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DBX_DragonboatLion

From first paddle to Team GB

London's dragon boat coaching specialists. Youth and schools, corporate event days, club crew race preparation, charity regattas, and the BDA courses that qualify the next set of coaches.

What we do Enquire
Years coaching at national level
20+
Qualified coaches on every session
BDA
London watersports venues
3
Coaches who've raced for Great Britain
GB

Coaching first

Everything we do starts with coaching

DBX is a coaching organisation before it is anything else. Our coaches race at national level and hold BDA qualifications up to Level 3, and that is what every session draws on, whether it is twenty colleagues who have never held a paddle or a youth squad preparing for trials.

It means technique taught properly, safety run properly and honest feedback afterwards. It is also why we deliver the coach and helm courses ourselves. The sport only grows if there are more qualified people able to take a boat out.

Meet the coaches

What we do

Five ways to work with us, every one run by BDA-qualified coaches with a qualified helm on each boat and full safety cover.

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    Youth development

    Schools, and the route to Team GB

    PE enrichment days and curriculum-linked water activities for KS3 and KS4, and beyond that a structured pathway for the young paddlers who want to race. We work with the British Dragon Boat Association to get more young people on the water.

    • KS3 and KS4
    • Up to 100 students
    • Risk assessed
    • Team GB pathway
    Youth and schools
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    Scouts and Guides

    The Dragon Boat Activity Badge

    A structured session covering water safety, paddling technique and crew teamwork, built around the badge requirements. Leaders get a written summary for badge records the same week.

    • Ages 10 to 18
    • Groups of 10 to 24
    • Half or full day
    Scouts programme
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    Corporate event days

    A team day nobody sits out of

    Twenty people have to move as one or the boat goes nowhere, which is why this lands where other team days do not. Safety briefing, technique coaching and a timed race at Canary Wharf or Royal Docks, with the whole programme managed by our coaches.

    • Groups of 20 to 200
    • Half or full day
    • Everything provided
    Corporate event days
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    Club and crew training

    Take seconds off your race time

    Video stroke analysis, timed splits, crew synchronisation drills and pre-event training blocks. For club crews and corporate teams who want measurable gains before race day rather than simply more time on the water.

    • Video analysis
    • Timed splits
    • 1:1 coaching available
    Crew training
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    Coach and helm courses

    Get qualified to lead on the water

    BDA-aligned courses for anyone who wants to run dragon boat sessions themselves, for a club, a school, a watersports centre or an events programme. Basic Helm through to Level 3 performance coaching.

    • Basic Helm
    • Coach Level 2
    • Centre Coach
    • Level 3
    Get qualified
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Charity and race days

The sport gave us a lot, so we give back

Our coaches came up through Windy Pandas, a charity dragon boat crew that still races every season. We run and support charity regattas and fundraising race days across London, because the sport only grows if the knowledge is shared rather than kept.

  • Charity regattas and fundraising race days
  • Coaches, qualified helms and safety cover supplied
  • Full event management, or support alongside your own team
  • Affiliated with Windy Pandas, DSWC and Royal Docks Watersports
Talk to us about an event

The three coaches behind DBX

Kit and Will met as university mates and started racing competitively over ten years ago. Jean was a rival on the start line before joining them three years ago.

  • Coach Kit

    Coach Kit

    Co-founder

    Eleven years in the sport and a Level 3 coach. Kit has represented Great Britain in dragon boat racing and chairs the Windy Pandas charity team in London.

    • Level 3 Coach
    • Certified helm
    • Former GB Premier Squad
    • Safety boat operator
  • Coach Will

    Coach Will

    Co-founder

    Ten years paddling, helming and coaching with Windy Pandas and across festival events. Will runs team development and event delivery, and is the one who gets nervous first-timers finding their confidence and rhythm.

    • Certified helm
    • Level 1 Coach
    • Senior A GB trialist
  • Coach Jean

    Coach Jean

    Co-founder

    Fifteen years of coaching and a former member of the Great Britain squad. Jean takes a results-driven approach and works with everyone from complete beginners to high-performance paddlers.

    • Level 3 Coach
    • Certified helm
    • Former GB squad
    • Safety boat operator

No one carries the boat alone

Dragon boating is one of the rare sports where no individual can win it. Success demands that every person paddling contributes, in sync, in time, with trust in their teammates.

  • Teamwork you can feel

    No single paddler wins a race. Twenty people have to move as one, and people learn that in their bodies, not from a slide.

  • Inclusive by design

    Size, strength and prior experience matter far less than timing and unity. Everyone contributes equally. That is rare in sport.

  • A pathway with a real destination

    DBX is connected to BDA youth development and Team GB selection, so a talented paddler has a structured route from first session to national squad.

  • Recognition at every level

    Scout badges, school achievement records and BDA qualifications. Structured recognition for every level of participation.

What teachers, leaders and crews tell us

1 / 3

Our Year 9 group had never been near a boat before. Within an hour they were racing and cheering each other on. The coaches were patient, professional and brilliant with the kids.

PE Teacher London secondary school

The session was built around the badge from the start. Our leaders got a written summary the same week, which made signing off the badge simple.

Scout Leader North London district

Two training blocks and a video analysis session took four seconds off our 200m. The feedback was specific and every paddler knew what to change.

Crew Captain London corporate crew

Three venues, all on the DLR

Every session runs at a fully risk-assessed London watersports venue with qualified safety cover, changing facilities and all equipment provided.

  • Royal Docks watersports centre

    Opposite City Airport - London

    Calm, sheltered dock water. Ideal for first-time groups.

    DLR Prince Regent, Royal Albert - Elizabeth line Custom House

  • Docklands Sailing Watersports Centre

    Canary Wharf - London

    Larger open water for competitive sessions. Changing facilities on site.

    DLR Crosshoarbour or Bus Routes

  • Surrey Quays Watersports Centre

    Surrey Quays - London

    Purpose-built facility for longer sessions and multi-group school days.

    Jubilee Line - Canada Water

Ready to get on the water?

Tell us about your group and we'll put together a session that works for you. We reply to every enquiry within 24 hours.

Enquire