On learning to scull

mpukita · Post by **mpukita** » August 2nd, 2006, 4:38 pm

Joanvb wrote: Downside...Requires tougher decisions in the winter about whether to erg or row...and, if one chooses the erg, enduring crazy looks from rowers arriving at the boathouse on a sunny winter day with calm water right outside the door.

Hmmm ... never thought about that ... especially if you want to be in shape for indoor events. Tough choices Joan, tough choices.

Gus · Post by **Gus** » August 2nd, 2006, 5:03 pm

We're lucky here in the Sacramento area. The facilities on Lake Natomas are excellent. The lake is closed to most boats. Exceptions are coaches launches and electric motored rowboat type fishing boats. Most weekday coaching is in the afternoon so it's unusual for the mornings to have anything other than singles on the lake.

For those who might be discouraged about some of the talk about it taking a long time to learn to scull, it's not true for everyone. Some take to it fairly quickly and are able to row relatively well very soon. I do agree it takes quite some time to master technique, but you can learn to move the boat at a pretty good clip without having to spend years working on technique.

Rockin Roland · Post by **Rockin Roland** » August 2nd, 2006, 6:28 pm

Joanvb wrote:Thanks, Mark
Downside...Requires tougher decisions in the winter about whether to erg or row...and, if one chooses the erg, enduring crazy looks from rowers arriving at the boathouse on a sunny winter day with calm water right outside the door.

I also can row on the water all year round. Usually the calmest flat conditions are found in winter where as summer and spring bring more wind and variable conditions. So it would be madness to erg when there's beautiful flat water out there.

I guess you worry about losing touch with the erg when the indoor rowing race season approaches. I believe that you can still do most of the training for erging in the boat. One great example is that French woman, whose name escapes me at the moment, that broke the world record on the erg. She trains mostly in the boat and only ergs about once a week. So it is possible.

The only decision to make really is which of the two sports can you can make a bigger name for yourself. OTW rowing is mainstream and will bring greater glory if your in the winners circle. Erging has a far smaller pool of competitors and Crash B winners are unkown to most OTW rowers.

Joanvb · Post by **Joanvb** » August 2nd, 2006, 9:06 pm

Fun discussion (although a bit off topic...sorry!). I agree. I find erging and otw rowing complement each other.

...Compared to my otw experience (35+ years, both sculling and sweep), training and competing on the erg is relatively new to me (just since turning 50). I like the efficiency of the erg (I row in salt water...no boat washing time). Plus, I appreciate the "carrots" that Concept 2 has provided, in the form of opportunities for free trips to compete in Boston and Europe, as well as the online teams and challenges on the UK site. These have been enough incentive for me to pursue the "pleasures of the erg" a little more than the boat...although I still keep my oars wet.

For those of us 50+, not much "glory" in either

(outside of our family and maybe our age group!), but I find the competitions (online as well as real events) help to keep the training a little more "focused"

. I particularly enjoy the opportunities to share the passion and love of the sport (both otw and the erg) with others.

dennish · Post by **dennish** » August 2nd, 2006, 9:37 pm

Very interesting topics. Our otw season runs from May till October. "Docks in" day is usually scheduled for March or April but the water is too cold till May to do very much other than stay very close to shore. Then May is usually windy, so its always a crap shoot as to whether or not we can get on the water on any given day. We stay on the water through September but all the organized programs end around Masters nationals. If there is big interest in some of the head races those boats may coax a coach to come out a day or two a week. By October the winter winds are picking up and makes rowing very risky. The reservoir freezes as early as November and thaws mid march. We move our docks to the state park marina ("Docks out" day) for winter storage as they have a bubbler system to keep the area unfrozen. The ice would crush the docks. The res. is used all winter for ice sailing, ice fishing and speed skating. The best solution for me has been to make friends in Tempe and go south when I need a fix of otw and row with the Arizona Outlaws. Otherwise its the strum und drang of the erg. If you realy want cold water there is a rowing club at Dillon Reservoir at 9200ft. between Breckenridge and Cooper Mountain/Vail (rowing season-June 15 to September 10). Mark has been there he should have some insight into the spectacular venue. dennis

Gus · Post by **Gus** » August 2nd, 2006, 10:35 pm

We can go out about 7K before it gets too rocky and shallow to go any further. It makes for a pretty decent workout. Though it's usually just the two of us, we are joined off and on by 5-6 other early morning semi-regulars who do this distance as their workout. We're also fortunate to have the lane markers still up from the Master's SW Regional and get to finish the last part of the workout on the 1k course.

I'm wondering how far others can go on their home lake/river?

About our geese and ducks...our docks get washed off every morning by the dock master. Unfortunately, that's done after we launch. At least we get to come back to a clean dock.

Rockin Roland · Post by **Rockin Roland** » August 2nd, 2006, 11:40 pm

Gus wrote:We can go out about 7K before it gets too rocky

I'm wondering how far others can go on their home lake/river?

About our geese and ducks...our docks get washed off every morning by the dock master. Unfortunately, that's done after we launch. At least we get to come back to a clean dock.

