Competition Overview
Format, disciplines, categories, eligibility, scoring and the environmental rules for the 2026 CMAS World Championship in Underwater Photography and Video, held in Pemuteran, North-West Bali, 5–11 October 2026.
The Competition in Numbers
A Six-Day Championship
Six days: opening and technical meeting, one training day, two competition days, a judging/free day with optional conservation dives, then the award ceremony and closing. Full schedule →
Photography — Seven Categories
The seven categories below are judged under CMAS Visual Commission rules.
Each photographer enters a maximum of five of the seven categories. A five-category entry must include one Wide-Angle (with or without diver) and Smart Device; a smaller entry must still include a Wide-Angle.
Fish
A single subject — one fish (or a defined group of the same species) as the focus of the frame.
Theme
Subject set for each championship. Bali theme: Nudibranch. Only allowed as the main subject in this category.
Close-Up
Macro subjects — small animals, textures and details at close focusing distance.
Wide-Angle (no diver)
Reefscapes, seascapes and large marine life — no human subject in the frame.
Wide-Angle with Diver / Model
Reefscapes and seascapes with a diver or model, either as subject or scale reference.
Creative
Artistic and experimental images. Cropping and creative processing permitted within CMAS rules.
Smart Device
Images captured on a smartphone or similar consumer device in a compatible housing.
Technical: minimum resolution 3000 pixels on the long side, JPEG output. No cropping is permitted except in the Creative and Smart Device categories; only in-camera or underwater edits are allowed.
Video — Three Categories
The three categories below are judged under CMAS Visual Commission rules.
Each videographer may enter up to 2 categories. One of the two entries must be a Movie category (Creative Movie or Theme Movie).
Creative Movie
A 2- to 4-minute short film. Free interpretation of underwater subject matter, edited to a narrative arc.
Theme Movie
A 2- to 4-minute short film built around the LOC-set theme. Bali theme: Coral conservation & local community.
60-Second Video
A 55- to 60-second sequence following the classic underwater rhythm — fish, then macro, then wide.
Technical: maximum output resolution 1080p (Full HD). Editing permitted within the entry rules for each category; footage must originate from the championship dives.
Who Can Compete
CMAS 2-star (minimum)
All divers — competitors, assistants and captains — must hold at least a CMAS 2-star certification or equivalent.
16 years and older
All team members must be aged 16 or over on the first day of the championship.
Minimum 2 per discipline and team
A federation fields a minimum of two people per discipline and team. Divers must compete for their own nationality. Captains do not dive on competition days.
Federation-nominated
Entries are made per national federation. A federation may enter teams in Photography and/or Video.
How the Results are Decided
Top 15 per category
Ranks 1 to 15 score 25, 20, 16, 13, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 respectively. Ranks 16 and below score zero.
Gold, Silver, Bronze per category
Gold, Silver and Bronze go to ranks 1, 2 and 3 in each category. Across 10 categories that is 10 gold, 10 silver and 10 bronze. Gold winners hold the title of CMAS World Champion in their category.
Unofficial Championship Trophy
Combined national scores decide an unofficial nations trophy. This is not part of the official CMAS results but is presented at the closing ceremony.
Additional trophies
Youngest Competitor, Best Model, Fairplay, and Organiser’s Pick trophies are also presented.
Final standings are published on the CMAS website within 10 working days of the closing ceremony. During the event, provisional rankings are shown on the Results page and update automatically as judging concludes.
No Touching, No Feeding, No Manipulation
Competitors and assistants may not touch, move or feed marine life, and may not manipulate flora or fauna to compose a shot. This applies during the official training day as well as the competition days, and is strongly recommended throughout. Violations may result in disqualification.
The championship is being held in one of Indonesia’s most actively protected reef zones. The rule is not just procedural — it directly reinforces the conservation work of the Agung Prana Reef Restoration and the wider Pemuteran community. The championship’s free-day itinerary includes optional conservation dives at Biorock Reef and Agung Prana Reef.
The Seven Dive Sites
Four primary competition zones plus weather alternates, all in and around Pemuteran Bay. See the dive sites →