What is Dragon Boating

If you enjoy water sports like kayaking, rowing and canoeing but also enjoy the group dynamics of team sports, dragon boating is for you.

Dragon boating is a team paddling sport much like canoeing, except the boat is much longer and seats up to 22 people including a drummer who sits at the front, and the sweep or steerer who directs the boat from the rear. Dragon boating is a very exciting sport which relies on every member of the boat to work in unison to maximise the speed and efficiency of the boat on the water.

There are 50 million people world wide who participate in dragon boating, most of whom reside in China. However, over the past 25 years, and especially since the formation of the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF), the sport of dragon boating has gradually spread beyond Asia to Europe, North America, Australia and Africa, becoming a popular international sport with a growing number of participants.

Today, dragon boat racing (sport and festival) is among the fastest growing of team water sports, with tens of thousands of participants in various organisations and clubs in around 60 countries. The sport is recognised for the camaraderie, strength and endurance fostered amongst participants, and it has also become a very popular corporate and charitable sport.

In Sydney there quite a number of dragon boat clubs with a growing membership list. For those that enjoy competing, there are monthly dragon boat meets where clubs can race each other in various classes of competition.

A great way to experience Sydney Harbour

Northern Beaches Dragon Boat Club is situated in Manly close to the Sydney Harbour entrance, on the north side of the harbour.

During training sessions, we will often take a break at one of the beautiful harbour beaches in the area and enjoy a quick swim between sessions. With superb water conditions and lots of sandy beaches, it's the ideal and affordable way to enjoy the beauty of the harbour.

Join Us

Anybody is welcome to join!

Whether you're looking to expand your social network, or a fun way to get fit and healthy, why not come down to Manly Cove and join us for a paddle. Click here for more information.