Successful Safety Session Held at Old Orchard Beach

What an invigorating morning it was at Old Orchard Beach on September 21st! With calm waters and no wind, 23 of our paddlers gathered to take part in our fall safety session—a vital part of keeping our team safe, strong, and prepared for anything.

Team safety is our top priority, and this session gave us a chance to practice essential drills while bonding over a shared experience of teamwork and resilience.

A huge thanks to Donna for organizing this successful session—your dedication keeps us all afloat! Special shoutout to Denise and Neil, who were our brave rescuers, ensuring everyone was safely back in the coach boat. Speaking of brave souls, let's not forget Linda, who deserves a medal for spending nearly the entire session in the water, flipping the boat and getting us all back on track.

Our boat was tipped and righted multiple times, led by the skilled hands of Ian and Rob V.

While safety is serious, the energy was high, there was loads of laughter, and spirits were even higher. Every flip, rescue, and recovery brought us closer as a team, reinforcing the importance of trust, communication, and quick thinking on the water.

Thank you again to everyone who participated and made the morning a success. As we head into the fall, let’s carry these lessons with us and continue paddling with confidence. Nothin' Dragon is more than just a team—we’re a family that looks out for one another, on and off the water.

Stay safe, stay strong, and paddle on!

Nothin' Dragon Masters safety exercise held at Coquitlam pool

While it’s extremely rare that a dragon boat flips, and Nothin’ Dragon Masters have  never experienced a boat flip, it’s always good to be prepared in the event it does happen. 

In 2019 a boat flipped at Harrison Lake, which made most of us think, “What if that was our team?”

More common is the steers falling off the back of the boat  if there is sudden or uneven movement from the boat. We should all be prepared to know how to pull a teammate back onto the boat, the dock, and to know the basics of what to do if a dragon boat should tip over. 

Our annual safety sessions are for this purpose. Two sessions were held in 2020 at City Centre Aquatics Complex on Feb. 18  and March 6 allowing flexibility for schedules. Both were well attended. 

The March 6 evening crew about to get wet at City Centre Aquatics Complex!

A big thanks to Yvonne for providing her canoe to allow for the boat flip exercise which had two people sitting as the boat is capsized. We learned that each paddler must check that they seatmate was okay and then to link arms over the boat (grabbing wrists, not hands) until help arrives. Some also went under the overturned boat to experience the pocket of air that is available in an overturned boat. This is a safer place to be if there is lightning. 

Teammates also practiced pulling someone onto the dock, as well as how to use the throwbags. All life vests were checked for proper fit once wet and in the water, and were adjusted as needed. 

The team thanks Donna for her organization and leadership in the sessions.

The Nothin’ Dragon Masters also thanks the City of Coquitlam for allowing us to use the pool for this important exercise.  

See more photos on Facebook.