What is Dragon Boating? Dragon Boating is an ancient Chinese tradition and one of the most up and coming sports in the US.
Tell me about a dragon boat . – I always say it is an over sized canoe. The boat is very colorful with dragon head and tail put on the boats for racing. The boats are 43 feet long, seats 20 paddlers, a drummer and a steersperson for a total of 22 people on the boat. Paddlers sit two to a seat paddling on one side of the boat.
Do I need any special abilities or equipment? No, any one over the age of 18 (some festivals/races will allow paddles under 18) can paddle. You do not need any equipment.
Who Dragon Boats? Anyone who wants to, regardless of age or athletic ability. I will teach you the technique and everything you need to know about the boat or dragon boating.
What distances are in a dragon boat festival/race – most festivals/races are 250 meters and 500 meters. Occasionally you may have a 200 meter, 400 meter or a 2000 meter.
Are there different levels of dragon boating? Yes
Club Crews – paddlers that usually have a winter regiment and practice multiple times a week. These teams will go to several races a season with a very competitive crew.
Festival Teams – people who get a group together to go out and have fun. These teams may only do one race a season but are not limited to one race a season.
Corporate Team – Many corporations use dragon boating for team building. Some corporations pick a date and go out with a department strictly for team building. Some corporations take a team or teams out from the company strictly for team building. Some companies may enter a team in a local festival/race.
Breast Cancer Survivor Teams - Must be a breast cancer survivor.
Is there a cost associated with dragon boating? Yes, If you want to compete in a race the race fee is divided among the paddles attending the race
If you have any questions please contact me at: dragonboatcrew@gmail.com