Pōneke Watersports is the largest dragon boat club in the Wellington region, training and launching from Whairepo Lagoon in Wellington City. The club was first set up as Valley Dragon Boat Club, registered in August 2009, and first fielded teams for the 2011 season. It took its current name in 2022 to reflect its members and its Wellington base. The club runs several teams, from competitive to social, and five of them paddle at the Wellington Dragon Boat Festival each year. The club says its members have paddled as far afield as Sydney and Bali, and some travel for regattas and national events.
Training runs all year round, with the official Wellington season from late December to mid-March and some events in the cooler months. Open days at the start of each season let new paddlers try dragon boating, and the club says anyone can join, across all ages and experience levels. Paddlers wear life jackets, which are compulsory, and the club uses both carbon fibre and wooden paddles. Fees are set at the start of each season. Enquiries can be sent to ponekewatersports@gmail.com.