Can you get swimming badges with doggy paddle?

[Bubbinsmakesthree]

I’ve got a chance to put DS forward for a 25m swimming badge. I know he can cover 25m reliably enough but his stroke is still basically doggy paddle.

Is that OK - does he just need to cover the distance by any means?

It had to be a recognised stroke at ours but I think it varied from pool to pool.

It is meant to be done using 'a recognisable stroke', although I have found what this means varies between pools (and sometimes instructor).
IME instructors will be very lenient for 5m and 10m badges (ie anything counts as long as you use both arms and legs and get there without putting your feet down). 25m to 100m has needed to be recognisable as front crawl, back crawl, or breast stroke, although can be pretty poorly executed, and 200m+ should be a pretty good version of the aforementioned strokes (you can change stroke for each length if wanted, but not mid length).

I would say recognisable strokes. They seem to be quite strict about stroke technique. Mine can do 25 ms but still hasn’t had 10 signed off because her breathing isn’t right.

You need to ask them.

Hmm - sounds like he probably isn’t ready. It’s for the scouts swimming badge rather than organised via his swimming school, and there’s no obvious way to check in advance of sending him along to the swim session.

For scouts it looks like it might not need to be a recognised stroke until they get to higher levels (see link below). In our scouts (not UK) it doesn't. But check with your scouters www.scouts.org.uk/staged-badges/swimmer/stage-1.

I'm not a swimming instructor but I'm a Cubs Leader. I took my Pack to the local pool earlier in the year to get their level 1 and 2 badges signed off and I didn't accept doggy paddle. They need to be able to swim reasonably competently, as it is designed to show they have the ability to swim that distance in any situation. If they were to fall in a river, or get too far out to sea, doggy paddle isn't going to save them. I wasn't looking for perfect strokes, but a semblance of front crawl, breaststroke or back stroke ticked off the aspect of the badge.

Agree with all this. Also, one of the other requirements (the hardest IMO) for the badge is to tread water for 30 seconds, which will be well above his ability if still doggy paddling. This is a competency at Swim England's Learn To Swim Level 5 for an idea of ability. Once they reach level 5 and are capable of treading water, they should also be able to swim much further than 25m using a recognised stroke. I would wait to do the distance swim, as he isn't in a position to complete the rest of the badge yet any way.

I would say no. The scout badge or similar is often used in a "can you swim 25m?" Way which makes you safe for watersports etc. Doggy paddle really isn't.