Are you exhausted from all the politics? Tired of how nothing gets done in Washington? We have just what you need! Come to the High Five Spring Training Camp where people on the left and the right work together to accomplish great things!

Renowned Coach, Bob McNamara, returns to Tampa to help bring your skill level up whether you are a beginner or world class paddler. Bob brings his over 30-year experience in the sport to every individual attending.

At this very prestigious camp, participants spend quality time on the water with Coach McNamara, who makes sure each paddler gets the individual time needed to make your 2017 paddling season a success! 

If you are a paddler aspiring to one day make the national team, now is your chance to demonstrate and improve on your abilities in this critical World Championship year!

Five Questions asks SACA Dragon Boat Club Organizer, Kitt Noythanongsay:​

What makes a dragon boat club successful? For my club, we carry a family spirit with us. Being friendly and welcoming to new people, being supportive to each other makes us unique. People in our club are willing to step out of the ordinary boundaries to help each other out, even outside of dragon boating. For example, the son of one of our club members is seriously ill and we take the time to visit. When our practices are over, the socializing keeps going to the point where paddlers need to be asked to leave!

How do you attract new members?  Word of mouth is important. We use Meetup to get new paddlers twice each month. We have created a program for new people, kind of like a mentoring program. For our group, we attend different local arts and cultural festivals and fairs, and spread the word that way. At some of these events, we have a booth to promote ourselves, because the cultural nature of our club lends itself to those kinds of events.

What makes your club different among the many other local dragon boat clubs and how do you make this difference work to your advantage?  While other local clubs focus on “on-water” activity, we don’t see ourselves as just an on-water group. Our club’s mission as a non-profit group is to raise awareness about ourselves as participants in the sport of dragon boating and doing good works in the community.

By participating in local community events, we make ourselves visible in the City of Tampa. Our next event is on December 10. We’ll have practice in the morning, and then that night we attend the event.

What is your most memorable dragon boat experience, and why?  I think my most memorable experience in dragon boat is the second time I got on a boat. I realized how important teamwork is, that without mutual support, we wouldn’t have a team at all. And along with that comes the camaraderie. The first time I went out was one of being observant and soaking in what the activity is about. On top of that I overexerted myself, so I didn’t have a chance to think. The second time out, I had a better chance to understand more about what the sport was about.

What are your plans for 2017?  The biggest plan for next year includes a trip to participate in a race in Taiwan. We plan to become a stronger team both in terms of spirit and paddling capability. We also plan to keep growing as a club.​

You can use a demo Burnwater carbon fiber paddle at our next dragon boat event and experience high quality paddles engineered for the best performance on the water. Feel the difference. All models incorporate a one-piece design methodology and a coveted blade design. Sizes available on a first-come-first-served basis.

Adults                             $40*
College or Youth             $20*
*Demo fee applies to purchase.

Click here to find out more information about Burnwater paddles and other merchandise.