Your First Dragon Boat Session in Bristol: What Actually Happens

The hardest part of dragon boating isn't the paddling. It's sending the message to book your first session. After that, everything is easier than you think.

You don't need anything. No paddle, no buoyancy aid, no kit, no experience. The club provides paddles and life jackets in all sizes. You bring loose sportswear — the kind of thing you'd wear to a gym class — trainers you don't mind getting damp, and a bottle of water.

You'll be met before you touch the water. Sessions run from the Rowing Centre in Saltford, on the River Avon between Bristol and Bath. There's parking, changing rooms and toilets. Someone from the crew will , look out for you and introduce you to everyone Turn up ten minutes early and you won't feel lost.

The briefing takes five minutes. How to hold the paddle. How to get in and out of a 20-person boat. What “paddles up”, “take it away” “let it run” and other simple commands mean. Where to sit — new paddlers are usually paired by size and placed in the middle of the boat, where the timing is most forgiving. You may also be given an experienced paddler as a buddy, to help you through your first session. 

Then you paddle. A dragon boat carries up to 20 paddlers, a drummer at the bow and a helm standing at the stern with a steering oar. The whole sport is one idea: every blade enters the water at the same moment. When it clicks — and it will click for a few strokes on your first night — the boat lifts and runs. That feeling is why people come back.

You will be tired and you will be fine. Race distances are typically 200m and 500m, but a first session is about rhythm, not racing. If your technique falls apart, you stop, drink some water, and go again. Nobody is watching you. Everyone in that boat was a beginner once.

What happens after. New paddlers are welcome to come to one session for free before

deciding anything. If you want to stay, a committee member will talk you through joining — it takes about ten minutes and a few simple steps. It is just £10 for the first month, after your taster session, then £20 per month. 

Sessions run Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Sunday mornings. Come once. See how much you enjoy it.                                                         

 Book youy first dragon boat session today.

Book