Swimming for scouts has always been a favored activity. The Boy Scouts use the "buddy system". Scouts are paired off into groups of two. Each scout is responsible for the other. Every 10-15 minutes a whistle is blown and the scouts must pair up and hold their hands high to be counted and accounted for. The buddy system has always been an exellent way to practice safety in a group swimming enviroment. Scouts may swim in a pool, or a pond , or even a lake. Before anyone can swim, a line is formed and the area is searched and roped off to insure safety. Diving is permitted only in specified areas and conditions.
~Swimming Merit Badge requirements~