Swimmer Stage 4 Activity Badge

Swimmer Stage 4 Activity Badge

With plenty of practice and a little confidence, gain a swimmer stage badge as you learn to swim with speed and an expert stroke.

At Scouts we're updating the requirements to earn the Swimmer Activity Badges. There will be a cross over of how to earn the badge until August 2025, until then, you can choose to use either set of requirements.

You can view both set of requirements to earn the badge below.

How to earn the Swimmer Activity Badge - Stage 4 (updated Jan 25)

1. Learn about where to swim safely in different locations and find out about rescue equipment. 

2. Take part in a warm up before getting in the pool. 

3. Demonstrate how to get in and out of the water safely using two different methods of entry. 

4. Swim confidently on your front for 25 metres without stopping. 

5. Swim confidently on your back for 25 metres without stopping. 

6. Swim 25 metres using either the breaststroke or butterfly swimming techniques. 

7. Demonstrate the breaststroke leg movements whilst holding onto the side of the pool. 

8. Swim 100 metres in a stroke of your choice. 

9. Tread water for 30 seconds. 

10. Swim in clothes for 10 metres. 

11. Scull for 5 metres on your front or your back. 

How to earn the Swimmer Activity Badge - Stage 4 (Original requirements, can be used until Aug 25)

1. Learn the general safety rules for swimming (such as not diving into shallow water or not swimming on your own) and where it is safe to swim locally.

2. Show you know how to prepare for exercises. You could do this by leading a warm up.

3. Demonstrate a racing dive into at least 1.8 metres of water and straddle jump into at least 2 meters of water.

4. Swim 100 metres in less than four minutes.

5. Tread water for five minutes.

6. Surface dive into 1.5 metres of water, both head first and feet first and swim at least 5 metres under water on both occasions.

7. Enter the water as you would if you didn’t know the depth. Swim 10 metres to a floating object. Use the object to take up and hold the heat escape lessening posture for five minutes.

8. Swim 800 metres using any of the four recognised strokes without stopping. You should swim 400m on your front and 400m on your back.

9. Take part in an organised swimming activity that’s different to the one on your previous swimming badge.