On Water Rowers

[old] Franko · Post by **[old] Franko** » October 15th, 2004, 9:21 pm

Hey Doug, yes its Marin. I guess we are competative. Its fun rowing with people who like to row well. As to the use of the Erg as a ranking tool: I think that it really serves as a way to assess where you are in the mix. Other factors are also inportant. For example; I'm 56 years old. Its not fair to compare my times with that of a 30 yaer old. Although I confess that I do. The main competition is the 65 year old who still pulls a 1;48-1;49 for the 20 minute piece. He's my inspiration. Where do you row? Franko

[old] pamcnm · Post by **[old] pamcnm** » October 16th, 2004, 10:31 am

I row primarily on the erg. I took on the water lessons this past spring and joined our local rowing club. However, I found it troubling to disregard everything I have learned about dressing for immersion as a kayaker, and then row out into the bay where the water is chilly, with a PFD strapped to my boat:) I may give on the water rowing another try sometime in 2005. We have a nearby club which rows on Lexington Reservoir, and I am thinking I may prefer to row on flatwater, and paddle in the ocean:) For now, I enjoy rowing on the erg because I can concentrate on what I am doing with my body, and not what is happening around me. It's a nice introspective workout for me. Pam

[old] dougsurf · Post by **[old] dougsurf** » October 16th, 2004, 2:51 pm

Hi Franko, I'm with Los Gatos, so I guess that makes us mutual nemeses. In my mind yours is the club that keeps reminding us to aim higher. Much respect. I met a few of your boats at SW and at Lake Merrit, but unfortunately the early year I was out with an injury, and I'm out of the Fall for jury duty, of all things. Our coach does apply an age handicap to erg ranking, but we tend to only focus on it during the "erg season" in the winter, which I personally don't think is enough. Maybe we'll see you at PIRC, or SDCC! Doug

[old] gorow9 · Post by **[old] gorow9** » October 16th, 2004, 3:16 pm

Hey, Rowing on water is so much better than erging... boring!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but it's a necessary evil... ANYWAY IF YOU CAN TRY ROWING ON WATER, IT'S MUCH MORE FUN Any tips on more fun while erging... I could use them I mostly row on water... Thaks ~*Sara*~ "Life's short... row hard" "real athletes row, the rest just play games." "Shut up and row"

[old] Roland Baltutis · Post by **[old] Roland Baltutis** » October 17th, 2004, 7:07 am

It's just on dawn or dusk, the air is still, the water calm. All that can be heard is the sound of eight oars locking onto the water together...... then the sound of eight oars clicking together as they turn in their gates at the finish, followed by an echo sound across the stillness of the morning or evening. But the most beautiful sound of all comes next when you hear the bubbles underneath the perfectly balanced boat running across the water with ideal momentum. Only an experienced on water rower knows what I'm talking about. The rest only hear the thrashing sound of metal on metal as the chain moves on the sprocket and the constant whirring of the fan made louder by the enclosed space of four lifeless walls. I don't mind erging but just feel sorry for those that toil for hours on end on their machines without having ever experienced a better life in a good crew and boat. Keep it smooth, keep it relaxed Roland Baltutis

[old] TheHagueDragon · Post by **[old] TheHagueDragon** » October 17th, 2004, 7:54 am

I only row on the erg. It´s not totally tru because i do dragon boat racing. But that´s not rowing. I call it paddling. But many of my teammates call it rowing. When we say to each other we have to go in the boat for the training we say: Let's go rowing! Here you can see some pictures: <a href='http://home.planet.nl/~berk0023/drakenpage.htm' target='_blank'>Dragon boats</a> I did some rowing a few years ago but i think that's not the rowing you mean in this question. I don't know how it's called in english but in Duth it is called "sloeproeien". So the boat in dutch is a "sloep". The longest race was Harlingen-Terschelling, 40 km in about 4 hours. <img src='http://home.planet.nl/~berk0023/sloep1.JPG' border='0' alt='user posted image' /> You can see another picture on my homepage: <a href='http://home.planet.nl/~berk0023/sport.htm' target='_blank'>Opscheppagina</a> Maarten

