The Marina Bay waterfront is now home to the first community club here offering water and adventure sports.

The new "specialist CC", PAssion WaVe @ Marina Bay, was officially opened yesterday by Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean at a launch event attended by more than 2,000 people.

Located at Rhu Cross by the Benjamin Sheares Bridge, the community club will offer water- based activities such as kayaking, pedal boating and bell boating, alongside niche lifestyle classes such as urban gardening and coffee appreciation, and CC staples such as zumba and line dancing.

More than 20,000 people a year are expected to benefit from the new community club, which aims to serve residents in the Mountbatten and Jalan Besar constituencies.

It is the eighth of the People's Association's Water-Venture outlets offering water-based activities islandwide. Plans are under way to upgrade the other outlets to specialist CCs that offer land- based activities as well by the end of next year, starting with East Coast and Pasir Ris.

The 3,757 sq m community club broke ground in 2012. It has a Building and Construction Authority Green Mark Platinum Award for its sustainable design and low environmental impact.

Said DPM Teo, who first mooted the idea for the community club in 2007: "I like the whole idea of making use of themed community spaces, particularly for water. The community can make very good use of the water resources we have.

"I hope we have more themed activity centres where residents who share the same interests can come together."

People's Association chief executive director Ang Hak Seng said that while existing Water-Venture outlets tend to draw young people, the new community club is also pitched at senior citizens and the disabled.

For instance, Water-Venture members aged 55 and above can rent a pedal boat for just $2 an hour. The community club will also have boats for those with disabilities.

Kolam Ayer resident Madeline Lee welcomed the focus on water sports at the new community club.

Said the 50-year-old secretary, who has been passionate about kayaking for the past 20 years: "It is more convenient for me to come here by bus than go to Changi."

Retired clerk Lye Ah Soo, 70, who lives in Woodlands but often walks along the Kallang Basin and Marina Bay area with his wife, said it was good that the waterfront will now be more vibrant, and also expressed interest in the pedal boats.

He said in Mandarin: "I have always thought boats are very dangerous, but these look okay. I will see if I can go sign up at the CC."