Dragon Boaters Seek Approval For Night Training

Dragon boat enthusiasts are hoping to convince the authorities that night paddling is safe and will help the sport grow here.

They met officials of the Singapore Dragon Boat Association (SDBA) on Saturday to present their ideas on how night paddling can be made safer, in response to a reminder on the rule banning the sport after 7 pm.

The rule has been in place for some time, but national water agency PUB, which oversees all waterways, sent out a reminder last month to the association for all its members to continue observing the rule in Marina Reservoir, formerly known as Kallang Basin.

The reminder also came in the wake of the Nov 23rd accident in Cambodia, in which five Singapore paddlers died.

Most dragon boaters, although unhappy, have been complying with the rule, but The Straits Times understands that it has not been strictly followed, especially by teams which have their own boats.

Those who spoke to this newspaper said two to three teams are out on Marina Reservoir on any given weekday night. They do not stop at 7 pm, but are usually done by 8.30 pm.

Teams without their own boats rent them from the SDBA near the National Stadium. The association's opening hours, from 10 am to 6 pm, mean that these teams have to return the boats before dusk anyway.

Of the 120 teams affiliated with the SDBA, only 15 have their own boats. These include teams from the National University of Singapore, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, AustCham Singapore and Singapore Paddle Club.

Members of eight teams who were interviewed said they often begin training at dusk, as it is the best time for people with day jobs, and also because restricting training to weekends is insufficient for a team competing at national or international levels.

Teams with busy competition schedules said the ruling has affected them.

Mr Clement Ong of the Canadian Dragons said getting in three practices a week was ideal, with days off in between for rest.

'Clocking more hours on the water during the day on weekends doesn't make up for the shortfall. It might, in fact, be counterproductive,' he said.

The sports officer of NUS' Sports and Recreation Centre, Mr Sean Tan, pointed out that Marina Reservoir was very congested over the weekends, so putting in the time on weekdays was better.

But the PUB believes that the 7 pm rule would allow the public to enjoy the sport without compromising safety, and that poor visibility after dark makes it unsafe.

The dragon boating community, however, is convinced the sport is safe if rules are followed.

Mr Christophe Inglin, a paddler of 11 years, said: 'It's very safe with our life vests on - much safer than for a swimmer who may get a cramp in the water at night.'

While some team leaders admit to not being sticky about safety, others impose rules on themselves. Mr Tharin Walker, a member of the American team, said that besides wearing life vests, his team lights up a powerful lamp at the boat's bow and the steerer at the back has one strapped on his forehead.

All teams said they would work with the SDBA to comply with safety measures.

The SDBA has been looking into ways to make night training possible. In talks with PUB last year, the setting up of floodlights on the water was mooted.

But SDBA executive secretary Lim Wee Kok said the cost of this was 'hard to justify', with the association being non-profit and short on funds. The other factor was the association's imminent move to the new Water Sports Hub within a few years, he added.

PUB's director of catchments and waterways, Mr Tan Nguan Sen, said it would keep up its meetings with groups such as SDBA and the Singapore Canoe Federation to review water activities and safety, and patrol the waterways where water sports take place.

So far, no team has been fined or barred for training at night.