Dragon Boating Questions, Answered

Because it is one of the rare sports that works your mind, body and community all at once, with a kind of energy most people don’t expect. People join for fitness and stay for the friendships.

No. Many members started having never played any sport. Our Season Program builds fitness gradually and safely in three phases: gentle technique work, then power and strength, then shorter, more intense speed sessions.

No. Strength builds gradually over the season. Dragon boating is one of the most effective all-over strengthening exercises around, working legs, glutes, abdominals, core, back, shoulders and arms together.

No. Many members started with co-ordination challenges (and still have them on land). Staying in time with the crew takes practice, and you are coached in technique all season.

ACDC welcomes paddlers from age 9 up, with over 100 members aged 9 to 65+. It is common to see a student racing alongside a 60-year-old, and some of our senior paddlers are among the strongest. Racing has divisions for all ages.

It is AusDBF’s free come-and-try program: unlimited sessions over 30 days, fully insured, at no cost. Register online, then turn up to any session in any of our three regions. How the Dragon Pass works.

Comfortable gym clothes: shorts or leggings, a t-shirt or singlet, and a spray jacket or hoody in cooler months. You will get a little splashed. Footwear is essential (crocs, thongs or old sandshoes are fine), and a hat and sunglasses are recommended.

Just a bottle of water. We supply the paddle, life jacket and boat. Hot showers and change rooms are available at West Lakes.

Dragon Fire trains at the Aquatic Reserve, Cnr Bower & Old Port Roads, West Lakes (enter off Bower Road). Goolwa River Dragons train at Coorong Quays, Hindmarsh Island, and Desert Dragons at Bordertown Recreation Lake and Cockatoo Lake. Maps and directions.

Dragon Fire trains Monday and Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings at West Lakes, plus a Saturday 9.45am Come ’N Try & Development session. Goolwa River Dragons train Tuesday and Thursday at 5.30pm. Desert Dragons train Sunday at 9.30am and Wednesday afternoons. See the full timetable.

Most members train one to three sessions a week, depending on their region and goals. Social paddlers often do one session, while race crews build up to several across the season’s three training phases.

No. Nobody can carry a dragon boat, nobody can hide and nobody wins alone. When 20 paddles hit the water in perfect time, the boat lifts, the glide changes and you feel the power of collective effort.

It is a full-body workout disguised as a team sport: legs, core, back and shoulders all firing, with timing, rhythm, explosive power and endurance.

No. Some people prefer left, some right, others like to switch. Both arms work in every stroke, so it doesn’t depend on your dominant side, and we encourage members to be comfortable on both.

Season fees are shown in our online registration portal. Every membership includes DBSA and AusDBF registration, insurance and equipment. Or try it first, free, with a Dragon Pass. Membership options.

Absolutely. Plenty of our paddlers enjoy the fitness and social side without racing. As long as the coaches know your intent, you can attend all training without racing at regattas or the Australian Championships.

The boats are owned and maintained by Dragon Boat SA, a large expense partly covered by DBSA registration fees. Paddles and life jackets are supplied at every session.

Yes. A 2-hour package with about 90 minutes on the water costs $30 per person, for 10 to 20 paddlers per boat, with coaching and all equipment included. Team building details.

Dragon boat clubs are famously inclusive, multicultural, supportive and social, and competitive in the best way. ACDC is equally known for its racing and for the sense of family off the water.

Yes. You can start at any age and any fitness level and still progress quickly, all the way to state, national and international competition. Very few sports offer that kind of pathway.

Very competitive at both State and National level. We train and race hard, while valuing our social events just as much. Crews can combine ages or split into age-specific crews for competition.

Race starts. Drum pounding. Water flying. Your sweep calling commands, and twenty people locked in, breathing as one. There is nothing else like it.

Yes. Dragon boating is a tradition with thousands of years of history, and every race connects you to something bigger.

Yes. Dragon Boat SA’s registration fee includes public liability and personal accident insurance, and the Dragon Pass is fully insured too.

If you have a heart condition, are pregnant, or have any medical issue that may affect physical activity, please see your doctor for clearance before your first session.

Usually, yes. Done safely and regularly, dragon boating builds strength and can help rehabilitate some injuries. See your doctor for clearance first and tell the coaches about your injury before you begin. For advice, email our Head Coach at johnholland@senet.com.au.