Kayaking Merit Badge

Overview

Kayaking has become one of the fastest-growing paddlesports in the United States. An estimated nine million Americans enjoy this sport. The most popular style of kayaking is recreational kayaking, followed by touring/sea kayaking, and whitewater kayaking. This merit badge will introduce you to recreational kayaking and help prepare you for advanced paddlesports such as tour/sea and whitewater kayaking.

Requirements

(1) Do the following:
- (a) Explain to your counselor the hazards you are most likely to encounter while participating in kayaking activities, including weather and water-related hazards, 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 can occur while kayaking: blisters, cold-water shock and hypothermia, heat-related illnesses, dehydration, sunburn, sprains, and strains.
- (c) Review the Scouting America Safety Afloat policy. Explain to your counselor how this applies to kayaking.
(2) Before doing requirements 3 through 8, successfully complete the Scouting America swimmer test. Note: See the Swimming merit badge pamphlet for details about the Scouting America swimmer test.
(3) Do the following:
- (a) Review the characteristics of life jackets most appropriate for kayaking and understand why one must always be worn while paddling. Then demonstrate how to select and fit a life jacket for kayaking.
- (b) Review the importance of safety equipment such as a signal device, extra paddle, sponge, bilge pump, flotation bags, and throw bag.
(4) Do the following:
- (a) Name and point out the major parts of a kayak.
- (b) Review the differences in the design between recreational, whitewater, and sea or touring kayaks. Include how length, width, stability, and rocker are involved in the design of each type.
- (c) Explain the care, maintenance, and storage of a kayak.
(5) Discuss the following:
- (a) Correct methods for the use of a kayak paddle
- (b) Parts of a paddle
- (c) The care and maintenance of a paddle
(6) Using a properly equipped kayak with an open cockpit, a sit-on-top, or an inflatable kayak, do the following:
- (a) Safely capsize and perform a wet exit.
- (b) Reenter the kayak with assistance from a buddy boat.
- (c) Demonstrate a kayak-over-kayak rescue.
- (d) Demonstrate the HELP position.
- (e) Capsize the kayak, swim it and the paddle to shore, and empty water from the kayak with assistance if needed.
(7) As a solo paddler, use a properly equipped kayak to demonstrate the following:
- (a) Forward stroke
- (b) Backstroke
- (c) Forward sweep
- (d) Reverse sweep
- (e) Draw stroke
- (f) Stern draw
(8) As a solo paddler, use a properly equipped kayak to demonstrate the following:
- (a) Paddle a straight line for 15 to 20 boat lengths using appropriate strokes while maintaining trim and balance of the kayak.
- (b) Spin or pivot from a stationary position 180 degrees (half circle) to the right and left within two boat lengths.
- (c) Move abeam to the right 10 feet and to the left 10 feet.
- (d) Stop the boat in one boat length.
- (e) While maintaining forward motion, turn the kayak 90 degrees to the right and left.
- (f) Move the kayak backward three to four boat lengths using appropriate and effective reverse strokes.
- (g) Paddle the kayak in a buoyed figure 8 course around markers three to four boat lengths apart.

Resources

Note: This is an unofficial archive of Scouts BSA Merit Badges that was automatically extracted from the Scouting America website and may contain errors.