Technology

Why You Should Try Dragon Boat Paddling

Physical Fitness: Dragon boat paddling offers a comprehensive workout for the body. It can strengthen core muscles such as the thighs, waist, abdomen, back, and shoulders. In addition, this sport combines strength and endurance training to enable balanced development of muscles and cardiovascular function.

Experience Traditional Culture: Chinese culture is rich and diverse! Besides table tennis and badminton, there are many ancient and exciting sports in China, such as dragon boat paddling. These traditional sports emphasize the importance of teamwork and collective spirit, showcasing the diversity and vitality of Chinese culture to the world.

Embrace the Competitive Spirit: Dragon boat racing is not just about physical exercise, it is also about competition. The focus before the race, the explosive start, the struggle during the sprint - accompanied by sweat and loud cheers. It is about breaking through waves and experiencing the sense of teamwork. That is the fascination of dragon boat racing.

Enjoy Being in Nature: Compared to boring gym exercises, dragon boat paddling allows us to experience sunshine, wind, fresh air, and wide views during our workout. This helps us to reduce stress and become more relaxed.

Dragon boat paddling is a great way to meet new people and make friends.
It is a low-impact sport that is suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels.
Dragon boat paddling is a fun and rewarding activity that can be enjoyed by everyone.

Am I Suitable for Dragon Boat Paddling? Am I Too Fat or Too Thin? What Are the Physical Requirements?

The MainLoong Club is an open club of public interest. We welcome everyone who is interested in dragon boats and dragon boat racing. Although we hope that all members are strong and healthy, we will not exclude them based on their physical fitness. For us, physical fitness is the purpose of sports, but teamwork is equally important. Our team has people weighing from under 50 kg to over 100 kg, so everyone has their own strengths. Of course, we hope that our members will further improve their physical fitness and the strength of the whole team through dragon boat racing.

In dragon boat racing, the power-to-weight ratio is an important indicator, i.e. the power that a person can output on average per kilogram of body weight. The higher the power-to-weight ratio, the greater the balance of one’s own strength after lifting one’s own body weight, and the greater the contribution to the whole boat. So we hope to improve our power-to-weight ratio through dragon boat racing and regular training, i.e. to increase our strength while maintaining our weight, or to reduce our weight while maintaining our strength.

What happens if I Can’t Swim?

Don’t worry, not everyone on our team can swim. We provide life jackets during training and there is always a professional rescue boat on the river during races to ensure safety. For a typical dragon boat race, it is sufficient for the paddler to be able to swim (stake) 50-100 meters.

How Many People Are in a Dragon Boat and How Are the Seats Distributed?

In Germany, a dragon boat can accommodate up to 20 paddlers, a drummer and a helmsman. The distribution of the seats depends mainly on the size, experience and familiarity gained during training. First of all, it is important to note that the weight of the left and right sides of the boat must be approximately the same for the boat to be stable. In addition, the bow and stern of the boat are narrower, so the larger and heavier members usually sit in the middle of the boat and the lighter paddlers in the bow or stern to ensure that the dragon boat is not bow-heavy or stern-heavy.

The paddler in the first row at the bow of the boat has to set the rhythm for the whole group, while the drummer gives the drum beats in coordination with the paddlers in the first row.

What Are the Different Roles in a Dragon Boat?

In dragon boat racing, success can only be achieved together, and the contribution of each individual is equally important, so the position in the boat is not a symbol of rank. However, there are several key roles in a dragon boat.

Drummer: The role of the drummer is to convey the rhythm, not to dictate it. In other words, the drummer transmits the rhythm of the first row of paddlers to the entire boat via the drums. The drummer is required to have a high level of experience; he/she sits in the most precarious bow position of the entire boat and must maintain balance while the boat is moving fast or even rocking in the waves, while reproducing the rhythm of the first row with the most accurate and consistent drumming. In addition, the drummer can boost the morale of the entire team through his/her calls and is the spiritual pillar of the entire team.

First Row: The role of the first row is to set the rhythm for the entire boat, and they are usually more trained and experienced, lighter players. The entire boat follows the rhythm of the first rowers, so the left and right rowers in the first row must keep the rhythm consistent and stable. They need to know the fastest rhythm that is acceptable for the team. If it is too slow, it will affect the speed; if it is too fast, some teams will not be able to keep up and the overall rhythm will become chaotic, which will also affect the speed. Therefore, the first row bears a great responsibility and must keep a cool head even when the boat is full of hormones.

In the Middle of the Boat: The paddlers in the middle of the boat are the engine of the whole boat, and they need to be big and strong, the more horsepower the better. In order to use their strength, they need to open their full arm span so that each paddle in the water reaches the longest glide distance. This requires skill on the one hand, but also requires the team in front of them to be well stretched to make room for these strong men. The rhythm of each team member must be consistent in order for the entire team to work efficiently and for the boat to move forward harmoniously.

Steersman: Controls the direction at the stern and ensures efficient gliding of the boat. He also shouts to boost morale at critical moments, which is especially important in races with turns.

What Equipment Do I Need to Paddle a Dragon Boat?

