First time on the water, I'm hooked!

[LarryRow]

So, after dealing with three injuries over the past few months, a bruised tailbone, a sliced finger from a bread knife, and a broken toe, I managed to get out onto the water for the first time yesterday.

I rowed the 3 seat in a quad and it was so much fun, I can't wait to go again! We practiced rowing singly, and in pairs, and didn't quite make it to rowing all together, but I just know that boat will pick itself up and fly if we all row together. Next time!

I credit the great coaching at EngineRM in New York City for giving me enough experience executing a stroke to allow me to come close to matching the guy rowing stroke in the boat. The coach from the Nereid boathouse in New Jersey, where we rowed out of, was excellent and had a focused training session that put us through a series of drills. Only one guy in our boat had ever sculled before, but it felt like we were in control and confident, due to the coaching from the launch.

Ergs are great but the experience just don't compare to being on the water.

As James Joyce once wrote: "Rapid motion through space elates one".

I know a boat is no racing car but I started to get a sense that we could really move that thing along, and the feeling of motion is exhiliarating.

[frankieboy]

You wait until you get some experience, rowing is a wonderful sport.

[Cyclist2]

I know a boat is no racing car but I started to get a sense that we could really move that thing along, and the feeling of motion is exhiliarating.

A quad is a very fast boat. I rowed singles and doubles mostly, but in a quad the faster speed was noticeable, and FUN. Enjoy!

[LarryRow]

I know a boat is no racing car but I started to get a sense that we could really move that thing along, and the feeling of motion is exhiliarating.

A quad is a very fast boat. I rowed singles and doubles mostly, but in a quad the faster speed was noticeable, and FUN. Enjoy!

Thanks, I can't wait to get back out there!

[Edward4492]

Larry, I'm about a year ahead of ya (already logged my first 1000k in the boat). I was hooked from the first night. Did a learn to row class last May (also in a quad), did my first race end of last season (mixed quad, with a very experienced bow). It was a 4km "head race". I was completely destroyed afterwards....and loved it. If you follow my posts you'll know I purchased a '97 Pocock 1x and have about 250k in it this season. It's starting to come together and it's totally addictive. Have Fun!

Best advice I can give is continue to get coaching. It knocks literally years off the learning curve. When You find a good coach stay with him or her.

[LarryRow]

Larry, I'm about a year ahead of ya (already logged my first 1000k in the boat). I was hooked from the first night. Did a learn to row class last May (also in a quad), did my first race end of last season (mixed quad, with a very experienced bow). It was a 4km "head race". I was completely destroyed afterwards....and loved it. If you follow my posts you'll know I purchased a '97 Pocock 1x and have about 250k in it this season. It's starting to come together and it's totally addictive. Have Fun!

Best advice I can give is continue to get coaching. It knocks literally years off the learning curve. When You find a good coach stay with him or her.

Hello Edward,

Nice, that's a pretty impressive amount of on the water mileage! I need to figure out some sort of consistent schedule to row on the water. I'm not that keen to try to go it alone all the time in a 1x, I think I want to row quads and doubles for a while. Maybe I'll change my mind after Craftsbury at the end of July. I'd like to be able to row 5-10 more times before Craftsbury just to feel more comfortable in a boat but I'm not sure I'll be able to make that happen.

I absolutely agree about the need to be continually coached. I've never regretted any of the money I've spent on teachers over the years. I've been studying the classical guitar for seven years and have the most wonderful teacher, a Juilliard graduate. I would have given up without his guidance. I rarely miss a weekly lesson and put in the practice time every day. It will be a little different with rowing but it's similar. You have to put in the time.

I have enjoyed being coached out of EngineRM. Before I found them, I was completely lost on the erg and had no sense of what constituted a good stroke. The coaches there have a lot of on the water experience so they're constantly comparing our erg workouts to how you would row in a boat. I think it will all come together for me one day. I look forward to hearing more about your rowing adventures! Maybe some day I'll try to race.

[bisqeet]

i love the quad. seems to be my choice of poison more often than not.
as a small hobby rowing club, we don't have any great fantastic boats, but the ones we have are well used and either bought from other clubs or have been given to us.

We have one class A quad, unfortunately most of regulars are suffering from middle age spread and come with built in bay windows... we would have to each lose several limbs to meat the weight restrictions and probably need a crane and a huge tub of vaseling to ease us in. i can't see anyone getting out unaided.

we are taking a "d" (boat weighs in at 112kg) to lake garda tomorrow for a 25km ramble on sunday. probably take about 4 hrs depending on cruise boats, wind, weather, sun..
we myas have the heaviest boat (that is basically unsinkable) - but we will be one of the boats having the most fun


glad you enjoy OTW.

[LarryRow]

i love the quad. seems to be my choice of poison more often than not.
as a small hobby rowing club, we don't have any great fantastic boats, but the ones we have are well used and either bought from other clubs or have been given to us.

We have one class A quad, unfortunately most of regulars are suffering from middle age spread and come with built in bay windows... we would have to each lose several limbs to meat the weight restrictions and probably need a crane and a huge tub of vaseling to ease us in. i can't see anyone getting out unaided.

we are taking a "d" (boat weighs in at 112kg) to lake garda tomorrow for a 25km ramble on sunday. probably take about 4 hrs depending on cruise boats, wind, weather, sun..
we myas have the heaviest boat (that is basically unsinkable) - but we will be one of the boats having the most fun


glad you enjoy OTW.

Ha ha, it does sound like you're having the most fun! One of my rowing friends told me that there is an age spread of 40 years in his boat, height difference of 6 inches, and a weight difference of 90 pounds. That made me feel a little better about rowing behind the 16 year old stroke. Everybody into the boat!

[Edward4492]

I like the quad and the double. Last year we raced in a truly mixed quad. I'm 6' 165, two women 60 and 68 both under 5' 2", 110 and 140, and our bow was our young coach; 5'10" 200lbs extremely experienced and strong. With practice it all worked. Starting this week in another mixed quad; closer in age and size.We have a pretty active masters club. Lots of nights we just see who shows up and decide what boats to take out. Dean, I envy your ability to do the long rows/events. Our course is about 3000m from end to end and lends itself to racing. (Cooper River in Camden NJ, USA)

[LarryRow]

I like the quad and the double. Last year we raced in a truly mixed quad. I'm 6' 165, two women 60 and 68 both under 5' 2", 110 and 140, and our bow was our young coach; 5'10" 200lbs extremely experienced and strong. With practice it all worked. Starting this week in another mixed quad; closer in age and size.We have a pretty active masters club. Lots of nights we just see who shows up and decide what boats to take out. Dean, I envy your ability to do the long rows/events. Our course is about 3000m from end to end and lends itself to racing. (Cooper River in Camden NJ, USA)

I'm just north from you on the Passaic River in Rutherford, New Jersey. It's encouraging that people of such different heights and weights can row together. I guess the secret is to get enough practice on the water. That's not always easy, it's certainly easier to erg, but nowhere near as much fun.