The Boy
Scouts of America is pleased to announce the
release of the Scuba Diving merit badge. The
official earn date of this merit badge is
December 1, 2009. Pamphlets will be available at
the for Scout Shop and online at
scoutstuff.org
- just in time for Christmas!
The first new
merit badge in over three years, Scuba Diving
reflects the new direction of BSA to develop
merit badges based on youth/Scout input to
assure relevance and excitement around the merit
badge offering. This merit badge, developed in
association with PADI (Professional Association
of Diving Instructors), leverages our spirit of
outdoor adventure and expands our aquatics
offering. More than 84 percent of Scouts
surveyed were interested in the merit badge and
recommended that BSA adopt it.
Key facts you
need to know about the merit badge are as
follows:
-
Completing the Scuba Diving merit badge
will result in the boy achieving an open
water certification
enabling him to dive around the world
with the appropriate supervision, based
on his age.
-
There are two important roles for this
merit badge - the merit badge counselor
and a certified dive instructor.
-
Sometimes this may be the same person.
-
More
likely, the counselor will be an
existing BSA adult member.
-
Always the instructor will be one
certified by one of a number of
instructional agencies.
-
The
instructor does NOT have to be a BSA
member.
-
Earning the Scuba Diving merit badge is
open to all Boy Scout-age youth.
There are, however, limitations based on
age with respect to how deep and with
whom a boy can dive. These limitations
vary by certifying organization.
-
Completion of the Swimming merit badge
is a requirement of the merit badge
and must be completed prior to entering
into scuba training portion of the
requirements.
-
Boys with a current open water
certification will NOT have to recertify
in order to earn the merit badge. They
will, however, have to have completed
the Swimming merit badge, present their
certification to the merit badge
counselor and complete all the other
requirements.
-
There are three important pieces of
information which must be fully reviewed
by the merit badge counselor prior to
approving any Scout for the merit badge:
the merit badge requirements, the notes
to counselor and the scuba policy of the
Guide to Safe Scouting.
Check out the
PDF file announcing the
Scuba Diving merit badge,
showcasing the
cover, and outlining the notes to counselor and
requirements.
The Guide to Safe Scouting is available at
http://www.scouting.org/healthandsafety/gss.aspx.
Have fun and
dive safe!
