Dragon Boat Gear Essentials

Gear doesn’t make the paddler, but it can sure help!

Dragon boat paddlers need to leverage every resource available to deliver their best performances! This ongoing series will examine the technology and gear that DieselFish Dragon Boat Team uses to stay fit, fast and occasionally fashionable.

Alex, the Minister of Newbie Happiness, has paddled with DieselFish for seven years and blogged about dragon boat racing for almost as long. He keeps coming back year after year for “the people.” In this installment, he will stop writing in the third person perspective and talk about his favorite pieces of paddling equipment, which include an arsenal of paddles and several articles of technical sportswear.

[1] Paddles: (L-R)

● ZRE Carbon fiber: Too $hort

● Grey Owl Wood: Too heavy

● Burnwater Carbon Fiber: Ahh, just right. (I swear, the pink sticker wasn’t my idea. This paddle is a loaner.)

[2] Chinese Mom Visor: Just kidding.

[3] Nike Daybreak Visor: Keeps water, sun and sweat off my beautiful face.

[4] Stohlquist Barnacle Half-Finger Paddling Gloves: I used to think it was manly to have rough hands that were scorched by the sun, battered by the wind and drowned by the sea. I changed my mind after all the blisters and calluses I had accumulated started to affect my paddling. These gloves protect my hands from the elements and provide some extra grip.

[5] Adidas Supernova Running Jacket: Water resistant, yet breathable.

[6] Columbia Waterproof Pants: Prevents swamp crotch.

[7] Skwoosh Dragon Boat Pad: Paddling helped me lose some of the junk in my trunk, so now I need some padding down there.

[8] New Balance SM820 Water Shoes: I like wearing water shoes because they provide better protection and grip than sandals. (I’ve slipped inside the boat.) This particular model is loaded with technical features including drainage ports and mesh windows that help the shoes dry out quickly and prevent swamp foot. They slightly pinch my heels.

[9] Nike ACG Cordilleras Water Shorts: I bought four pairs of these shorts that are sadly no longer in production. They were designed for paddling, so they offer useful technical features including quick drying fabric, non-slip textures, cargo pockets and an internal lanyard for my keys.

[10] DieselFish Jersey: The DieselFish Electric Green on the sleeves stimulates the senses and also allows our supporters to spot us from the shore during races. 

Alex will provide you with free dragon boat lessons and might let you borrow some of his equipment if you email him at DFcaptains@gmail.com.