Requirements June 1972 until August 1982

1. Do the following:

(a) Before doing other requirements, swim 100 yards as follows: 75 yards with any strokes. Then 25 yards on your back using an easy resting stroke. Then rest by floating as still as you can for 1 minute.

(b) Spend 6 hours in practice of the skills.

2. Know the Water Skier's 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.

3. Show the following water-skier signals to safety observer in boat: in gear, start, faster, slower, speed required, speed OK, turns, whip off, jump, stop, back to dock, cut motor, skier in water. Help others to ski by acting as the safety observer in the boat.

4. Show you can adjust binders to fit. Put on skis in knee-deep water.

5. Make a shallow-water start on two skis without help.

6. Show you can fall properly in avoiding an obstacle. Drop handle and coast to a stop without loss of balance.

7. Show you can recover skis that have come off during a fall. Put skis on in deep water. Make a deep-water start on two skis without help.

8. Show you can cross both wakes and return to center of wake without falling. Repeat three times.

9. On two skis, jump off the wake. Lift both skis clear of the water.

10. During a demonstration run, lift one ski clear of the water for 2 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.

Requirements August 1982 until September 1985

1. Before doing other requirements, successfully complete the BSA swimmer test. Jump feet first into water over your head in depth, swim 75 yards or 75 meters in a strong manner using one or more of the following strokes: side stroke, breast stroke, trudgen, or crawl; then swim 25 yards or 25 meters using an easy, resting backstroke. The 100 yards or 100 meters must be swum continuously and include at least one sharp turn. After completing the swim, rest by floating as motionless as possible.

2. Know the Water Skier's 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.

3. Show the following water-skier signals to safety observer in boat: in gear, start, faster, slower, speed required, speed OK, turns, whip off, jump, stop, back to dock, cut motor, skier in water. Help others to ski by acting as the safety observer in the boat.

4. Show you can adjust binders to fit. Put on skis in knee-deep water.

5. Make a shallow-water start on two skis without help.

6. Show you can fall properly in avoiding an obstacle. Drop handle and coast to a stop without loss of balance.

7. Show you can recover skis that have come off during a fall. Put skis on in deep water. Make a deep-water start on two skis without help.

8. Show you can cross both wakes and return to center of wake without falling. Repeat three times.

9. On two skis, jump off the wake. Lift both skis clear of the water.

10. During a demonstration run, lift one ski clear of the water for 2 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.

Requirements September 1985 until September 1995

1. Before doing other requirements, successfully complete the BSA swimmer test. Jump feet first into water over your head in depth, swim 75 yards or 75 meters in a strong manner using one or more of the following strokes: side stroke, breast stroke, trudgen, or crawl; then swim 25 yards or 25 meters using an easy, resting backstroke. The 100 yards or 100 meters must be swum continuously and include at least one sharp turn. After completing the swim, rest by floating as motionless as possible.

2. Know the Water Skier's 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.

3. Show the following water-skier signals to safety observer in boat: in gear, start, faster, slower, speed required, speed OK, turns, stop, back to dock, cut motor, skier in water. Help others to ski by acting as the safety observer in the boat.

4. Show you can adjust binders to fit. Put on skis in knee-deep water.

5. Make a shallow-water start on two skis without help.

6. Show you can fall properly in avoiding an obstacle. Drop handle and coast to a stop without loss of balance.

7. Show you can recover skis that have come off during a fall. Put skis on in deep water. Make a deep-water start on two skis without help.

8. Show you can cross both wakes and return to center of wake without falling. Repeat three times.

9. On two skis, jump off the wake. Lift both skis clear of the water.

10. During a demonstration run, lift one ski clear of the water for 2 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.