Spin-Off from the Choosing a Racing Boat thread

[Rockin Roland]

Krysta,
Hudson and Empacher boats are very, very good boats (although expensive) and the choice of many world class elite rowers. Since your in Canada you should also have a look at Fluid Design boats which you'll find are good quality locally made boats. Peinerts may be able to take a lot of abuse but are not in the same league as the above boats once other important factors are considered.

[coggs]

>>Since your in Canada you should also have a look at Fluid Design boats<<

Fluids seem very popular, especially with light weight rowers. Worth a look. Same would go for Kaschper, another Canadian builder. I bought a Kaschper Raven single this spring and absolutely love the boat. Fantastic quality and the boat has a great runout and most certaily faster and more stable than my old single. US 2007 singles champion Jamie Schroeder is now rowing one. Also pretty affordable - at least compaired to the European builders.

[throughthepin]

Curious what happened to the selection.

Getting into a racing 1x would not be a wise move. You won't have the ability to work out the kinks in your stroke. It will take you a couple of years of daily rowing to develop something reasonable, as there is no shortcuts.

Your first year needs to be in some shell that has a rounder bottom to give you feedback but can provide some stability.

Since you are a lightweight, I would recommend the Maas flyweight - which in competent hands can be almost as fast as a flatwater 1x, and no doubt you will be faster in it too for at least a year.

People talking about Peinert 26's being more stable than Maas Aero's or 24's are wrong - unless it was rigged incorrectly for them or more likely their weight was incorrect. These boats are designed for certain weight categories.

And if you want to get better - row a recreational single like the flyweight for a year - then perhaps go for a fluidesign which is much cheaper than an empacher and is the preferred weapon of choice for lightweight women. And canadian.

[Byron Drachman]

Curious what happened to the selection.

Me too.

[Chris on the Beach]

Well, I just learned to row in October and am really hooked. I started in the "learner" boats and am already in a racing boat; so, it can go faster then you think. The best bet is to try renting the beginner stuff and then when you are ready, buy the boat you want. They are not cheap, as I just ordered my own, so you really want to get the right one and use it for a long time. The renting is also good because it has seen its share of abuse from other beginners and will from you too -- better it's not on the boat you paid for!

[throughthepin]

Chris,

Don't be in a hurry to move to a "racing" boat. Yes, you are making big strides, but you will look back a year from now and won't imagine how poorly you were rowing back then.

You should move ahead in hull shape when you can consistently clear your blades, and at a stroke rating of let's say 16 have no stability issues - or equivalently can pause hands away and blades off the water.

Your learning curve will be greater on something more stable as you can relax and concentrate on the mechanics of the stroke.

Such a simple looking sport, but one that takes years to master the tiny nuances.

[Chris on the Beach]

As far as stability goes, I have no issues even at stroke rates of 30. Balance is a strength of mine so I do not really feel wobbly in a more performance based boat. And, can do the whole pause the hands deal - believe me, I am taking all the drills the "coaching staff" has given and practice them day in and day out! I row two - two and a half hours four to five days a week. Basically, when I start feeling technique falling off I stop. Yes, it does look easy from the shore and I have talked to many Olympians and World Champions and they say that they are still learning. It is much like golf in the fact that everyone is searching to master what does not want to be mastered; simply, there will always be someone better/faster then you. And once we achieve a certain time, we want to better it ; which means, as good as we get we want to be better - thus, never mastering. My saying is, if it were easy, I wouldn't do it.

I am not looking to have to best mechanics in the world or win a gold medal. I want to have fun, for me, and get good exercise in the meantime. I am always working to better my stroke with mechanics and technique but most importantly, I like to feel the response from the boat, the wind rushing by and the sense of weightlessness under my butt on a good drive. There are the dolphins that chase my boat in the morning, the swish of the water with each stroke, pelicans skimming the surface just 10 feet off the port -- I can go on and on. I am doing this for me and nobody else. If I die a mediocre rower but had a good time doing it and appreciated what was around me, I will have fulfilled my goal and lived happily. Sometimes it is a little more than mechanics and such; sometimes you just have to love what you are doing and let things come to you in time - naturally. I am not in a hurry and I am always relaxed.

I do appreciate your concerns however. Thank you - I mean that sincerely too.

[throughthepin]

Chris,

Glad you are enjoying the sport, and doing it the right way. Lessons are key.

Stroke rate of 30 isn't determinative or even useful except in racing starts where we go over that.

