Clubs
Dragon Boating in the ACT
Ever been in a boat with about 20 human inboard motors? Well, now's the time to give it a go!
Dragon boating is a fun and accessible sport for people 12 years and older and all fitness levels. If you're a team player and enjoy being on the water, this might be the sport for you.
Dragon Boat ACT (DBACT) is the governing body for dragon boating in the ACT. The association is currently working with the ACT Government to build a new facility at Grevillea Park to provide boat and equipment storage, amenities, and offices. Temporary facilities currently exist to provide storage and toilets. Equipment, including boats, paddles and personal floatation devices are also provided by DBACT.
DBACT holds several events across the dragon boat season in Canberra including:
- a series of regattas (free of charge to DBACT members) where clubs race across various distances – 8km, 2km, 1km, 500m and 100m
- participation in events, such as the annual balloon festival and Chinese New Year celebrations
- programs for members, such as accredited coaching, race officials and sweep (boat steerers) courses.
NOTE: There is a requirement for clubs to provide volunteers across the regatta season to assist with running the events. Your club will ask you to volunteer at times so please be prepared to give your time outside of club training for DBACT events.
Dragon Boat Clubs in the ACT
There are a variety of clubs across the ACT that cater for competitive and non-competitive members. All clubs ensure their members enjoy the fun and social aspects of the sport.
With a Dragon Pass, you can paddle free for 1 month and try as many clubs as you like.
DBACT will actively support you to find a club that provides:
- training times that suit your schedule
- the right level of competition, commitment to training and club fitness expectations
- the age and social group that suits you.
If you are not sure, please ask.
Tips:
- You may get wet. Please wear comfortable exercise gear like T-shirts, singlets, shorts or workout tights.
- While you are highly unlikely to capsize, all new paddlers on a Dragon Pass must wear a life jacket, which are supplied these in a range of sizes at our facility.
- Please wear enclosed shoes (no thongs or slides). Your footwear will get wet.
- As always, ‘slip, slop, slap, seek and slide’ in the Aussie sun – sunscreen, cap and sunnies.
- Please don’t wear valuable jewellery or bring mobile phones, handbags or wallets into the boat. We will lock your car keys in the shed before we depart.
What to Bring:
- Please bring a towel and a change of clothes.
- Please bring a bottle of water to take in the boat.
- If you require any medical equipment (asthma puffers or EpiPens), please bring these with you.
Please Tell Us:
- if you have any medical issues or injuries relevant to dragon boating
- if you have any sight, hearing or language issues so we can ensure your needs are catered for.
What We Provide:
-
DBACT supplies all necessary equipment (paddle, life jacket and boat), however, please ask the club coach to help you choose the right length paddle.
- Our accredited coaches and qualified sweeps (steerers) have Working with Vulnerable People (WwVP) checks.
- Emergency equipment on board if required.
Important Information:
· For the comfort and safety of everyone in the crew, the dragon boat must be balanced. A balanced boat is one that has roughly equal weight on both sides and is neither front nor back heavy. Coaches will pair you with a buddy who is roughly the same size as you are. There may be times when someone asks you how much you weigh. This is only asked for the purposes of balancing the boat and doesn’t have to be exact. If you have any concerns, please chat to a coach.
DBACT affiliate clubs are listed below. Each offers a different experience, please try as many as you can to find the right club for you.
DBACT encourages transfers between clubs if your chosen club does not suit - please speak to the club membership officer for more information.
Canberra Griffins Dragon Boat Club
The Canberra Griffins Dragon Boat Club is a family-friendly club and one of the longest established dragon boat clubs in the ACT. With several parent-child combinations in the team, the club prides itself on encouraging all age groups, from 13 years to 70+, to get involved and paddle! We work to develop world-class paddlers without losing sight of the fact that it is a fun sport and one of the ultimate team sports. We believe in being competitive without sacrificing our basic philosophy: the Griffins follow a path of inclusiveness, mutual respect, encouragement and good-humoured participation. Everyone gets to paddle at every regatta; it’s not an option! We also love to share a coffee, cake or meal after paddling, and we invite non-paddling family members to join in with this bit!
