Release of the Scuba Merit Badge

[mmmeenehan]

To: Scout Executive;Director Field Service;National E-mail


Action Refer to Advancement Chairs and All Interested Parties


BSA Action Required: Official Release of Scuba Diving Merit Badge

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, 2010. Pamphlets are in the NDC and available for local
council service center and scoutstuff.org orders - 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.

Attached you will find a locally customizable and printable PDF file
announcing the merit badge, showcasing the cover, and outlining the
notes to counselor and requirements. The Guide to Safe Scouting is
available at Guide to Safe Scouting.


Have fun and dive safe!

[lowviz]

Originally Posted by mmmeenehan

............. 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..............

One tank or two?

[ComProg]

New Meritbadge for Boy Scouts!!!!! Date change!!!!


SCUBA!!!!!

Hello all fellow divers.

Below is the actual quote from National BSA about the new Merit Badge:

From: bsa.communications@scouting.org [mailto:bsa.communications@scouting.org]
Sent: Friday, November 13, 2009 12:46 PM
Subject: BSA Action Required: Correction: Scuba Diving merit badge earn date is 2009

This is an official BSA communication.

To:Scout Executive;Director Field Service;National E-mail
CC:Assistant Regional Directors;regional directors;Area- Directors;Wayne Brock;Group Directors;Al Kugler;James J Terry;Richard Mathews

Action Required:

Refer to Advancement Chairs and All Interested Parties

From:Innovation

BSA Action Required: Correction: Scuba Diving merit badge earn date is 2009

Please note the correction below. The Scuba Diving merit badge earn date is December 1, 2009.
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 are in the NDC and available for local council service center and scoutstuff.org orders - 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.

Have fun and dive safe!

[Dustinh]

I'm actually really excited that the date has changed for the merit badge. I'm eager to work with the scouts on this one.

If anyone's looking for a SCUBA merit badge counselor on Long Island, drop me a line.

I'm also able to do:
Snorkeling BSA patch
Oceanography
Journalism
Radio
Photography
Environmental Science

[LocalScuba]

I think the New Merit Badge is going to be a great thing for both the Scouts and Diving.

We are sponsoring a SCUBA Orientation and Merit Badge Program at 1.877.SCUBA.USA

Join Us Sunday November 29th.

Have you ever wondered what it's like to breathe underwater are you thinking about the New SCUBA Merit Badge. If you want to find out, Discover Scuba Diving will let you try scuba to see if you like it. We offer a version of this program in a pool at the Boys and Girls Club in Lodi.
While not an actual scuba certification, during the Discover Scuba Diving experience you'll learn how to use scuba equipment in shallow water and get a quick and easy introduction to what it takes to explore the underwater world.

The Fun Part
There is nothing like breathing underwater for the very first time. It takes a little getting used to -after all, human beings weren't designed to do that - but after a few minutes of awestruck wonder, most participants realize how easy scuba diving really is. The biggest challenge instructors have with the Discover Scuba Diving program is not coaxing participants into the water, but coaxing them out when the program is over. The fun part? It's all fun!
You learn the basics you need to dive under the direct supervision of a Professional. One thing you'll learn is that you really can breathe underwater and whether you like doing that or not.

You will:
Learn what wearing scuba equipment feels like and how easy it is to move around underwater while wearing it
Find out what it's like to breathe underwater and learn whether you can be comfortable there
Learn some basic skills and safety rules that will carry over to your full scuba certification course when you take the next step


Location:
Boys & Girls Club of Lodi
460 Passaic Ave Lodi NJ (rear entrance)
Lodi, NJ 07644
Time: 9am
Cost: Scouts $0
Age: 11 & up
Bring your bathing suit and a towel and we'll bring the SCUBA Equipment
To register; (by Nov. 28th)
Call: 201.261.8700
Email: scouts@scubalearningcenter.com
Send us your; Name, troop, Email address and age

[mmmeenehan]

You should check out the requirements for the Scuba BSA award. With a little extra effort you can offer scouts the opportunity to complete the requirements for that badge. It's basically the DS pool experience with the DSD required skills being taught.

[cgvmer]

local scuba, I am a scoutmaster in Essex county and this is the first I saw you were having this class. Have you asked the NNJ scout council to send this out as a leader email?

Here are the merit badge requirments:


1. Do the following:
1. 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.
2. 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.
2. Before completing requirements 3 through 6, earn the Swimming merit badge.
3. Discuss the Scuba Diver’s Code with your merit badge counselor, and explain the importance of each guideline to a scuba diver’s safety.
4. Earn an Open Water Diver Certification from a scuba organization recognized by the Boy Scouts of America scuba policy.
5. Explain what an ecosystem is, and describe four aquatic ecosystems a diver might experience.
6. 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.

[drbill]

Where was this when I was a Boy Scout? Sigh.

[LocalScuba]

If you send me a name of the person to contact I will follow up on it.

[reefseal]

Anyone know when Scuba MB book will be available from BSA online at scoutstuff.org??

Also, info on mb
http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/...ges/scuba.aspx