Dragon Boat

The ORCC offers dragon boat training / practices to both ORCC members and external groups ranging from corporate groups to teams entered in the Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival. Dragon boat training runs from mid-May through to early October. See below for more information on what the ORCC offers.

Why Book at the ORCC?

External Groups

A great option for previously established Dragon Boat teams looking to rent a dragon boat for use at the ORCC. Groups have the option of bringing their own coach/cox or have an ORCC coach lead the practice.

This is also a great activity for sport teams, community organizations, corporate events and really any other group that wants to have fun evening on the beautiful Ottawa River!

See below for further booking details.

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Booking Times Available

  • A standard practice is 1 hour on the water
  • Bookings can occur from Dawn to Dusk during May, June, September, and October
  • Times will be more limited in July & August (early mornings, evenings, weekends)

Booking Fees

Without Coach

  • $135 + HST / Per Hour

With Coach

  • $135 + Coach Rate + HST / Per Hour

Coach Rates

Junior Coach: $35 / Per Hour

Intermediate Coach: $40 / Per Hour

Senior Coach: $45 / Per Hour

Safety Requirement

  • If you do not have a certified coach, you must hire an ORCC coach
  • If you do not plan on hiring a coach/cox, your cox must be certified at minimum as a community coach by the NCCP or a coach by Dragon Boat Canada.
  • Crews with their own cox who have not coxed at the ORCC before must receieve a brief orientation by ORCC staff to be informed of where the hidden rocks are to mitigate damage to the boats.

Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival Team Info

Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival (ODBF) fees include two coached dragon boat practices. Crews choosing to have their included ODBF practices at the ORCC will be provided with one hour practices with a senior ORCC coach.

  • To book, please click HERE or the schedule button below and ensure you select a time from the ODBF labelled schedule type
  • If you wish to book more practices beyond the two included sessions, please select a time from the "External Dragon Boat Rental" which can be found on by click the button at the bottom of this page or by click HERE.
  • Please ensure you also have an account made on our main website (this website) by clicking HERE or the profile button on the top right of the page

Info for Community Groups (Scouts, Guides, Faith Groups, 4H, etc)

Looking for a fun affordable activity to do as a group? Consider coming down to the ORCC to learn how to dragonboat (DB)!

When you book a session at the ORCC, let us know what you hope to get out of the session. Below are some examples of what is done during a community group dragon boat session:

  • Instruction on how to select the proper paddle (sizing)
  • Key DB strokes (forward, backward, draw, and pry strokes)
  • DB games & drills
  • Younger groups often like to paddle to Sheila McKee beach 750M from the club and have a snack and maybe go for a swim
  • We can also run a DB booking like any other practice (varying intensity level depending on age)

Note for Scouts Canada Groups: A DB rental will not cover the OAS Paddling Skills requirements (aside from a few Beaver level requirements). If you would like to work through the OAS requirements, please contact recreation@orcc.ca to schedule a group booking which has a per person fee of $30.0.

Booking Instructions

To book a session at the ORCC please click the scheduling button below. This will bring you to a 3rd-party website where you can select the type of booking you are making (general external group, internal group, ODBF team) and the day/time you would like to schedule the booking.

Please also make sure you have an account made on our main website by clicking HERE or the profile icon on the top right of this page.

Payment:

Booking types requiring payment will allow you to make the payment on our 3rd-party platform (Acuity Scheduling). You will also have the option of paying later. If you select this method, please send the e-transfer to treasurer@orcc.ca. Please ensure you have selected all the encessary add-ons such as what level of coach you are requesting (if applicable).