[old] dougsurf · Post by **[old] dougsurf** » October 17th, 2004, 3:17 pm

Pam, <table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td class='genmed'>QUOTE </td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>I found it troubling to disregard everything I have learned about dressing for immersion as a kayaker, and then row out into the bay where the water is chilly, with a PFD strapped to my boat:)  </td></tr></table> In standard rowing venues there is usually a shore very nearby, and the distance from the launch site is a matter of a few minutes. In our club, one of the first requirements to qualify for taking out a single is to intentionally flip and then demonstrate the ability to get back onboard. PFDs are never seen since the boat provides floatation, swamped or not. So under such conditions, the threat of hypothermia, that I assume your kayak training refers to, is very minimal. Beyond those comments which apply to solo rowing, in most cases, rowing has the ultimate in the "buddy system" applying for safety. Most rowing is done in crews, with a coach riding a motorized launch along side. Just a few comments that I hope help allay some valid fears. Now I must admit that I have no knowledge of so called "open water" rowing on large bays or the ocean. I would think the buddy system and other stronger precautions would apply there. And I do know that people dress just as warmly as they desire to. <table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td class='genmed'>QUOTE </td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>I may give on the water rowing another try sometime in 2005. We have a nearby club which rows on Lexington Reservoir, and I am thinking I may prefer to row on flatwater, and paddle in the ocean:) </td></tr></table> By all means check us out [ www.lgrc.org ] if you're that nearby. The women's team is really on fire recently and is expecting to take gold at the Head of the Charles this year. They can always use someone with your appreciation of erging. Or, if your interests are more mellow and introspective, there is a large contingent of recreational sweep and single rowers as well. Let me know if I can answer any questions. [ And if any local (So. San Fran. Bay area) men are reading, our men are not quite so on fire, so we NEED you to check us out if you think you're interested! ] Doug

[old] Afterburner · Post by **[old] Afterburner** » October 17th, 2004, 7:38 pm

I do both rowing on the water (preferably in the single, altho I fill in UMiami's boats sometimes too) and the erging rather obsessively. I will say that I usually love going out in a single and just focusing on sending the boat for stroke after stroke more than anything else. You just can't beat those good long rows. Altho admittedly if I have any more races like today I may switch to just erging permanently... As for the erg, I have an entertaining love/hate relationship with it. I always claim that I came by my strange love of the erg by starting rowing with 2months of land training. Everyone at the boathouse thinks I'm crazy because I'll be sitting there in the boat bay erging while we have gorgeous weather out. Honestly though, I don't think that this sport can be beat, be it on water or erging. I say do whichever you can and make the most of it. Heather Johnson 'the log catcher' F20 HWT 5'7" 2k 7:32.2 20min 5040

[old] John Rupp · Post by **[old] John Rupp** » October 17th, 2004, 8:57 pm

I prefer rowing on an erg, and would not like the restrictions of a rowboat. However I am looking forward to getting a kayak and using it often.

[old] Mark_J · Post by **[old] Mark_J** » October 18th, 2004, 12:04 am

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td class='genmed'>QUOTE (dougsurf @ Oct 11 2004, 01:20 AM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quote'> Hey Mark J, I wish our club would find a place to post introductions! Welcome to LGRC. Are you in any of the sweep programs? Jen's recreational rowing? Hope to meet you sometime.  </td></tr></table> Wow this is really cool! I just started rowing and am only 16 so I am rowing on the Novice Boys team coached by Bob Cowan. I'm really enjoying, although it's a lot more work than any other sport that I've ever played. I take it you are in the Masters program, it's so cool seeing so many people up there. And yeah, that would be cool to meet you. Mark

[old] dougsurf · Post by **[old] dougsurf** » October 18th, 2004, 2:25 am

MarkJ, Aha, I sometimes forget that there are some especially motivated youths that avail themselves to the C2 website. Welcome to rowing as well as LGRC. Actually I'm out this season for reasons mentioned above, but should be able to look you up sometime over the season. My son Andrew also rows as a senior lightweight. Tell him I said hi from here, if you figure out who he is. That should confuse him for a good while. Doug

