four years.

Finswimming has been conducted in Australia since 1970 and is offered at venues in New South Wales, Tasmania and Victoria. National championships have been held since 1970 and Australia first competed at world championship level in 1990.

The NOGI Awards is an award presented annually by the Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences (AUAS) to diving luminaries and is "considered the Oscar of the ocean world." Selection of recipients is based on their record of accomplishments and excellence in the diving world. NOGI awards are given out to world-class standouts of the diving community who have distinguished themselves and made a global impact on diving in one or more of four general categories: Science, Arts, Sports/Education, and Environment. A fifth NOGI is given for Distinguished Service.

Diver organisations are membership based organisations where the membership is wholly, or at least in large part, underwater divers, and the organisation is intended to further a mutual interest related to underwater diving or the aquatic environment as it affects divers or diving activity. Some organisations have more than one focus of interest.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "WHAT HAS THE SOCIETY DONE?". The Underwater Society of America. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  2. ↑ "Mike Gower - Distinguished Service - 2008". Academy of Underwater Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  3. ↑ "History Timeline". International Underwater Spearfishing Association. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  4. ↑ "C.M.A.S." Official site dedicated to Luigi Ferraro. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  5. 1 2 "Competitions". THE UNDERWATER SOCIETY OF AMERICA. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  6. ↑ "UNDERWATER SOCIETY OF AMERICA". Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  7. ↑ "Federations". CMAS America. Archived from the original on June 19, 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  8. ↑ "Underwater Society Of America". DEMA SHOW 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  9. ↑ "Multi-Sport Organizations". United States Olympic Committee. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  10. ↑ "ORGANIZATIONAL STANDARDS". Scuba Educators International. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  11. ↑ "NOGI - Diving's Most Prestigious Award". Academy of Underwater Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on 3 October 2008. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  12. ↑ "USOC OLYMPIAN ATHLETES OF THE YEAR". The United States Olympic Committee. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  13. ↑ "About The Women Divers Hall of Fame". The Women Divers Hall of Fame. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  14. ↑ "WORLD RECORD CERTIFICATION FOR BLUEWATER FISH". International Bluewater Spearfishing Records Committee. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  15. ↑ "INTERNATIONAL BLUEWATER SPEARFISHING RECORDS COMMITTEE (IBSRC)". UNDERWATER SOCIETY OF AMERICA. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
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