[laminar]

I think AIDA has its hands full with the depth, time, distance sport and getting a network of instructors and training opportunities and supervising world records. They are getting better and better at it and I think will continue to attract good people to the executive and most importantly, at the national and local levels.

Jome is completely right. You have to have the approach of offering events and services that people WANT to be a part of and you will probably succeed. In my mind, finswimming and spearfishing are very separate sports with their own cultures and histories. I would think they would be served best by their own organizations. Does AIDA know what spearos and finswimmers want? Probably not. Ideally, you'd have an organization for those sports run by professionals from that sport. Same as AIDA. I think that the Achilles heel of CMAS is the very fact that they want to be THE organization for all of the high profile underwater sports and activities. The Olympic carrot, no matter how far ahead of their outstretched hands, is their main motivation, I would imaginge. I think it would be a mistake for AIDA to seek the same goal.

My 2 cents.