[old] pamcnm · Post by **[old] pamcnm** » October 18th, 2004, 10:31 am

Thanks Doug for the info on the Los gatos Rowing Club. I am nearby, in Santa Cruz, and pass people sculling on Lexington Reservoir while driving to Kaiser where I work as a nurse-midwife. It looks very beautful with the steam rising off the water on cool mornings. I have had a couple of on the water rowing lessons with our local rowing club and capsize recovery was never addressed. I have two friends who row regularly, and one woman has never practiced a capsize recovery. Also, our local rowers do row with PFD's strapped to their decks (I believe it's a Coast Guard requirement in the ocean), and they often row a mile out of the harbor, or even more. Our water temps are about 50 in the winter, and max out at about 58 during the warnest months, so hypothermia is a real risk in the event of a capsize. So with the ocean so close, and such a lovely place to paddle, I head out in my kayak and safety gear, and paddle facing forward:) That said, once spring/summer rolls around I may be interested in giving on the water rowing another go, under the circumstances you describe, as that makes so more safety sense to me. I do love the idea of on the water rowing, and I love being on the water in my kayak. I think I would be more comfortable rowing on truly flat water, close to shore. Also, right now rowing on the erg is almost like a meditation on movement and my body. and I really like the introspective nature of that experience. I would need to me a much better on the water rower to get a good aerobic workout and have that experience. So for now, I am concentrating on learning and perfecting my paddling skills, and using the erg for fitness. This may change in 2005, but last year, my body was so confused trying to learn so many new things, I chided myself saying "If I am upside down, I must be kayaking. If I am backward, I must be rowing."

[old] Canoeist · Post by **[old] Canoeist** » October 18th, 2004, 11:15 pm

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td class='genmed'>QUOTE (Afterburner @ Oct 17 2004, 11:38 PM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quote'> Everyone at the boathouse thinks I'm crazy because I'll be sitting there in the boat bay erging while we have gorgeous weather out. Heather Johnson 'the log catcher'  </td></tr></table> You are quite crazy Heather. It is so easy to move the erg outside on nice days. I often take my erg out onto the patio. Right now we have a splendid display of autumn color to watch while erging outside. Cheers, Paul Flack

[old] Canoeist · Post by **[old] Canoeist** » October 18th, 2004, 11:23 pm

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td class='genmed'>QUOTE (TheHagueDragon @ Oct 17 2004, 11:54 AM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><img src='http://home.planet.nl/~berk0023/sloep1.JPG' border='0' alt='user posted image' /> Maarten </td></tr></table> Just curious Maarten, does your boat have sliding seats? A boat of that weight would be hard to move if you can't get your legs into the drive. I suppose that having a very light cox isn't important in a boat that size either. It looks like the stroke is telling the cox "If you touch that rudder again, I am going to toss you overboard!" Cheers, Paul Flack

[old] TheHagueDragon · Post by **[old] TheHagueDragon** » October 19th, 2004, 10:16 am

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td class='genmed'>QUOTE (Canoeist @ Oct 18 2004, 10:23 PM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quote'> Just curious Maarten, does your boat have sliding seats? A boat of that weight would be hard to move if you can't get your legs into the drive. I suppose that having a very light cox isn't important in a boat that size either. It looks like the stroke is telling the cox "If you touch that rudder again, I am going to toss you overboard!" Cheers, Paul Flack  </td></tr></table> Hi Paul, the boat had indeed no sliding seats. Your feat are tight with strips to the boat. So it's hard work for your back and belly muscles. Our boat was a very heavy boat, when we stop rowing the boat only moves a few meters. There where boats that were build for this and they are lighter. We had a original "sloep" (how do you call this boat anyway in english?) The "cox" is the man with the rudder? Haha, you're probably right what he said to the cox. It's too many years ago so i can't remember that anymore. It was great fun. When we did a race we always took 24 cans of beer with us. No, not as a refreshment during the race but after the race

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