First of all, welcome to rowing! We are very excited that you have decided to participate in this amazing sport. Rowing is really a sport for all from young to old. You can row just for fun and fitness or to try for an Olympic gold medal. There is something for everyone!
Most brand new rowers are surprised by how much there is to learn. It looks so easy when the Olympians are racing down the waterway. Of course they have had almost uncountable numbers of hours to make it look that easy. However, we will do our best to break down all parts of the rowing stroke for you and in no time you’ll be rowing and having fun. You have the advantage of learning to row in a coastal rowing boat which is much more stable than those racing shells. As a result, you can focus on your technique without worrying that you might fall in.
To help you get started, here are some resources for you. A lot are similar to those we have posted for the “Novices” (your next step after learning to row), but they are worth repeating. Especially on the safety front. It is our number one priority to make sure you are safe while you are learning.
Safety
The essential place to start is with Transport Canada’s regulations. The links to the Transport Canada guides are available on the OARCA Knowledge page. The basic safety equipment requirements for when a “rowing shell is not attended by a safety craft” are as follows:
- a personal flotation device or life jacket of an appropriate size for each person on board;
- a sound-signalling device; and
- a watertight flashlight, if the [rowing shell] is operated after sunset or before sunrise or in periods of restricted visibility.
Although we hope it never happens, if you have to self-rescue it is good to know what to do. Have a look at videos from the OARCA practice pool session to see how to get back into a solo and a double.
Check out the OARCA Speaker Series workshop on Cold Water. Very important when rowing in our cold, coastal waters.
OARCA’s various safety policies (e.g. Emergency Action Plan, and Safe Sport Policy) are all available on the OARCA Documents page. All are very important so be sure to read through the various documents.
Terminology and Commands
Rowing Canada Aviron has put out two resource documents for Learn to Row participants. These documents have a lot of good information in them although they neglect to mention a very important aspect – have fun! You can access the RCA documents at the following links:
Videos showing various aspects of the rowing stroke
The links below are to some videos that demonstrate various parts of the rowing stroke. There are LOTS of videos available, so these are just some to get you started. If you have any questions after watching the videos, please ask your coach for more details. When you are starting is the best time to learn the proper technique. A proper stroke is not only a more efficient rowing stroke but will also minimize injury. The videos are all focused on flat water rowing, but at the basic level, it is the same.
The Grip – British Rowing has a nice video demonstrating the sculling grip.
The Essential Stroke – This World Rowing video has a graphic demonstration of all parts of the rowing stroke.
Sculling Basics – USRowing’s video on sculling basics is a bit long (14:55) but has lots of good information.
How to take a perfect stroke? – World Rowing interviews a few athletes and coaches and you can see some great rowing clips too.
Coastal Fun
An introduction to coastal rowing – I include this video because the rower is rowing a Swift solo. Pretty scenery too.
World Rowing’s introduction to coastal rowing – A 60 page overview of all aspects of coastal rowing. A handy resource.
World Rowing Coastal Championships – This video contains lots of clips from the WRCC held in 2018 at Tulista at Sidney. If you look closely, you might even see one of OARCA’s Board members in a coastal quad.