Team Information - 2026/27 Season
This page contains important information for team members about the current training and competing season. A downloadable version of the content is available at the bottom of the page.
Training
The summer training season generally runs from October until the end of March or early April.
We meet three times per week at Lake Rua on Wednesday evening and Sunday Morning and Kaiapo River on Monday evening.
This season we plan to use the Sunday morning session at Lake Rua to accommodate new paddlers wanting to try dragon boating, dedicated technique training with everyone being welcome to bring guests along to give it a go. The Monday and Wednesday evening sessions will be our main training sessions, reserved for club members. New members joining with less paddling experience (particularly when joining later in the season) may be asked to get up to speed on the Sunday sessions before joining the main Monday and Wednesday sessions.
We are generally out on the water for an hour to an hour and a half, this can vary for a number of reasons. Training is subject to weather conditions and paddler/sweep/coach availabilty. A message will be sent out via the facebook messenger group to give as much notice as possible should we need to cancel.
Members will be asked to confirm attendance before each session and are asked to contact the Team Manager privately if they cannot attend.
Expectations
We arrive at the boat compound around 6.15pm for evening sessions and 8.45am on Sunday morning sessions.
Everyone is expected to help get the boat in and out of the water, the boats are heavy and many hands make light work. With this in mind, please wear suitable footwear such as trainers (you're happy to get wet) boat shoes or crocs.
Please keep chatter on the boat and during briefings to a minimum. While it's great to catch up, save conversations for when we're off the water. During training, only the coach, caller, sweep, or captain should be giving instructions. Respect the team, everyone’s time, effort, and commitment. We’re all in this together.
Regattas
Seats on the boat for regattas are limited and must be assigned in line with male and female ratio rules set by the NZDBA.
Seat allocation will be managed in line with the Northern Phoenix Training Policy (which can be found in the Resources area on our website).
Paddlers aged under 18 will not be allowed to participate in more than four races in any day.
Below you will find a list of local regattas for the 2025/26 season:
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Splash 'n' Dash - Sunday Oct 18th - Kerrs Reach
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Aoraki Open - Sunday November 29th - Lake Rua
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Ōtepoti 10s Festival (Steamer Basin) - Sunday January 24th - Dunedin
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Around the Bend - Sunday February 21st - Lake Rua
Out of Town Regattas
South Island Championships
March 13th - Lake Ruataniwha, Twizel
Nationals
April 2nd and 3rd - Lake Ruataniwha, Twizel
Accommodation has been booked for both events, some financial contributions may be required depending on success of fundraising and grant applications. Attendees should expect to contribute a minimum of $50 per night for accommodation costs.
In previous years, we’ve had a great time staying together as a team, but you’re welcome to arrange your own elsewhere if preferred.
Wellington Dragon Boat Festival
Feb 28th and 29th
Attendance yet to be confirmed.
Training Gear List
We have paddles and lifejackets available to use for training.
New paddlers may be asked to use Aoraki provided equipment until they attend their first regatta, at that point they will be assigned their own Northern Phoenix equipment.
What to Wear While Paddling:
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Quick-drying fabrics (polyester, nylon)
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Moisture-wicking base layers (e.g., merino wool)
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No denim or trackies, please wear either shorts or leggings (thermals welcome under shorts and tshirts)
Regatta Gear List
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Race shirt (equipment officer provides these)
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Black shorts or leggings
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Sunblock, sunglasses, and sun hat
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Warm layer for between races (hoodie, coat, or blanket)
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Thermals in case it turns cold
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Boat shoes or Crocs (not jandals)
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Chair or blanket to sit on
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Towel
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Drinking Water (fruit and additional water will be provided)
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Packed lunch and energy snacks
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Cutlery and serviettes
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Cash for food/drinks
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Dry clothes to wear home
Membership Fees
Adult membership fees are $250 per year, with a year running from 1 September to 31 August.
Junior (under 18 years old on 1 September) fees are $125 per year.
Membership fees cover the use of equipment (including boats that we hire from Aoraki Dragons), regatta entry fees and other associated club running costs. Additional fees may occur for some activity including travel accommodation for out of town regattas.
Payment plans are available on request, please speak to the club's Treasurer if you'd like to arrange this. Fundraising activity is arranged during the year to help you cover your fees and other club running costs.
Communication
We use Facebook Messenger for internal team communication, the Team Manager will add you once you become a member. We also maintain public social media platforms.
When posting on any of these platforms, please remember you are representing the club. All posts must comply with our Communications Policy. Content that breaches this may be removed.
Fundraising
We conduct fundraising activity to help with club running costs, including those associated with out of town regattas. We occasionally run fundraising events to enable members an opportunity to raise funds towards their own membership fees.
We aim to provide plenty of notice of fundraising activity, and we will tell you what the fundraising money will be used for.
Fundraising is an important team activity and we ask everybody to be involved as much as they can be.
Feedback & Complaints
Feedback is always welcome, you can speak to a member of the committee at anytime, contact us through the website or send an email to northernphoenixdragonboating@gmail.com.
Complaints should be raised to a committee member who will guide you through the complaints process.
Policies
Northern Phoenix has a set of its own policies, and follows those set out by the New Zealand Dragon Boat Associated (NZDBA). All of these can be navigated from here.
We recommend you review the following key NZDBA policies:
Code of Conduct
Rules of Racing
Lifejacket (PFD) Requirements
All paddlers must wear a Personal Flotation Device (PFD) on the water. PFDs are provided by the club. If you prefer to use your own, please ensure it meets NZDBA standards and that you're aware of your responsibilities under the policy
Anti-Doping Policy
NZDBA adheres to the World Anti-Doping Code.
If you're taking any substances (including medication), check whether they are permitted. Some medications require pre-approved exemptions, especially for national or international regattas.
Download the Team Information pack here