Canberra Ice Dragons Dragon Boat Club
The Canberra Ice Dragons Paddle Club is an inclusive family friendly club, with a diverse representation of new and experienced paddlers. We welcome all genders, ages and fitness levels.
A commitment to diversity is woven into our values. We believe that our club is strongest when we embrace our members' differences. Whatever your age is, where you come from, and how you identify, you are welcome here. We train hard, race fast and laugh lots. We are fit, fun and fabulous! We proudly support the sport of Dragon Boating in the ACT, and we compete locally, interstate and internationally.
Want to see what it's like being an Ice Dragon? Check out our Facebook and Instagram page. Every week, we train on Monday and Wednesday evenings, and Saturday mornings.
Head to our website www.icedragons.com.au and try paddling today, with our fun, fit and fabulous club!
Diamond Phoenix
Diamond Phoenix is Canberra's only all women's dragon boat club. Our motto is FITTER, HEALTHIER AND HAPPIER.
Diamond Phoenix welcomes women of all ages, our current members range from teens to 70+. Our members have different goals, and we cater for social paddlers, paddlers that love to work out, and paddlers that compete in regattas, locally and interstate, including National and Masters Championships.
We train Monday evenings, Thursday and Saturday mornings. Our training schedule varies in winter so please check our website for up to date information on training times. After training on Saturday we usually enjoy a coffee and cake at a local cafe.
Dragon Flyers
The Dragon Flyers aim to keep fit and healthy, enjoy competition (at local, national and international regattas) and have fun through regular social activities, enjoying our camaraderie on and off the water.
Our members include novices, social paddlers, high performance paddlers and in-between and our fitness and health training and programs are particularly beneficial for Masters (40+) paddlers.
Dragons Abreast Canberra
Dragons Abreast is a nationally registered charity that enables breast cancer survivors to get on with life after treatment through dragon boating. Research shows that paddling regularly has many health and social benefits and it is a great way to embrace life and resume an active lifestyle for those travelling the breast cancer journey. We welcome all breast cancer survivors, regardless of age, gender, sporting ability or fitness. Our usual paddling days are on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. Please notify us at the email address to confirm times. We not only paddle regularly, but we participate in local, interstate and international events.
Connect. Move. Live.
Invictus Dragon Boat Club
Our name is inspired by the poem Invictus with the last two lines our Club motto - "I am the master of my fate ... I am the captain of my soul".
Invictus Dragon Boat Club is the current Snr A Womens 200m Australian Champions, with our womens crew claiming 7 medals including the 200 m gold at the 2023 Australian Dragon Boat Championships April 2023.
We aim to promote the sport of dragon boating to new paddlers and encourage ex-members (paddlers, drummers and sweeps) to return to the sport. We provide opportunities for all members to broaden their paddling experiences and give every member the opportunity to realise their full potential, and compete against the best competition locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.
If you have a drive to compete, and are looking for friendships and fitness, you'll find it at Invictus.
Komodo Paddle Club
Come for a paddle with Komodo, the World's Coolest Dragon Boat Club, and see why our members love this club and amazing sport. We offer professional on and off-water coaching and the chance to race in local, interstate and international regattas. You will finish the season fitter, happier and have one hell of a good time along the way. Sure, we hit the water to train and race hard, but at the end of the day it's all about teamwork, working hard, having a laugh and enjoying the great outdoors. Take the leap and give dragonboat racing a go, swing past www.komodopaddleclub.com for more info, then join us for a session to see why we love dragon boat racing. See you soon!
NAVMAT Dragon Boat Racing Club
NAVMAT Dragon Boat Racing Club was formed during the 1992-93 regatta season by members of the Naval Materiel Social Club.
NAVMAT is now a club for everyone who wants to enjoy fun, fitness and friendships, along with opportunities to compete in local, interstate and international events. The club trains all year round. Some of us also meet for off-water activities, such as bush walking and cycling.
NAVMAT welcomes new members who would like to paddle socially and/or competitively. A popular feature of our week is a stop for
coffee during our social Saturday morning training session.
Schools club - Canberra Girls Grammar School
For students attending Canberra Girls Grammar School only.
Schools club - St Edmund's College & St Clare's College
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