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Three coaches, one obsession

Kit and Will met as university mates and started racing competitively over ten years ago. Jean spent years as a rival on the start line before joining them. DBX is what happened when the three of them decided London deserved better dragon boat coaching.

Meet the coaches Enquire
Years of combined coaching experience
20+
Two coaches have raced for Great Britain
GB
Qualified to the highest BDA coaching level
L3
London venues, all on the DLR
3

What we are for

Making dragon boating something anyone can start

Dragon boating looks intimidating from the bank. Twenty people, a drum, a boat that only moves if everyone gets it right. In practice it is one of the most welcoming sports there is, because size, strength and experience matter far less than timing, and nobody can hide or carry the boat alone.

We built DBX to make that first session easy to say yes to, and to make sure the ones who want to go further have somewhere to go. That runs from a school PE afternoon through to Team GB junior trials, and it is why we deliver the BDA coach and helm courses ourselves rather than waiting for someone else to.

The three coaches behind DBX

Between them: two decades of coaching, two Great Britain paddlers, and every BDA qualification up to Level 3.

  • Coach Kit

    Coach Kit

    Co-founder

    Eleven years in the sport and a Level 3 coach, the highest BDA coaching qualification. 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 squad
    • Satey 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 usually the one getting nervous first-timers to find their confidence and their rhythm.

    • Certified helm
    • Level 1 Coach
    • Event delivery
  • 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
    • Satey boat operator

What we care about

Three things shape how we run a session, whether it is a Scout group on their first morning or a squad chasing a qualifying time.

  • Collaboration

    The boat is the point. Nobody wins a race on their own, and a session that leaves one person sitting out has failed regardless of the times on the clock.

  • Challenge

    We do not water things down. Beginners get real technique from the first session, and paddlers who want to be pushed get pushed properly.

  • Celebration

    Every session ends with a race. Badges, qualifications, personal bests and a finish line people actually cross, because progress you can feel is what brings people back.

  • Open to everyone

    Timing and unity beat size and strength in this sport, which makes it genuinely inclusive. We keep it that way on purpose.

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Who we work with

We came up through the London dragon boat community

DBX did not start from nothing. Our coaches came up through Windy Pandas, a charity dragon boat crew that still races every season, and we work alongside the clubs, centres and the national body that keep the sport running in London.

  • British Dragon Boat Association, the national governing body
  • Windy Pandas, our charity crew, still racing every season
  • Docklands Scout Project Watersports Centre
  • Royal Docks Watersports Centre
Talk to us

Where we run sessions

Every session takes place 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

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

    DLR Prince Regent, Royal Albert - Elizabeth line Custom House

  • Docklands Sailing Watersports Centre

    Canary Wharf - London

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

    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

Come and try it

Tell us who you are bringing and roughly when. We reply to every enquiry within 24 hours.

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