Gear and Equipment
What to Bring to Practice
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A water bottle with a lid (the bottom of the boat is not clean, so make sure you have a bottle where the mouthpiece is covered)
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Sunscreen and bugspray
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A change of clothes or towel for your drive home
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What to Wear When Paddling
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You will get wet. Wear clothing that will not absorb moisture (not cotton or denim).
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A hat and sunglasses - the kind you wouldn't mind losing in the water (or you can use those rad strings to keep them from falling out of the boat)
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Supportive footwear that can get wet like water shoes or sport sandals (see recommendations below)
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Weather clothing like a rain jacket, toque, etc as needed
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Paddling gloves (optional)
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Life jacket (use your own or use the club jackets)
Gear Recommendations
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Paddles
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This one from Amazon is a great option for a low cost, lightweight paddle.
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Ready to upgrade? Check out this one from Typhoon8 or this one from Burnwater for a high quality, lightweight and durable paddle.
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PFDs
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There is a vendor at the Lethbridge Dragon Boat Festival that sells these PFDs, which are popular among dragon boaters.
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Here's another great option.
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Gloves
Any gloves with grippy palms will do. Gardening gloves like these are a great budget option. For paddling-specific gloves, check out these options:
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Shoes
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Our favourite shoes are any sport sandals by Keen - they are perfect for paddling.
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A more budget friendly option is water shoes or aqua socks like these. If you choose to use water shoes, make sure you fully dry them after every practice - the water in the reservoir does not smell good.
Accessories
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A seatpad is useful for practice - your behind will thank you.
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If you have to bring your phone with you, use a waterproof pouch.