Dragon boat paddling
Dragon boat paddling is one of the fastest growing water sports in the world and at the moment Bidgee Dragons is the only dragon boat club in the Riverina. It can also be quite competitive with state, national and international regattas. Dragon boat paddling is a very inclusive sport, available to those over the age of 10.
Traditionally, dragonboat races look something like this: https://mastersgames.com.au/ppmg/sports/dragon-boat/
We recently had club members compete at the 2022 Pan Pacific Masters Games and they enjoyed success with podium finishes in many events.
Paddling together
Bidgee Dragons try to catch up at least once a week, pending weather and lake conditions.
We still endeavour to undertake some other type of training to maintain our fitness and to maintain our social connection.
Our schedule varies depending on the season and daylight saving arrangements. The advertised start and finish times allow for attendance sign on, getting the boats in and out of the sheds, boat launching and retrieval, and paddler 'warm up' and 'cool down'.
Summer
Saturday Mornings, 7:45am – 9:45am (followed by coffee)
Monday Evenings, 5.45pm – 7:30pm
Wednesday Evenings, 5.45pm – 7:30pm
Winter
Saturday Mornings, 7:45am – 9:30am (followed by coffee).
If there are enough interested members, in winter we also hone our technique with poolside paddling (at the nice warm OASIS Aquatic Centre) or walk the main street of Wagga from the train station to Knight’s and back for friendship and fitness.
First time paddlers
If you’d like to paddle with us outside of one of our community ‘Come and Try’ sessions, we’d love to have you! We ask that you get in touch with Denise via our Contact page first, so we can plan to support your experience. You will be issued ith a Drgon Pass which gives you insurane coverage for one month while you try paddling with us.
We recommend you wear loose clothing, closed footwear (that can get wet). Be sure to bring water, sunscreen, insect repellent and a hat in summer and warm clothing, rain/wind proof jacket and a warm beanie/hat in winter.
For more information, see our What to expect information sheet.
Community Sessions
Find a list of our upcoming events open to the general public on our Events page. If there is nothing there that meets your needs, just get in touch using our Contact page and we will set something up, just for you.
Competing
The Bidgee Dragons have competed in regattas across Australia and internationally. We aim, as a team, to attend at least one regatta every two months. Participation in regattas is not compulsory, but we strongly encourage our members to experience the excitement of competing as a team against fellow dragonboat clubs. It really is tremendous fun, especially when success is ours... and even when it's not!
Competitions are based on age divisions. Open/Premier events include paddlers of all ages. The age specific categories are: Junior - 10 - 17 years, Senior A - 40+ years, Senior B - 50+ years and Senior C - 60+ years.
The entry fees for most regattas are set by the state or national governing body (like DBNSW), with accommodation and travel expenses being shared among the participants.
Facebook
You can find us on Facebook as Bidgee Dragons. The page is frequently updated with posts and photos from recent community and regatta events.
