Scuba Diving Merit Badge

Start with a dash of swimming skills (the Swimming merit badge). Add equal measures of aquatics first aid, safety, and conservation. Douse liberally with ADVENTURE! That’s what the Scuba Diving merit badge is all about

Scuba Diving Merit Badge Requirements

Do the following:

Show that you know first aid for injuries or illnesses that could occur while scuba diving, including hypothermia, hyperventilation, squeezes, decompression illness, nitrogen narcosis, motion sickness, fatigue, overexertion, heat reactions, dehydration, injuries by aquatic life, and cuts and scrapes.
Identify the conditions that must exist before performing CPR on a person, and explain how to recognize such conditions. Demonstrate the proper technique for performing CPR using a training device approved by your counselor.

Before completing requirements 3 through 6, earn the Swimming merit badge.
Discuss the Scuba Diver’s Code with your merit badge counselor, and explain the importance of each guideline to a scuba diver’s safety.
Earn an Open Water Diver Certification from a scuba organization recognized by the Boy Scouts of America scuba policy.
Explain what an ecosystem is, and describe four aquatic ecosystems a diver might experience.
Find out about three career opportunities in the scuba industry. Pick one and find out the education, training, and experience required for this profession. Discuss this with your counselor, and explain why this profession might interest you.

Merit Badge Check Off List

This checkoff list could be used by a scribe to keep track of which Scouts have earned which merit badges or could be used by an individual Scout.

Age Requirements for Merit Badges

A reader asks about how old a Scout should be to work on a merit badge. The Guide to Advancement provides some answers.

Scuba BSA

Scuba BSA introduces qualified Boy Scout, Venturing, and registered adult participants to the special skills, equipment, and safety precautions associated with scuba diving;

Scuba Diving Merit Badge for Boy Scouts

The Scuba Diving merit badge gives Boy Scouts the opportunity to learn all about scuba. Your local scuba shop might be a good resource. One in our area has chartered a Venture Crew with a scuba specialty.

Venturing Ranger Award Elective – Scuba

To complete the Venturing Ranger Award requirements for Scuba, a Venturer must learn all about scuba diving and then assist in teaching others about scuba diving through the Discover Scuba program.

Hobbies Troop Program Feature for Boy Scouts

The Boy Scout Roundtable Planning Guide suggests a Hobbies feature for December 2011. So this month we’ll take a look at this feature in more depth. Some of the ideas in this program feature will also be useful to Cub Scouts and Venturers who are working on hobbies related programs.

Safe Swim Defense

Safe Swim Defense provides the steps which a BSA unit must take to safely participate in an activity which involves swimming.

Swimming Merit Badge for Boy Scouts

Our first year Boy Scouts almost always work on Swimming merit badge at summer camp. At our council camps, it is always integrated into the program for first year campers. This works well because the requirements for this badge overlap with the aquatics requirements for Second Class and First Class.