Aquanaut Activity Badge for Webelos

[Scoutfish]

As part of the Aquanaut Activity badge, you are required to ( #2 ) :

 

Stay in the water AFTER the swim and FLOAT on you back and front, and demonstrate survival flaoting.

 

Then a few pages later, the book says( and I qoute):

 

MOST boys can float on their backs. About one in 20 can't float unless he moves his arms and legs.See if you can float without moving.

 

Okay, I AM one of those guys who cannot float on my back. WEll wait, let me rephrase that: My bach and head can float as well as my arms, but my legs just can't grasp the idea of floating. I can pick them up and try all I want, but my legs just don't float.

 

Same if I try to float facing frontward.

 

Now here's my question:

 

At what point does floating by moving your arms and legs become swimming? Do your arms legs have to move so many inches? Would that be treading instread of floating?

 

What would you consider the transition?

 

Not, it isn't, hasn't or will it be an issue..Just my brain going into overtime!

[Pack212Scouter]

I'm one of those guys as well. My legs won't float and my body in general will only float if I maintain a full lung of air. To me, floating is being mostly relaxed with minimal movements. The idea is that you can float and not drown, so I would say that if it expends minimal energy and could be maintained for a significant period of time, then that is close enough.

[sailingpj]

I have exactly the same problem. I think that anyone who is actually watching can tell when floating becomes swimming. For me I consider it when I transition from resting to moving. When floating I have to just keep up a continual little kick with my feet in a downward direction. Once in a while I also have to give a little woosh with my hands to help stay in place.

 

I think you will be alright if you just use your common sense and your eyes. Treading water happens in an upright position, swimming causes you to move through the water on purpose. If they are on their backs and not moving forward then I would say that they are floating.

[Lisabob]

Apply a "reasonable man" standard. Don't get crazy over it. And keep in mind that certain very skinny pre-teen boys lack the body type to truly float well. They just have practically nothing boyant to work with! But lungs full of air certainly help - lots of people practically pant while swimming/floating (heck, even on land a lot of people don't know what it means to breathe deeply - ask any musician though, and they should get this). THat's not going to help you float.

[SctDad]

The floating on your back they are talking about is where you have your lungs full (controling your breathing) your arms out, your head back so that your face is up. Naturally your legs are gonna sink lowers. Your legs do not have to float on the top too.

 

Remember, when you are floating on your back and being still, your body will require less energy, which uses less oxygen therefor you can float a little easier and slow your breathing down.

[dg98adams]

What you are looking for is really not the ability to float, but the ability to not panic when the Scout is demonstrating floating face down and on their back, especially when tired.

 

This is the key skill, regardless of what it takes for the youth to float.