
Welcome!
Sea Scouting is the Coast Guard Auxiliary’s official youth program and is a Boy Scouts of America program for young men and women, ages 14 (or 13 years of age and completed eighth grade) through 20. Sea Scouts provide a program for religious, fraternal, educational, and other community organizations to use for effective character, citizenship, and mental and personal fitness training for youth. As part of this training, Sea Scouts are expected to develop personal religious values, learn the principles of American heritage and government, and acquire skills that will prepare them to become successful adults.
The advancement scheme for Sea Scouts places an initial emphasis on nautical skills before encouraging the youth to take a major role in planning activities in the unit. Young men and women ages fourteen through twenty who are willing to abide by the requirements of BSA membership, including agreeing to live by the ideals expressed in the Scout Oath and Law and Sea Promise are eligible to join a Sea Scout Ship. Ships are administered by volunteers with the assistance and support of some paid professional staff.
Any Sea Scout who is at least 17 years old or Sea Scout leader may also choose to become full members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary by following the normal application process.
We also participate in a program to recognize all BSA Eagle Scouts, Venturing Summit Award recipients and Sea Scout Quartermasters as well as Girl Scout Gold Award holders. See their respective pages for more information.
The national Auxiliary-Sea Scout Youth Development (AUXSCOUT) Program Standard Operating Procedures (revised 22 APR 25) outlines how Auxiliarists are to work with Sea Scout youth and adult members, whether or not they are also Coast Guard Auxiliarists. National program oversight is provided by the Auxiliary’s Youth Programs Division. All Auxiliary Districts have District Staff Officers – AuxScout (DSO-AS), most divisions have Staff Officers – AuxScout (SO-AS), and flotillas that have direct, sustained, and constructive engagement with a counterpart Sea Scout Ship have Flotilla Staff Officers for the AuxScout Program (FSO-AS). Organization support details and job descriptions for AuxScout are available on our Resource page.
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions are available HERE. Any questions not answered on this website or the SOP may be directed as follows:
* Questions from District Commodores and District Chiefs of Staff should be directed to Ron Blaisdell, Youth Programs Division Chief, DVC-SY
* Questions from all others in D1N, D1S, D5N, D5S, D7 should be directed to Holly Johnson, BC-SYA. Be sure to copy your DSO-AS and DCOS on your email.
* Questions from all others in D8C, D8E, D8W, D9C, D9E, D9WR should be directed to Bart Knapp, BC-SYW. Be sure to copy your DSO-AS and DCOS on your email.
* Questions from all others in D11N, D11S, D13, D14, D17 should be directed to Bruce Williams, BC-SYP. Be sure to copy your DSO-AS and DCOS on your email.
* Questions about starting a Sea Scout Ship should be directed to Rob Landquist. BA-SYSA.
Coast Guard Auxiliary Youth Programs
YouTube Channel
Coast Guard Tech Talk – NAYLE
This month’s Tech Talk guest is Ms. Laurie Stefani, the National Coordinator for the National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience (NAYLE) at Philmont Scout Ranch.
NAYLE is the highest level of Youth Leadership Training in Scouting America, and it aligns perfectly with our mission — it’s designed exclusively for youth ages 14–20, the same core age range served by Sea Scouts, Venturing, and Exploring programs.
November 2025 AUXSCOUT All Hands Training
Coast Guard Tech Talk: Good Mate Program – Promoting Responsible Boating and Waterway Protection
Coast Guard Tech Talk: What is Ham Radio?
The Coast Guard Academy and the Importance of STEM proficiency as part of the admissions process
Our speaker, Mr. Timothy J. Kessell LT, USCG (ret.) is the Associate Director of Volunteer Programs at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
Recorded on 23 September 2024
Coast Guard Tech Talk: Protected Species at NOAA
Our speaker is Briana Gibb. Briana is the Mid-Atlantic Large Whale Ship Strike Reduction Liaison at NOAA's Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office. She holds her Master of Science in Fisheries Management from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, and a Bachelor of Science in Ecology and Evolution from the University of California Santa Barbara. Briana's passion for science is expressed through outreach and education, using science communication to make science accessible to everyone. She has worked with many different types of marine life including fish, seals and sea lions, turtles, penguins, and whales.
Brought to you by the Coast Guard Auxiliary and the National Sea Scout Committee
Originally Recorded 27 May 2025
AUXSCOUT All-hands Training [May 2025]
Quarterly DSO and Youth Programs Staff Meeting 13APR25
Quarterly meeting of the District Staff Offices for the AuxScout program and the National Youth Programs Staff. Training focused on chartering new Sea Scout Ships, the additional steps to adopt an existing Sea Scout Ship, tracking the involvement of the Auxiliary working with all Sea Scout Ship, and ensuring that Auxiliary-sponsored Sea Scout Ships stay healthly.
Coast Guard Tech Talk: Understanding Electronic Nautical Charts and Their Uses
Our speaker is Mr. Edwin Martin. He currently serves on the National Staff of the Prevention Directorate as the Division Chief, Navigation Systems. Managing the Private Aids to Navigation, Chart Updating, and Bridge Administration programs. He has served in several Flotilla and Division Staff Officer positions, and Lead Oceanography Merit Badge Counselor for the Coast Guard at Scouting America National Jamborees. He is currently the AUX 06 C School Coordinator responsible for the CG Auxiliaries advanced Navigation System training.
Coast Guard Tech Talks are brought to you by the National Sea Scout Committee and the Coast Guard Auxiliary
