Differences in technique between erg and open water rowing

[doryman]

Hello All. I'm mostly an open water sculler but recently purchased an erg to see me through the winters. It's not the cold that keeps me from the water this time of year, it's the darkness!

Anyway, I recently discovered this forum and may I say that it's been a great help to me. You all seem like a bunch of friendly and knowledgeable folks. From reading various posts I seem to get the idea that the technique for the erg is not quite the same as for open water rowing if one is interested in achieving the lowest possible time at a given distance on the erg.

For example, I've read that, on the erg, one could "dump the finish" and "crank the handles". I'm not exactly sure what that means. Also, I would imagine that rushing the slide at high stroke rates would not be an issue since it's impossible to check the erg.

Are there standard techniques, not applicable to open water rowing, that make the erg go faster?

[Nosmo]

Rowing in open water often requires what would otherwise be considered a terrible stroke -- minimal layback or foward body angle, half or even quarter slide, very slow application of power, so this question struck me as somewhat amusing. Of course if you mostly see relatively calm water, not swells breaking over your head every few seconds then your open water technique should be very similar to flat water! I've only been in open water a few times mostly in terrible conditions.

Anyway to answer your question, Jerking the finish with the arms, too much layback in conjunction with pulling in really high to get a long stroke can give you slightly slower splits, but why in the world would you want to get into habits like that! The lay back and high finish seem fairly common among good OTW rowers when on the erg (Henrik Stephenson world lightweight erg champion does it), That is relatively easy to modify when back in the boat. But do not get into the habit of jerking the arms at the finish--it won't help much and can cause so many problems in the boat and in the long run even on the erg. One has to be disciplined in order to avoid erging screwing up your on the water stroke.

[doryman]

Rowing in open water often requires what would otherwise be considered a terrible stroke -- minimal layback or foward body angle, half or even quarter slide, very slow application of power, so this question struck me as somewhat amusing. Of course if you mostly see relatively calm water, not swells breaking over your head every few seconds then your open water technique should be very similar to flat water! I've only been in open water a few times mostly in terrible conditions.

Ha! You're right about that! We see it all, dead calm to nasty, short-period chop (especially when winds oppose tides). We know a good stroke, it's just that sometimes conditions don't allow).

[BobD]

Doryman check the Technique video link posted in the thread http://www.c2forum.com/viewtopic.php?t=8059

This will show you how to move on the C2