When asked, “What did you do over summer vacation?” several Irving Boy Scouts will definitely have an exciting answer.  In July, several Scouts from Northgate United Methodist Troop 175 in Irving spent a week in the Florida Keys learning to scuba dive. 

The Boy Scouts of America maintains several high-adventure camps throughout the U.S., including the Florida National High Adventure Sea Base in the Florida Keys.  Sea Base was designed to offer unique aquatic programs to boys involved in the Scouting program while meeting the Boy Scout goals of developing character, citizenship, and personal fitness. 

Sam Anderson, William Canales, and Benjamin Roman from Troop 175 in Irving, and Jacob Gordon from Troop 121 in Carrollton, spent three months working on swimming skills and studying a diving handbook to prepare for their adventure.  Upon their arrival at Sea Base, the Scouts and their adult leaders, James Roman and Marlin Anderson of Irving and Jason Gordon of Carrollton received several hours of classroom instruction before progressing to using scuba gear in a diving pool.  After learning to use the scuba equipment, the group advanced to supervised ocean dives with their instructors.  Their trip culminated in one “free” ocean dive, when the scouts were allowed to explore the reef on their own.  Through their participation in the program, the boys and their adult leaders earned diving certifications from the Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI), a world renowned scuba diving agency. 

The Scouts also took some time to sight-see while in Florida, taking in the beautiful scenery from the Overseas Highway and visiting Key West, which is the southernmost city in the continental U.S.  And in true Boy Scout fashion, the boys made time to perform service while on their trip, helping clean and maintain the grounds around the camp.

For more information about the Boy Scouts of America, go to www.scouting.org.

Article and Photos by James Roman, Sea Base Crew Leader