The base at home, the sport at a club

Dragon boat at home

A dragon boat on water with a drummer, a steersperson and a coach; the stroke, timing and calls start on land at home.

2 cards at home 4 for the club

What should we practise today?

Tell us where you are and who is playing. You get one card and the reason.

Where are you?

Who is playing?

Start a session

New to dragon boat? The game in a minute

Read this once before the first card.

The sport in short: A long, narrow boat with a dragon's head at the front, paddled by a crew sitting in pairs, one on each side. A drummer at the front beats the rhythm, and a steersperson at the back steers with a long oar. Small boats carry 10 paddlers; standard boats carry 20.
How races are won: Crews race in straight lanes, usually over 200 m, 500 m or 2000 m, and the first boat across the line wins. The crew that paddles exactly together goes fastest, so timing matters more than strength.
Rules children break first: A lifejacket that fits, fastened, all the time on the water.
Wait for the call before the first stroke.
Copy the paddler in front: everyone's blade goes in at the same moment.
Stay seated in the boat; never stand up.
At home you start on land: The grip, the five parts of the stroke, and the calls, sitting on a bench with a broom handle as a paddle. The boat itself is learnt at a club, after a swim test.

Words you will hear (20, in plain language)

Paddle: The paddle has one flat end, the blade, which goes in the water.
Bottom hand: The bottom hand holds the shaft just above the blade; the top hand holds the top of the paddle, the T-grip.
Drummer: The person at the front who beats the drum and calls the commands.
Steersperson: The person at the back who steers the boat with a long oar.
Stroke: One full movement of the paddle through the water and back.
Reach: Leaning forward from the hips with the outside arm long, ready to put the blade in.
Catch: The moment the blade goes into the water, fully and without splash.
Pull: Drawing the blade back alongside the boat.
Exit: Lifting the blade out of the water, before it passes the hip.
Recovery: Bringing the paddle forward again, low over the water, for the next stroke.
Rate: How many strokes a crew takes in a minute.
In time: Every paddler's blade entering the water at the same moment.
Piece: One effort on the water, paddled hard from start to finish.
Set: Common calls. Set: paddles across the laps. All up: paddles held ready at the catch. Take it away: start paddling together. Let it run: stop paddling, blades out, let the boat glide. All down: rest.
Back paddle: Paddling backwards to stop or reverse the boat.
Draw stroke: Pulling the blade toward the side of the boat to move it sideways.
Stroke pair: The two paddlers in the front row who set the rhythm for everyone behind.
Engine room: The middle rows of the boat, often the strongest paddlers.
Cover boat: A small motorboat with an adult that stays near the dragon boat for safety.
Tread water: Staying upright in deep water by moving the legs and hands slowly.

Try it, nothing to buy

Mark the space once. Every card starts from it.

The cards, level by level

Nobody is late. A beginner of any age starts at Basic.

Basic 3 cards · show· hide The swim test, the grip, the five parts of the stroke and the commands on land, then paddling in time with a drummer in the boat.

Move on when the coach says the child is in time with the stroke.

Intermediate 2 cards · show· hide Rate changes, steering as a crew, the race start, pacing and race fitness.

Move on when the crew holds its timing through a whole piece.

Advanced 1 cards · show· hide A precise, powerful stroke, race starts and finishes, crew selection and leading as the stroke pair. This level is taught only by a club coach.

a1 Crew and race craft At a club what the coach teaches, what to ask

Teaching this at home

Movement, safety and the words at home. The sport itself needs water, a boat, a horse or a coach.

You do not need to know the sport. Each card tells you where to stand, what to say and what to look at. Pick one thing to say in a session and say only that. The first week looks messy; that is normal. End every session on one that works.

Cards marked At a club are taught by a coach. They tell you what the coach teaches, what is safe at home, and what to ask the club before your child joins.

How to warm up before playing is at workonfitness.com. The rules of the game are at sportsmaze.com.