Unlike many other diving centers in Cyprus, CFUA (Cyprus Federation of Underwater Activities) is a unique and responsible Cyprus organization belonging to the Cyprus sports organization, and related Cyprus government organizations. We are a member of the World Underwater Federation (CMAS), which is comprised of groups from more than 86 countries and has an official relationship with UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization). Our mission is to provide comprehensive education and training in scuba diving, technical diving, and scientific diving. We are highly specialized in training divers in the marine and biological sciences and in underwater archaeology in Cyprus. In addition, we provide a broad spectrum of diving training such as apnea (freediving), finswimming (as regulated by the International Olympic Committee) orienteering, spearfishing, and underwater target shooting, just to name a few of our many underwater certification programs. 

Our vision in the diving community is to become a European leader in education and field research in the discipline of marine and diving sciences, offering maximum safety in diving through intensive education and fieldwork. The unique geographic location of Cyprus makes us the logical and ideal choice for all things associated with diving and marine studies as well as sport diving.

We consider diving a science. Our objective is to have our students apply diving in other academic disciplines such as marine biology, marine sciences, underwater archaeology, mariculture, underwater photography, and other research areas. where the responsibility on underwater scientific education is under the Cyprus Scientific committee part of C.F.U.A.  Students have many options in choosing a certification program in diving and can specialize in a number of different areas: recreational, commercial/work, research, marine sciences, and public safety. Students that have graduated from our programs in diving are now working in all aspects of diving in Cyprus, Europe, and globally.

Ancient communities living along the coastline in the Mediterranean Sea, use the sea as a food resource and ways to travel by using primitive means. Herodotus ancient Greek historian who lived in the 5th century BC a Greek diver named Scyllias and his daughter Cyana were Greek divers cut the mooring lines of the Persian King Xerxes fleet. While Aristotle mentions the use a tool for air-supply like a diving bell that kept the air trap, assisting sponge fishers to have a long duration of time underwater. Alexander the Great, is considered one of the greatest military geniuses of all times, in addition Aristotle as stated, in “Problemata”, tells Alexander the Great. At the siege of Tyre, in 332 BC, have train divers that destroy any underwater defense measures. Using a peculiar diving machine? Probably this the first report of an underwater naval military operation. Modern history of Scuba diving, commenced with the improving of diving bell, by Guglielmo de Loreno.at 1530, while at 1600 the diving bell linked with an air pipe to the surface, was patented by Edmund Halley, at 1933 Yves Le Prieur develops a demand valve with a high pressure air tank, and therefore is considering the first self support diving gear, where at 1942-1943 Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Emile Gagnan redesigned a car regulator who would automatically supply compressed air to a diver on his slightest utilization of air. Which is the first newly develop Aqualung) The history of C.M.A.S. On the 28th of September 1958, delegates from the following Federations: Federal Republic of Germany, Belgium, Brazil, France, Greece, Italy, Monaco, Portugal, Switzerland, the United States of America and Yugoslavia met in Brussels on the occasion of the congress of the independent International Confederation gathering all underwater disciplines. With this aim, a meeting was held in Monaco on January 9, 10 and 11, 1959 and a decision to establishthe "World Confederation of Underwater Activities" in brief "C.M.A.S.", wastaken.This Confederation succeeded, specifically in regard to all functions and responsibilities, the "Comité des Sports Sous-Marins" (Underwater Sports Committee) of the International Confederation of SportFishing founded on the 22nd of February 1952.

Scuba diving in Cyprus as per our records began near  1950 by Andreas Cariolou from kyrenia while the first written record from a local newspaper reveals  the existence of the  diving club TRITONS OF CYPRUS 1957 . This has been created by Demetris (Demas)  Efthyvoulou  and Andreas Cariolou.  The Greek-Cypriot diving instructor Andreas Cariolou  in November 1965 discovered the Kyrenia ancient shipwreck (carbon 14 dated 288-389 BC) of a 4th century BC Greek merchant ship. This discovery has gained great significance as more than 50% of her hull was very well preserved, a fact that enabled scientists to re-assemble the hull and further on produce scientific experimental replicas of the highest degree of authenticity. The ship of Kyrenia is presently one of the best and most ancient ships in the world cherished and respected  by the international scientific community and indicates an example of  the undiscovered underwater world of heritage and culture of the small European island of Cyprus.

 Between  1977 and 1983 a small group of Cypriot diving instructors  created the first officially recognized diving foundation focusing on the development and deeper understanding of scuba diving. They dedicated this Marine Foundation and named it   "Andreas Cariolou  Marine Foundation". This took place immediately after Andreas Cariolou was posthumously awarded the STAR OF COURAGE of the Canadian Ministry of Defence after sacrificing his own life in an effort to save a Canadian UN officer in April 1977 in the bay of Larnaca Cyprus.  The honorary leader of the foundation was Glafkos Cariolou three Star Diving Instructor CMAS ID CYM 001 Son of (Andreas Cariolou), supported by Stavros Kaniklides, two Star Diving Instructor CMAS ID CYM2 OO1,  Lambros Parpas CMAS ID CYM2 OO2, and Andreas Hagikostas, CMAS ID CYM3 O3.

Due to the absence of any underwater medical staff on the Island at the time, the first Cypriot scuba diving standards were very demanding (initially demanding re-compression chamber operation, tables and procedures knowledge, from the level of two star diver, aiming to offer self-assistance to diving incidents) and required an intensive and extensive training in diving-education and field work.

The official recognition of this work became a reality after  joining the World Underwater Federation known as CMAS at 1979 and after where receiving the first CMAS diplomas from Mr.Francis Esparza and Mr. Duma of the CMAS and  the Minister of education in Cyprus Mr. Stelios Catsellis. 

The future of scuba diving is to transform it with new underwater technologies such as the development of using electrolysis to create oxygen under water. The future of ocean research is to embrace the challenge of protecting the underwater world while learning how to responsibly harvest its food and other resources, such as hydrothermal Wave and tidal energy. Cyprus has a lot to offer in diving research and development such as a marine and biological education center, marine research institutions, and an underwater archeology training center. The more people we educate about the ocean and scuba diving, the better the ocean environment is for everyone. We encourage the government to sponsor this field to help in the development and protection of this immense resource.

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