The most important piece of equipment is the paddle, but this is available for racing and training and does not need to be purchased. Of course, many team members will customize their paddles with different materials according to their own preferences.

The shoes you wear are very important, because only if your lower body is stable can your upper body efficiently exert force. To stabilize the lower body, you need the strength of your legs and the support of shoes that should not slip when paddling. We recommend water shoes. In addition, there are a number of other equipment items to prevent skin abrasions, such as sports gloves, cushions, knee pads (to prevent friction between the legs and the hull of the boat), etc., but these vary from person to person and are not necessarily required.

I have seen paddles made of different materials, what are their properties and how should I choose?

There are three types of paddles: aluminum, wood, and titanium, which differ in weight, stiffness, and durability.

Aluminum paddles are generally the standard training paddles. Their biggest advantage is that they are stable and will not be damaged even if they collide with the edge of the boat several times, which is very suitable for beginners. The disadvantage is that the paddle is heavier, and the soft material of the paddle surface also affects the force released.
Titanium alloy paddles are the exact opposite. The biggest disadvantage is that they are not strong and are easily damaged after a collision, so they are not suitable for beginners who are not technically proficient and will often collide with each other. In addition, titanium paddles are more expensive. The advantages are the light weight (which can be a disadvantage in strong winds) and the harder material of the paddle surface, which favors the transmission of force underwater.
Wooden paddles, on the other hand, fall between aluminum and titanium paddles in terms of weight, stiffness, durability, and price.

How Far Do You Have to Paddle in a Dragon Boat Race and What to Pay Attention to for Different Race Distances?

The distance of a dragon boat race can vary, but the most common distances are 200 meters, 500 meters, and 1000 meters. There are also shorter and longer races, such as 150 meters and 2000 meters.

150 meters: Short distance, the competition is the speed of the start and the fast paddling.

250 meters: Middle distance, start, power on the track and sprint are equally important.

420 meters: Middle distance, speed and endurance. The stretching of the waist and the strong stroke on the track are especially important.

2000 meters: A battle of endurance and perseverance, where each team member must give their best.

What Are the Stages of a Dragon Boat Race?

A dragon boat race is a competitive event where teams of paddlers race each other over a set distance. The races are typically held on calm water, such as a lake or river, and the boats are propelled by the paddlers using paddles.

The stages of a dragon boat race are as follows:

1. Embarkation:

Teams arrive at the embarkation point about 15 minutes before the start.
They line up, take their paddles, and get into the boat.
They then paddle near the starting line.
This stage can be used to practice technical movements, rhythm, and warm up.
It is important to stay focused and not be influenced by the other boats.

2. Fine-tuning:

Once near the starting line, the judges will give instructions for fine-tuning, depending on the position of the participating boats.
This may involve, for example, two strokes forward in the first stroke, one stroke backward in the second stroke, and braking in the third stroke.
The first two strokes are then rowed to the starting line.
These fine-tuning adjustments are usually made by the last two rows of the team, whose members do not have to row.
At this point, the team should focus on three things: concentration, concentration, and concentration.
The referee will give the calls “Are you ready?”, “Attention!”, and “Go!” after the fine-tuning, and the time between them is sometimes very short, so you can miss them if you are a little distracted.

3. Start:

The start of a dragon boat race is very important, especially in a short-distance race of 150 or 250 meters.
The start is a key to a race, and being in the lead after the start is a big advantage.
Teams that are in the lead after the start can also race at their own pace.
Teams that fall behind after the start tend to panic because they subconsciously want to make up the ground as quickly as possible, so they often break their own rhythm and burn out early.
The start is the most critical, but also the most difficult.
On the one hand, it requires a high degree of concentration from the entire boat.
On the other hand, there is a change in speed at the start, which can lead to inconsistencies in the team’s rhythm.
That’s why the start is one of the main focuses of our training.

4. Evenness:

After the 14-paddle and 3-paddle transitions into the evenness phase, the drummer starts drumming.
What does even pace mean?
It refers to a steady pace, and does not necessarily mean a constant absolute speed.
The pace should be the fastest pace that can be maintained throughout the race, assuming that each paddle movement is in place.
If the pace is too fast (overpace), the physical ability to keep up in the second half of the race cannot be maintained, or it leads to a deformation of the movement, and the team’s rhythm is disrupted, and all the work is for nothing.
The requirement for this phase is that each team member should do the maximum stretch, similar to the first four paddles of the start, each paddle should make sure that the paddle surface is fully in the water, each paddle should make force, and at the same time pay attention to the distribution of physical fitness.

5. Sprint:

In the final phase, the drummer will call for a sprint.
This is the more painful phase, which is often supported by willpower, as the body is running out of gas.
Sprinting with ease means that the strength was held back before.
Of course, you should give it your all in this phase.
However, it should be noted that sprinting does not mean that the rhythm with the paddle has to be faster, the last phase of concentration will be with the physical ability to decline, the obvious change of pace is more likely to lead to a part of the team can not keep up, the movement is not enough to do.
The most important thing is to get the most out of every paddle in the water.