Canoeing Merit Badge

Course Overview
This Merit Badge presents the basic skills and knowledge about Canoeing. It is not very difficult, but does require both mental and physical effort, and time in the water. Many hours of practice and experience on safe, flat water is needed before taking on rivers, whitewater, and wilderness excursions, but this Merit Badge gets the ball rolling.
The knowledge about canoe, paddle, and lifejacket parts, construction, sizing, and care helps a scout understand how everything works together when working on skills. Once the knowledge is shown and on land canoe care is demonstrated, the most fun of swamping and rescuing canoes can begin. This is always the part Scouts love, but there are many more paddling skills to learn and demonstrate.
Completing this Merit Badge before a Troop canoe trip, or if a Troop or individual is going to Northern Tier, makes the adventure much more fun.
Please come prepared. The Canoeing Merit Badge pamphlet should be read.
A scout will first need to classify as a “swimmer” using the BSA Swim Classification Test. As such, please note that this class is NOT for scouts who cannot swim.
Required items to bring for the Canoeing Merit Badge:
- BSA Annual Health and Medical Record (Parts A&B) completely filled out and signed by parent or guardian. Incomplete forms will be returned to Scout to complete before starting class. A Scout cannot take the Merit Badge without a completed form.
- Merit Badge Blue Card signed by Scoutmaster. Make sure all three parts are filled in with your personal information.
- Closed Toed Shoes are required while walking in Camp. No flip flops, sandals, crocs, or keens allowed. Closed Toed Water Shoes are suggested.
The Merit Badge counselor will email you with any additional requirements, such as completing discussion questions, approximately 2 weeks before class.
Class Withdrawal and Refund Policy
Due to the limited number of scouts that we can accommodate in each class, we kindly ask that you contact us as early as possible if a scout cannot attend a class.
Final payments and attendance numbers are due: 10 days prior to the event
No subtractions/substitutions/class changes to registration after this deadline. Substitutions are not allowed. If your Scout cannot attend a class, you should cancel their registration at least 12 days prior to the class for a full refund. We cannot substitute a friend or fellow scout for your Scout's spot.
Refund policy is as follows
- 100% refund: When cancellation is made 12 days prior to registered weekend
- No refund/refund at council discretion: When cancellation is made within 11 days of event.
All changes to a class (drop/add), cancellations and requests for refund must be submitted via email to aacaquaticsmbdays@gmail.com
Class changes, cancellations, and refund requests cannot be accepted over the phone.