Water-Skier's Safety Code
Safety is the key to enjoying waterskiing. Understand and live up to the Water-Skier's Safety Code:
Always learn to water-ski by taking instructions from a good water-ski instructor or advanced skier.
Always wear a personal flotation device (PFD) when skiing. A PFD is as much a part of a skier's equipment as are a boat and skis. Before entering the water, make sure your PFD is adjusted correctly for safety, comfort, and freedom of movement. Always make sure your PFD is in good and serviceable condition.
Always look ahead and know where you are going at all times.
Always stay away from solid objects such as docks, boats, and stumps.
Always be courteous and stay a reasonable distance from other skiers, boats, and swimmers.
Always run parallel to shore and come in slowly when landing.
Always learn new maneuvers progressively.
Always have an extra person in the boat to watch the skier.
Always signal that you are all right after a fall by clasping your hands overhead or waving to notify the driver and observer.
Always hold up a ski while waiting in the water in a well-traveled boating area.
Always check your equipment for dangerous, sharp, or protruding
objects (wing nuts, loose runners, and slivers).
Never ski in shallow water or in an area where you do not know the depth. Minimum safe depth is five feet or your height, whichever is greater.
Requirements
1. Show that you know first aid for injuries or illnesses that could occur while waterskiing, including hypothermia, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, dehydration, sunburn, contusions, lacerations, blisters, and hyperventilation.
2. Do the following:
a. Identify the conditions that must exist before performing CPR on a person. Explain how such conditions are recognized.
b. Demonstrate proper technique for performing CPR using a training device approved by your counselor.
3. Before doing the following requirements, successfully complete the BSA swimmer test. Jump feet first into water over your head in depth. Level off, and swim 7S yards in a strong manner, using one or more of the following strokes: side stroke, 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. Know the water-skiers Safety Code. Promise that you will live up to it. Follow it in all water work for this badge. Know the safety precautions that must be used by the boat operator in pulling skiers.
5. Show the following water-skier signals to safety observer in boat: skier safe, faster, slower, turns, back to dock, cut motor, skier in water.
6. In deep water, show you can adjust binders to fit, put on skis, and recover skis that have come off during a fall.
7. Make a deep water start on two skis without help.
8. Show you can fall properly to avoid an obstacle. Also, show that you can drop handle and coast to a stop without loss of balance.
9. Show you can cross both wakes and return to center of wake without falling. Repeat three times.
10. During a demonstration run, lift one ski clear of the water for two seconds. Then do the same with the other ski. Show that you are steady and comfortable on skis at all times.
11. Ski on one ski for 30 seconds. Show reasonable control.
33348A
ISBN 0-8395-3348-9
©1999 Boy Scouts of America
2000 Printing of the 1999 Edition