FAQs

Wow - dragon boating looks really hard. Do I need to be super fit?
Not at all! You will need to have a reasonable level of fitness to compete in a race, but stamina is something you build up over time when you train with the crew. It doesn't matter if you are unfit when you start out because we'll work on that together in a friendly, highly-supportive environment.  Hardly any of the members of the Mildura Dragon Boat Club have been involved with the sport prior to setting up our club so there are all levels of fitness within the club - and yes, some of us aren't super fit..... yet!

How often do you train? 
Even though we train throughout the year, the dragon boat season runs from August to April. During this time, there will generally be regattas to attend. Please check the 'Training' and 'Events' pages for details regarding times and location of our training sessions.

Gosh, will you guys train a lot? What if I can't make it that often?
We completely understand that lives can be very busy with work, relationships, friends and family. If you can't make it to training every session, that's OK - just make it as often as you can. Please let it be known at training if you are not attending the next training session.  We notify paddlers if training is changed due to weather or numbers attending (Some members travel over 1hr to attend) so please let us know if you are unable to attend.

Of course, the more you come, the more you'll get out of it and the better paddler you will be, so we'll encourage you to come as often as possible. If you need to take a short hiatus from training due to travel, work, illness or injury, let us know and we'll help you get back into the swing of things when you return.

If there are two paddlers for every row, don't you get really big muscles on one side?
Ideally, it is preferable to be able to paddle on both sides; however, some of us have injuries or sore bits that make paddling on the one side their preference. It's something we accommodate when seating you in the boat. 

What can I expect at a training?
For most Dragon Boat clubs, training generally starts out with on on-land warm-up where we stretch our muscles and get our hearts pumping with some light exercises for about 10 mins. Everyone then pitches in to get the boat into the water.  Safety considerations are paramount so we'll take you through the safety procedures and 'buddy system' before we go out. An average dragon boat session for experienced clubs goes for about an hour and a half including on-land time.

Don't worry if you can't paddle the whole time we're on the water - just pull out your paddle and get back in when you can. You'll build up your stamina over the first month or two.

How much does it cost?
If you are just beginning, you can obtain a Dragon Pass which gives you 1 month free to trial dragonboating.  Mildura Dragon Boat Club is a not-for-profit organisation, we try to make the cost to our members as low as we can.  Our membership fees includes club membership, registration with Dragonboat Victoria and covers insurance and runs for 12 months from the date you register. Information regarding membership to the Mildura Dragon Boat Club can be found in registration section of our website.

What equipment do I need?

Just wear comfortable clothing & closed-toe footwear (that can get wet. Yes, it is a water sport folks!), hat, sunscreen and drink bottle.  The Mildura Dragon Boat Club can provide PFDs (Life Jackets) which are compulsory when on the water and paddles.

Some members  also like to invest in some gloves (fingerless) for better grip of the paddle. (Not essential)

What is the culture of the club like?
Mildura Dragon Boat Club is a fun and friendly bunch of people who are keen on trying new things.  We pride ourselves on being social, fun-loving, good-natured, welcoming and importantly, 'good sports'. We are super-supportive of our 'newbies'  - we definitely won't bite (but the dragons might).

But don't take our word for it - come down and meet us yourself. We hope that you'll fit right in!

Is dragon boating a big sport in Australia?
Dragon boating is one of the fastest-growing sports in Australia. Many regions are beginning their own club and participating in regattas and social events around the country and even the world. Competitions are run at local, state, national and international levels.  You can travel anywhere and join a team.

But what if it rains?
Dragon boaters are made of tough stuff, and yes, we even go out in the rain! In fact, it can be quite pleasant as the water is often calm. You're bound to get wet, anyway : )  Unless you hear otherwise, assume that training is still on.  If for some reason we need to cancel training we will post notification in Facebook, TeamApp and SMS members as soon as we can.

Here we are on a lovely morning training session...where else would you want to be?