Easy first badges
First Drop, Plunge, and Lucky Find are all unlocked in the Surface Lake or Cavern Checkpoint. Bank them first.
Checkpoint badges
Deep Dive, The Mines, Fire Below, Ancient Runes, and Into the Abyss each require pushing one layer deeper. Make sure your bucket and Skill Tree can handle the hazard before descending.
Ancient Bucket claim
Once you have 10 badges and have joined the official Drain the Lake group, claim the Ancient Bucket from the Badge Vault. It is the best non-wheel bucket for token farming.