Dragonboat Blog | The Dragonboating Resource

dragonboat talk for dragonboaters.

The Bracsa Sport dragonboat paddle is very similar to the Chinook paddle, with one slight difference – it has a moulded wooden handle (or palm grip). I found that to be quite strange, as they say it’s a complete carbon fibre paddle, but in fact they have a wooden component – the handle. I personally feel that wooden is not as strong and with continuous wear and tear it would not last as long as a carbon fibre handle. Only pro with a wooden handle is it’s a softer material which can be better to hold over longer distances, but the added extra weight is not worth it.

The whole paddle is constructed in three pieces, with a round carbon fibre shaft holding the blade and handle together. At the weight of 490g or 17oz, it’s a mid-range paddle and priced at $295 US, it’s a bit pricey for a carbon fibre / wooden paddle.

I would look at the other paddles on the market first before considering this one.

You can see other reviews in our paddles review section

I was reading about some interesting dragonboat articles and saw this event called DragonTug that happens in Singapore. It’s a dragonboat regatta with a twist. Rather than race in lanes of say 5-6 dragonboats, you have two teams head to head in a 12 crew boat.

How it works:
At push-off, the sprint begins. Where both teams are evenly matched, both reach within approximately 4 metres of the Victory Flag, restrained by the tough cable that links both boats. Then the ultimate tug of war begins and the winning boat tugs ahead and claims the Victory Flag.

Where is it held:
One Fullerton, Singapore River

How to become the Ultimate DragonTug Champion:
1. Aces the Round Robin
2. Survives the knockout
3. Wins the semifinals
4. Tugs to victory in the Grand Finals

An event well worth attending and to be part of. I would love to see this happen at Darling Harbour Sydney one day!

Simon River Sports (SRS) is a Canadian based company offering a range of canoe, kayak and dragonboat paddles, which shows this company knows what they are doing. Though their dragonboat paddle range is limited they offer a mid-range paddle, great for beginners. This is the SRS Elite 1 Carbon, and it is a well finished solid dragonboat paddle. This paddle is constructed in 3 pieces and after testing this paddle in a competitive situation I like how it enters the water without plonking as the blade edge has been sharpened. Additionally instead of having a flat face blade, they have added a little convex onto the blade face which gives more traction in the water. Many paddlers have argued that this provides less resistance and the “feels” not as effective. I will leave that up to a paddler to decide.

The SRS Elite 1 Carbon has a round shaft as opposed to an elliptical shaft which I have mentioned that I don’t like the feel of, leading to less grip coverage and comfort. Also I noticed that the handle is hollow and if water does get in during a race it can weigh the paddle down. Normally this paddle weighs around 450g-510g or 16oz-18oz depending on the length you choose. In comparison to other carbon fibre paddles in the market, it is considered to be a mid-range carbon fibre paddle.

The verdict: I do like how the blade is well finished, but the shaft and handle need some rethinking. Particularly the handle, as it’s hollow water can flood it and makes this paddle awfully heavy.

You can see other reviews in our paddles review section

Between the 31st July to 3rd August 2008, the Club Crew World Championships and Asian Dragonboat Championships were held at Teluk Bahang Dam, Penang Malaysia.

The 2008 CCWC consisted of the following Competition Classes:

Open
(Premier, Junior U18, Senior O40, Grand Dragons 050) – 200m, 500m and 2000m.

Women
(Premier) – over 200m, 500m and 2000m

(Junior U18, Senior O40, Grand Dragons 050) – 200m, 500m.

Mixed
(Premier, Junior, Senior O40, Grand Dragons 050) – 200m, 500m and 2000m.

The 2008 ADBC consisted of the following Competition Classes:

Open
Standard Boat (22 crew) over 200m, 500m and 1000m.

Small Boat (12 crew) over 200m and 500m

Women
Standard Boat (22 crew) over 200m, 500m and 1000m.

Small Boat (12 crew) over 200m and 500m

Mixed
Standard Boat (22 crew) over 200m, 500m and 1000m.

Small Boat (12 crew) over 200m and 500m

There were a good solid 4 days of racing from crews from around the world. Below is a breakdown of the results from each event.

Day 1 – Results
Day 2 – Results
Day 3 – Results
Day 4 – Results

The Merlin CD2 once again is easily identified by it’s distinct fork displayed on the blade. This time it not only stands out, but it is actually lighter than most carbon fibre paddles weighing at 400g or 14oz. Merlin is known to be the innovator of technology, as they have shown in their “Excalibur” paddle. You can read more here.

At first when I tested this blade, I felt it was light with little strain on the shoulder. Though after being accustomed to the elliptical shaft design, I felt it wasn’t as comfortable to use for a longer period of time. Additionally the handle is slightly smaller compared to a Burnwater and Apex carbon paddle, and can cause blisters for a person with average size hands.

I have to admit, at first I didn’t take a liking to this paddle because I had seen some manufacturing and teething issues – shaft and handle breakages. Furthermore the external paddle finish was not complete showing unpainted areas of the fork and inconsistent clear lacquer. This was from version 1 and Merlin has since address these issues, shifting their manufacturing from Malaysia to China. Sometimes it does take the new version (CD2) to be released to have these issues fixed. Since then I have not heard many more problems except for more advancements, and Merlin plans to soon release the next lightest paddle in Dragonboating. At the price of $197AU, it is considered to be the cheapest and lightest dragonboat carbon fibre paddle available.

You can see other reviews in our paddles review section

The Grey Owl “Jet” certainly does not live up to it’s name. I’ve tried this dragonboat paddle and also read reviews and mostly say the same thing. This paddle is too heavy to use and has lots of handle breakage problems. I personally didn’t like the feel of the paddle because it was so stiff, applying too much force causes my shoulder to pop out of place.

Unfortunately Grew Owl has used too much material in the paddle hoping that it will make it stronger, but in fact it is poorly laminated and has added extra weight. The paddle weighs on average 560grams or 20oz, which is heavier than most carbon fibre paddles out there. It is more comparable to a fibre glass paddle than a carbon fibre as the feel and the weight really stand out.

Overall, I would consider the other paddles that are lighter and around the same price if I were to purchase a dragonboat carbon fibre paddle.

Grey Owl Jet Carbon Fibre Paddle

You can see other reviews in our paddles review section