Every camping trip has that moment: the trail ends at clear, cold water, and the urge to jump in is immediate. Hold on. Before diving in, the Pathfinder learns to ask the question that saves lives: is it safe to go in here? If the answer isn't a certain yes — an adult nearby, familiar water, help available —, the club has just one rule: when in doubt, stay out.
Why is water safety such a serious matter in the club?
The Pathfinder Club — the Adventist Church's program for boys and girls ages 10 to 15 — thrives on outdoor activities: camping, hiking, campfires. And wherever there's camping, there's almost always water nearby: a river, a reservoir, a beach, a pool. If you're new to this world, it's worth starting by understanding what the club is.
The numbers explain the caution. According to Sobrasa (the Brazilian Water Rescue Society), cited in an article on the official Adventist news portal in 2023, about 16 people drown every day in Brazil. And data from Brazil's public health system shows that drowning is the second-leading cause of death among children ages 1 to 4. The peak happens in summer, exactly the season of big camping trips.
There's another detail few people know: a real drowning is silent. It's not like in the movies, with screaming and flailing arms. The person spends all their energy trying to breathe and sinks without making a sound. That's why the club bets everything on prevention — avoiding the problem is worth far more than needing a rescue.
What is the number one rule of the water?
When in doubt, stay out. It's that simple. Dark water you can't see the bottom of, a current you don't know, mysterious depth? Stay out. In a video game, if things go wrong, you go back to the last checkpoint. In real water, there's no respawn.
The second rule goes hand in hand with the first: never swim alone. Always in pairs, always with someone who knows where you are. It's like climbing: nobody goes up without a rope and a partner. If something goes wrong, your buddy calls for help in seconds — and seconds decide everything in a drowning.
And a word about heroism: a real hero calls the lifeguard. Jumping into the water to save someone without training usually turns one victim into two. Rescue swimming is an advanced skill, with a course and hours of practice — you'll see how it works further ahead.
What are the ten water safety rules?
The Basic Water Safety honor requires the Pathfinder to learn at least ten rules of safety for when they're near water. The exact list can vary a bit between reference materials, but these are the ten classic ones that appear in the honor's study guides:
Does that sound like a lot of rules? Think of soccer: without rules, there's no game — it turns into chaos and someone gets hurt. Water is the same. Whoever knows the rules has a lot more fun, because they play without fear and without scares.
| # | Rule |
|---|---|
| 1 | Never swim alone — always have a buddy nearby. |
| 2 | Respect warning signs and danger signals. |
| 3 | Don't run or play push-fights at the edge of a pool, river, or lake. |
| 4 | Don't enter unfamiliar water or areas with a strong current. |
| 5 | Never dive headfirst into shallow water or water you don't know. |
| 6 | Wear a life jacket on boats, in rivers, and in rough seas. |
| 7 | Avoid swimming right after eating a big meal. |
| 8 | Don't go into the water if you're overly tired, feeling sick, or drowsy. |
| 9 | Know where the buoys, ropes, and safety equipment are — and how to use them. |
| 10 | Always obey the lifeguard and the adults responsible for the activity. |
Ten classic water safety rules studied in the Basic Water Safety honor (AR-090). The list may vary depending on your club's materials.
Read alsoTool safetyHow does water work at camping trips and camporees?
Club camping isn't a free-for-all at the beach. The guidance published on the official Adventist news portal, based on the South American ARM (Adventist Risk Management, the Adventist Church's risk management office in South America), is direct: for water activities, avoid deep water and stunts, and above all, have a lifesaving professional ready to handle any emergency. The recommendation also includes a standby team and a first-aid kit within reach.
In practice, this means river swimming has a set start and end time, a marked-off area where you're allowed to stay, and adults watching the whole time — similar to school recess, where there's always a monitor keeping an eye out. At a camporee (the large camp that brings together several clubs from a region), these rules get even stricter, because there are hundreds or thousands of people in the same space.
Full honesty: the details change from club to club. Each board sets its own protocols together with the local Association (the regional office that coordinates the clubs), including written authorization from parents or guardians and the requirements of the annual insurance policy. If your club bans river swimming at a certain spot, it's not being difficult — it's someone looking out for you.
Avoid deep water, stunts, and especially, have a lifesaving professional on hand to respond if needed.Guidance for water activities on the official Adventist news portal (2023)
How do you earn the Basic Water Safety honor?
An honor is a mini-course with a list of requirements: you study, practice, get evaluated, and earn a cloth badge to sew onto your sash — there are more than 500 honors available through the South American Division, the church office that coordinates the clubs in South America. Basic Water Safety belongs to the Recreation category, has the code AR-090, and is level 1 — meaning it's designed for beginners.
The requirements are very hands-on: entering and exiting the water safely, submerging your face for five seconds while holding your breath, releasing air rhythmically with your face underwater, floating on your back for 15 seconds, gliding through the water a distance of two body lengths, kicking while holding the edge for 20 seconds, swimming five body lengths using arms and legs, putting on a life jacket and floating for 30 seconds, as well as demonstrating how to call for help in an emergency and how to get rid of a cramp. And, of course, learning the ten rules you saw above.
The best part: you can complete everything in a regular pool, with an adult supervising — you don't need to be an athlete or have a professional lifeguard present. An honest bit of trivia: the reference material used in Brazil records this honor's creation in 2010, while the North American Division wiki records 2011. Either way, it's one of the newest honors in the Recreation category.
Saw someone drowning? What to do — and what not to do
First step: call for help immediately. Shout for the lifeguard, alert the nearest adult, and if necessary, call 193 (Fire Department). Speaking up isn't cowardice — it's the smartest, fastest thing you can do.
Second step: throw, don't go. The club's own materials teach how to rescue without swimming: extend a long branch, throw a rope, a buoy, or anything that floats for the person to hold onto. Entering the water without technique is the most common mistake — the panicking person grabs onto whoever arrives and pulls both of them under.
Those who want to go further can earn the Drowning Rescue honor (AR-008), one of the oldest in the movement: it has existed since 1929, approved by the General Conference, the church's world headquarters. It's level 2 and not for just anyone: it first requires the Swimming Intermediate I honor, a rescue course at an accredited institution with at least 6 hours of practice, swimming 100 meters, retrieving objects from 2 meters deep — one of them weighing 4.5 kg — and mastering approach and victim-transport techniques. After the rescue, another essential club skill comes into play: first aid, which has its own honor.