Aoraki Dragon Boat
Association (Inc)
Christchurch, NZ

Early Intro Program

Aoraki Dragons can offer groups an introductory session in the Sport.

For example, we have been running the "Windsor School Dragon Boat Experience" since mid December 2008 and again in Feb/March 09. Groups such as Girl Guides are also interested in gaining an appreciation of this very accesible (but rewarding) sport. Aoraki has also run special intro sessions for High Schools.

Schedule

A session is typically about 2 hours long, with two groups each session, and around 14 children in each group/boat.

• The school shall provide at least 3 adults per boat (in addition to Aoraki's sweep plus instructor).
• Session includes:
  • introduction and background,
    
  • safety talk,
  • paddling techniques and strokes (stable, attention, paddles ready, stroke, back-paddle, draw etc)
  • dry-land practice of the skills and drills (maybe in the old boats),
  • moving (new Champion) boats to the ramp,
  • put skills and strokes into practice,
  • time on water (to refine techniques and timing) and
  • one or two races.
    
• If the session has a morning and afternoon, we recommend that you provides a BBQ or picnic lunch (and if you include the sweeps, we would be grateful).
• Children must be able to swim at least 50m with confidence.
• We recommend the children wear a PFD or life jacket (which the school is to provide) – we can provide 4 or 5 adult PFDs.

Pricing

Aoraki Dragons relies on the generosity of paddlers and sweeps to give up their valuable time (we all have Day-jobs), and we also need to cover the costs of maintaining our beautiful boats.

The fee is $8.50 per child/student in the boat for the 2-hour session.  Thus for a class of 28 kids in two boats (with 2 sweeps and 2 to 4 Aoraki volunteers), the fee will be $238 incl GST.

To enquire, email aoraki.dragons@gmail.com or call Noel on 351 2336 (after hours) or 358 1633.

To enquire, email aoraki.dragons@gmail.com or call Noel on 351 2336 (after hours) or 358 1633.

Safety first...

All teams will have a briefing on our safety protocol (esp 5.10 to 5.20) as well as techniques and skills.

Supervised training

All Adult and High School teams train from Aoraki's base in Owles Terrace, New Brighton. Two of the old boats are still in the Compound, but 2 have ‘gone south’ - one is now based in the Ashburton Rowing Club sheds at Lake Hood, and another has gone to Dunedin to live. 

Teams use the new Champion Dragon Boats in the shed (except that the two new Champions stored outside belong to Tu Meke and Abreast of Life.

Bear in mind that we may need to fit groups in around our athletes' preparation time. The normal season's training sessions start after Labour Weekend with about six weeks before our "Ice Breaker Regatta" (first weekend of December) and another two weeks training before the Christmas. Training resumes a week into the new year, allowing another nine weeks training before the South Island Champs and another two before the Nationals (end of March).