South C Dragons

Looking to get fit and keep active?
Come and try dragon boating with
the South C Dragons!

”Wow - that looks like fun! My first thought when I saw the crew paddling on one Saturday morning and decided I needed to try it. Great way to meet new people, challenge yourself, improve your fitness and have a lot of fun.

~ Tracey

Information

SCD Dragon Boating

Welcome to our team. We hope you will enjoy paddling in Go Anna 2 and sharing memorable times with teammates.

We are a group of people with a wide range of physical capabilities who have come together to improve physical and emotional fitness and make a contribution to a healthy team spirit. We also enjoy the challenge of competing in some regattas during each season. Club membership is an annual rolling membership starting on the date you join. However, our paddling season on the Hopkins River is dependent on the weather and ideally runs from September to May, for more information on our paddling times and dates see the events calendar below.

Safety Procedures

Wear suitable footwear in a dragon boat – no thongs or bare feet.
Let the coach know of any health issues you might have that could affect your ability to paddle.
Let the coach know of any past or current injuries that might affect your ability to paddle.
If you suddenly feel unwell during a training session let those around you know immediately so they can inform the coach and sweep. The club routinely practises for such events.
If paddlers cannot keep going during the training session for any reason, they are advised to place the paddle across their knee and sit leaning forward slightly.
There is always a warm-up session prior to getting into the dragon boat, and a warm down session when back on land.

The Buddy System

Once in the boat make sure you know the name of the person you are sitting next to. Even if you know them well – say their name.
The sweep will call for the crew to number off. Starting with the drummer (1), left stroke (2), right stroke (3) etc. Lastly the sweep will call the final number loudly. The left stroke will repeat that number loudly in return. The whole crew then knows how many are on the boat. This is important information in the event of a capsize.
Safety drills routinely practised throughout the season.

Useful Information

Our dragon boat season runs from September to May every year.
It is understood that club members have some form of exercise during the season as well as the off-season.
Throughout the year there is an exercise walk (weather permitting) of about an hour’s duration. Members meet at Simon’s lower car park at 4pm every Sunday.
During winter we meet for a coffee and exercise walk for approximately an hour every Saturday at 9am.
Membership is an annual rolling membership, which starts on the date you join
The fee has two components: one set by Dragon Boats Victoria (DBV), and the other set by the South C Dragons (SCD) committee of management (CoM).
General meetings are held approximately once a month, including throughout the off-season.
Equipment such as a personal floatation device (PFD) and a paddle are made available for every member’s use. However, all equipment remains the property of the South C Dragons Club.
Members are responsible for keeping the equipment in good order. Please notify someone on the CoM of any changes to the equipment.
Dragon boating is a water sport – you will get wet so always bring a towel and a change of clothes with you.
A paddling session is always followed by warm-down exercises and morning tea.