However, the key is to master low stroke rates of 14/16spm, as that is where stability is a bigger issue. The drive will be about the same time, it is the recovery that is much slower.

And I would also recommend a week at Craftsbury.

all the best, and don't burn out!

[Chris on the Beach]

Yeah, the only time I feel the a hair wobbly is going really slow or doing the one stroke and stop drills but it is not too bad; I try to get out of that area pretty fast. It is usually the 5 s/m area that bothers me.

Yeah, a week at a rowing camp sounds nice! I only wish they had them on the West Coast. But, the coaching staff at UCLA is really good, and approachable, so it is like being at camp everyday. I am going to start working with one of them after the holiday (he is a rowing mad scientist) - he is going to get me on a program so that each row means something. Right now I kinda just go out and try to beat every boat out there without a plan.

I am trying to keep myself off the water a couple of days a week to prevent the burn out! And, not take it too seriously.

Have a great holiday,
Chris

[Chris on the Beach]

Update. Just got my boat and LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not worried about all that other stuff. It is way easier to row than a MAAS 24 because of feel and the transition of power from body to the boat. Sure, she will let you know when she doesn't like what you are doing but as long as you do not let go of the oars, you'll stay in the seat. Hope your worked out. 100% glad I made the purchase.

[Nosmo]

Update. Just got my boat and LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not worried about all that other stuff. It is way easier to row than a MAAS 24 because of feel and the transition of power from body to the boat. Sure, she will let you know when she doesn't like what you are doing but as long as you do not let go of the oars, you'll stay in the seat. Hope your worked out. 100% glad I made the purchase.

so what did you get? (did I miss something?)

[Chris on the Beach]

The new Hudson Great White - Predator. Wow, what a boat. She is so comfy, I can row here all day long. She is just as stable at 25- 28 strokes/min as 10 strokes per min. You can work on your stroke and put the pedal to the metal and fly all in one boat. The glide is amazing.

[Connor_G]

I've been rowing on the water for six years mostly sweep but with quite a bit of sculling experience, and even so when I got in a racing single for the first time last spring I could barely keep myself from flipping. The Aero is a great boat and as mentioned, functionally impossible to flip. I've never used any sort of stability trainer, but that sounds like a good option to if you want to avoid buy another boat later on down the road.

One thing to keep in mind is do you really need a racing shell? If you're just training on your own there's not necessarily any reason you need a racing shell over something like an Aero. Of course, I'm speaking from the perspective of someone who does all his real rowing in 4's and 8's, so whenever I do use a small boat like a 1x or 2x is mostly just for training purposes for the bigger boats, and for that purpose, the extra resistance of a bigger boat can be a benefit.

[Chris on the Beach]

Well, that is certainly a valid perspective. I guess there is not a "need" for a racing shell. And if you just like to go out for a casual row then almost any boat will do. And yes, a hurricane could not flip an Aero. But even while training, it is nice to get the sense of speed and the wind in your hair. I also like to feel connected with the boat and to the water; the performance shells offer a greater sense of feedback and, in my opinion, help you become a better rower provided you have a bit of experience. Some shells will toss you with the slightest of bad stroke and others, like the Hudson, let you get away with a little more. You will certainly slow down but you'll be upright. Also, you should think about how much you row. For myself, it makes sense because I row 4 days a week so my senses stay sharp and the lighter boat fatigues me a lot less. For some who row once a week or less, they may be better off in a more recreational shell certainly.

I only started in Oct 2008, so I may not know as much, but I started in singles and have only rowed a single aside from a lesson in a double. Some racing shells are quite difficult to keep set, but that is the good thing about the new Hudsons, they free you up by being more stable and you can concentrate on rowing - no stability trainers needed. I am sure you could add them if you want but I would try it without first.

If you want resistance, you can always do the old bungee cord around the boat. Just make sure to put the hooks on top and something between them and the paint.

[Nosmo]

One of the most important things in choosing a boat is how much you like it. If you row decently a racing boat is a lot more fun then an Aero, a Maas 24 or even a Maas 27 . More fun means you will do it more.

Aeros are fun in really rough water that would fill any flat water boat--water where you really need to use the self baler. Otherwise I much prefer a racing boat--they are simply more fun.

Aeros are good to use occasionally where the stability can help with certain drills. But few experienced rowers do it very often.

If you don't row regularly in a single or are not used to handling a very tippy boat, the aero will be more fun. But it sounds like Chris is well beyond that.