Water Sports

Water Sports requirements

1. Do the following:

   a. Explain to your counselor the most likely hazards you may encounter while participating in water sports activities and what you should do to anticipate, help prevent, mitigate, and respond to these hazards.

   b. Review prevention, symptoms, and first-aid treatment for the following injuries or illnesses that could occur while participating in water sports: blisters, cold-water shock and hypothermia, dehydration, heat-related illnesses, sunburn, sprains, strains, minor cuts and bruises, spinal injury, and concussions and head trauma.

   c. Review the BSA Safety Afloat policy. Tell how it applies to water sports.

2. Do the following:

   a. Discuss with your counselor the characteristics of life jackets most appropriate for water sports, and tell why one must always be worn while waterskiing or wakeboarding. Then demonstrate how to select and fit a life jacket for water sports activities.

   b. Review and discuss the Water Sports Safety Code with your counselor. Promise that you will live up to it and follow it in all water work for this merit badge. Review the safety precautions that must be used by the boat operator in pulling waterskiers and wakeboarders.

3. Before doing requirements 4 through 6, successfully complete the BSA swimmer test: Jump feetfirst into water over the head in depth. Level off and swim 75 yards in a strong manner using one or more of the following strokes: sidestroke, breaststroke, trudgen, or crawl; then swim 25 yards using an easy, resting backstroke. The 100 yards must be completed in one swim without stops and must include at least one sharp turn. After completing the swim, rest by floating.
4. Show the following skier signals to the safety observer in the boat: skier safe, faster, slower, turns, back to dock, cut motor, skier in water.
5. Showing reasonable control while using two skis, one ski, or a wakeboard, do EACH of the following:

   a. Show how to enter the water from a boat and make a deepwater start without help.

   b. Starting from outside the wakes, show you can cross both wakes four times and return to the center of the wake each time, without falling.

   c. Show you can fall properly to avoid an obstacle. Also show that you can drop handle and coast to a stop without losing your balance.

6. While on shore, show that you know how to properly adjust the bindings of your ski(s) or wakeboard to fit yourself. Then, in deep water, show you can adjust bindings to fit. Recover and put on your ski(s) or wakeboard that has come off during a fall.

The official source for the information shown in this article or section is: Scouts BSA Requirements, 2019 Edition (BSA Supply SKU #648914)

A FREE workbook for Water Sports is available here! (PDF or Word) with the maps, charts, links, diagrams, and checklists you need! Or click here to print just the Water Sports requirements.

usscouts.org has PDF and Word versions of workbooks for Scouts BSA ranks and merit badges, Cub Scouting ranks and adventures, and STEM Nova awards.

• Per the BSA: "You should read the merit badge pamphlet on the subject." The Water Sports merit badge pamphlet can purchased at ScoutSthop.org or at your local Scout Shop.
• "Get a signed Application for Merit Badge ... from your unit leader." An electronic, fillable, and printable PDF file version is available.

• Cub Scouts
  • Tiger Elective Adventure: Floats and Boats
  • Bear Elective Adventure: Salmon Run
  • Wolf Elective Adventure: Spirit of the Water
  • Webelos/Arrow of Light Elective Adventure: Aquanaut
• Scouts/Venturers/Sea Scouts:
  • Awards: Boardsailing BSA  •  BSA Lifeguard  •  BSA Stand Up Paddleboarding  •  Kayaking BSA  •  Mile Swim BSA  •  Scuba BSA  •  Snorkeling BSA  •  Whitewater Rafting BSA  •  National Outdoor Award for Aquatics
  • Scout merit badges: Canoeing  •  Fish and Wildlife Management  •  Fishing  •  Fly-Fishing  •  Kayaking  •  Lifesaving  •  Motorboating  •  Rowing  •  Scuba Diving  •  Small-Boat Sailing  •  Swimming  •  Water Sports  •  Whitewater
  • Scout awards: Complete Angler
  • Scout ranks: Second Class - First Class
  • Venturer Ranger Award electives: Lifesaving  •  Scuba  •  Watercraft
  • Sea Scout ranks: Apprentice  •  Ordinary  •  Able  •  Quartermaster
  • Sea Scout awards: Small Boat Handler  •  Qualified Seaman  •  Long Cruise badge

• An Introduction to Merit Badges – how to get started, who chooses the counselor, etc.
• Merit Badge revision dates – latest revision dates of each merit badge pamphlet.
• Merit Badge Worksheets & Requirements – with the revision dates, diagrams, charts, checklists, logs, and links you need.
• Merit Badge Application – offers online resources to let you print "Blue Cards," etc.
• Merit Badge FAQ – answers dozens of questions like: Who can be a counselor? Can requirements be added or removed?
• Merit Badges Requiring Prior Approval – Certain requirements need prior approval. Most do not. Here is the list.
• Also see: List of how many youths have earned each Merit Badge – Merit Badge policies – Merit badges required for the Eagle Scout rank – Merit Badge Days
• Additionally: List of Merit Badges by Field of Study – Merit Badge Pamphlets & Libraries
• Merit Badge Counselors must complete Youth Protection Training, file an Adult Application (and Merit Badge Counselor Information Form); and be approved by the local council. (See the Guide for Merit Badge Counselors for additional details.)
• See Submitting New Merit Badge Ideas for guidance on how to submit suggestions for new merit badges to BSA.