SCUBA

[optimist]

There's been a number of enquiries about the new SCUBA BSA award so I found it and posted it on MeritBadge.com in the Awards Section.

[asta]

Does this mean that there will be a SCUBA merit badge sometime in the future?

[wagionvigil]

Probably Not but you never know. They never made a Snorkeling <B and Snorkeling has been around for a long time.

[Chief J]

Don't think you will see the merit badge since the BSA consider's the Scuba Badge as an award already.

Chief J

[Scouting179]

I am a certfied Advanced Scuba Instructor. About two years ago I sent BSA a set of requirements for a proposed Scuba MB. I got replies from the Adv Chair of BSA, but there excuses for not maing a MB were really lame. Then about a year later, they came out with the patch. I wonder if I had any influence on this?

[diamondbackAPL]

i wish they would make it into a merit badge.

[hisdad]

Hi,
My son just got certified PADI Jr Open Water Diver. He does this with his mum. This goes beyond Scuba BSA, which is more-or-less the same, but is confined to "swimming pool only"

Its strange in the BSA, many awards go beyond the level of merit badge. But, why work on these if there is no meritbadge either part way, or at the end of an Award?

We already recognize time is valuable to Scouts seeking Eagle, with many competing pressures as they approach 18. So, this means there is no incentive to do these awards (Scuba, Kayak, Snorkel, Boardsailing)
50-miler, Mile Swim are sorta-maybe.
Lifeguard BSA is only a little beyond Lifesaving MB, and is needed for all other advanced water activities, this is the only one with a purpose while advancing to Eagle.

Many awards are available to adults in addition to youth. The reasoning is to enable leadership in these activities. Thus, allowing the youth to be exposed to these activities/challenges and experience the personal growth.

BUT, AS A YOUTH, WHY SIGN UP IF YOU ARE IN HIGH SCHOOL, PRESSED FOR TIME, AND NEED TO GET EAGLE REQUIREMENTS MET?

So, as an adult leader I get one of these Awards, and train to make myself an "Award" councelor. Will I get enough sign-ups to make my training meaningfull????

This is the "Award" dilema. Without a MB beneath it, most Boy-Scout/Venturers are not going to do "Awards" until AFTER Eagle. That's a small number (I would love it to be V.LARGE but that's not the case today). As a leader/summer-camp-director helping youth get to Eagle where should I spend my time? -- Answer: not on Awards!

Conclusion: High Adventure Awards without Meritbadges are going nowhere.

[Scouting179]

Hi,
My son just got certified PADI Jr Open Water Diver. He does this with his mum. This goes beyond Scuba BSA, which is more-or-less the same, but is confined to "swimming pool only"

Its strange in the BSA, many awards go beyond the level of merit badge. But, why work on these if there is no meritbadge either part way, or at the end of an Award?
......
.....
So, as an adult leader I get one of these Awards, and train to make myself an "Award" councelor. Will I get enough sign-ups to make my training meaningfull????

This is the "Award" dilema. Without a MB beneath it, most Boy-Scout/Venturers are not going to do "Awards" until AFTER Eagle. That's a small number (I would love it to be V.LARGE but that's not the case today). As a leader/summer-camp-director helping youth get to Eagle where should I spend my time? -- Answer: not on Awards!

Conclusion: High Adventure Awards without Meritbadges are going nowhere.

I am an Advanced Scuba Instructor.

Scuba BSA is only an INTRO to scuba; it is Not the same as getting fully certified. Certification goes far beyond Scuba BSA.

While I wonder why there are awards such as Scuba, kayaking, etc and no MB, I don't see them as pointless, which you seem to. THey'd won't be as popular as MBs, but gives us all another avenue to explore and get recognition for it. Some kids take these at summer camp to just have fun and have a pressure release from the MB grind. Your conclusion that most kids will do these only after making Eagle is totally baseless. There is more to the upper ranks than MBs.

[hisdad]

Hi, Sorry for sounding a little harsh.

The Awards are good. Its the way the "program" is structured and how activities, advancement, merit badges, and Awards are interlinked to support the aims of scouting.

The Awards seem out on a limb, advancement gets little support from them.
And, if a "pressure release from the MB grind" is an issue, it needs looking at. I think there are many in scouting who view MBs similarly (even those who think its OK the way it is). Is advancement too reliant on MBs? should the tie-in be relaxed?

Is the number of Awards awarded as high as expected? The purpose of the award is to promote the activity. Are the Awards succeeding in giving these activities widespread promotion?

The Scout "program" that made me in the UK is not the same. There were no required MBs (although I had most equivalents anyway, its natural). You just had to get some from big groupings (1 or 2 from 20+ in a group).

I think most award activities are in UK MBs (30 years ago there was a "Skindiver" badge, also kayak was an equal option in the "Canoeist" MB (The badge is a picture of a kayak. It is often called a canoe in the UK) I did this MB in a kayak).

Food for thought.

[Scouting179]

What I meant by "pressure release from the MB grind" is when kids are pressured into advancing faster than the individual Scout is ready (different times for different kids). In my experience, this us more often from parents then the Troop Leaders.

[scoutdiver]

I got certified as a Padi Seal when I was 8. I am currently a jropenwater diver. I think they should make it a merit badge.

[WhtHawk]

As a PADI Rescue Diver, I enjoy diving quite a bit. As an Aquatics Instructor, I see a large number of scouts earn the SCUBA Award at camp every summer.

SCUBA as a MB would not be practical. Mostly because of the liability and cost invloved. Most Boy Scouts are not old enough to recieve their full certification, equipment and training are expensive, and the required level of maturity just isn't there in the typical scout.

Scoutdiver, I would encourage you to find a Venture Crew that does SCUBA. I did when I was younger and it was a Blast! We were able to do so much that you could have never done well in a troop enviroment. We went around and did some presentations to various scouting events, several of us were able to work with a dive shop and get our certification for the cost of the books, and had a great time.

[scubascout]

a bunch of guys in my troop just got it, including myself

[AquilaNegra]

I think you'd see more Scouts earn it if they were allowed to wear it on their uniform somewhere, or even on the back of their sash.

When my son got awarded his mile swim, he was VERY disappointed that the patch couldn't be worn on the uniform. He worked hard and is proud of it.