I row on the Yarra River in Melbourne, Australia and have about 15 Ks of flat water to play with. We get tourist ferries on about 4 Ks of that during the warmer months but virtually no other motor powered boats.

At the moment I'm sculling at night and quite often get spooked by black swans that are impossible to see in the dark, that make a sudden dash out of my path. But the scariest fright comes from flying foxes (giant fruit bats that look like foxes with wings) that swoop over my head from the nearby botanical gardens. You get this orange glow from city lights accross the water, the water is flat, the air is still, then suddenly a dark shadow with a large wing span passes just over your head and you can feel its draft down the back of your neck. VERY SPOOKY. A shiver is sent down my spine but I row on, mesmerized by the sound of bubbles under my hull, as it glides along in the stillness of the night.

mpukita · Post by **mpukita** » August 3rd, 2006, 10:47 am

I feel this is one of the best strings of messages I have seen on this forum, or the UK forum!

Today, a better day ... I actually woke up and got to the club on time! Seems that Tuesday was an odd day ... 3 other people did what I did so the class only had one quad filled that morning.

I was bow seat in a quad, and stroke and 3 seat would stop rowing when getting coaching advice, but not commands from cox or coach. Try rowing bow, behind man mountain in front of you (tall and wide), in a boat where you are shortest by 3" or 4", doing repeats of 2 light and then 5 hard strokes as a drill, trying to keep catch and tap-down in sync with the other guys who all have longer strokes, and also plan for a "panic stop" ... broke my cardinal rule and spoke up from the boat. I was pissed. Even the cox kept saying, "Gentlemen, please keep rowing."

If that's as bad as it gets, it's still good because of the early morning flat water.

That's it for my second OTW class ... plus holidays next three weeks. Now, official club membership and a small boats class (pairs, doubles, and singles), small boat certification, Friday evening rec rows, and novice racing training. This is going to be a blast!

We probably have 2K to 3K of available water, although 60% of it is NOT "no wake" zone, and we have plenty of redneck, water ski/wakeboard wackos who seem to love the thought of swamped rowers. As my cox daughter likes to ask, "How much of that yucky water ended up in your lap Dad?" She used to cox a 4 in a bow-coxed boat with no splash guard.

Ray79 · Post by **Ray79** » August 3rd, 2006, 11:55 am

Wait til you get into a pair Mark. You think balance is hard in a 4 - its far worse in a pair. I have had my only ever dunking out of a pair. Although I suppose I shouldnt have been trying to teach a guy to sweep in a pair

.

Oh well you live and you learn I guess.

Novice racing training will be wicked. You will probably be doing rolling starts for Head races now, but next spring when the stationary starts come in you will have an absolute blast. It is amazing how fast you can get the boat moving after just 15 strokes - particularly in an 8+, but my favorites are still the 4's. Do beware when doing this - crabs are fairly frequent early on and almost everyone catches at some stage.

And now that you are well and truely hooked mark, do you ever wonder why you never tried it 20 years ago or so? Even I regret not taking it up when it was first suggested to me when I was 19 - I didnt actually start til I was 24.

becz · Post by **becz** » August 3rd, 2006, 11:59 am

I row on the Connecticut River in Hartford, and we're pretty fortunate to have a great stretch of water. We do an annual row downstream from Hartford to Middletown which is about 20 miles, and great water the whole way. If you head upstream from the boathouse you can go probably close to 20 miles in that direction before you reach a dam. First thing in the morning the water is usually very good, but afternoons can be windy. The only other problem is flooding in the spring, when you can get pretty big tree trunks floating by.

Bob S. · Post by **Bob S.** » August 3rd, 2006, 12:19 pm

mpukita wrote:I feel this is one of the best strings of messages I have seen on this forum, or the UK forum!

As an OTW rower who started rowing in about 1932, I quite agree with you Mark. But I must admit that it doesn't really belong on this forum which is devoted to indoor rowing. In fact, there are some forum members who have expressed disdain for those of us who venture out on the water. I have sometimes wondered if there is a similar forum for OTW rowers. I think that there probably is, but since I no longer have access to a shell, I haven't made the effort to search the net for such a site.

Bob S.

Alissa · Post by **Alissa** » August 3rd, 2006, 12:27 pm

Bob S. wrote:
mpukita wrote:I feel this is one of the best strings of messages I have seen on this forum, or the UK forum!
As an OTW rower who started rowing in about 1932, I quite agree with you Mark. But I must admit that it doesn't really belong on this forum which is devoted to indoor rowing. In fact, there are some forum members who have expressed disdain for those of us who venture out on the water. I have sometimes wondered if there is a similar forum for OTW rowers. I think that there probably is, but since I no longer have access to a shell, I haven't made the effort to search the net for such a site.

Bob S.

Bob, I would hate to see this thread disappear...I'm enjoying it! And anyway, if it were on a forum for OTW rowers, it wouldn't be here to encourage people who only erg to give it (OTW rowing) a try. And that would be a shame. I suspect the disdain you've seen is more disguised envy than anything else!

Please keep talking and I'll keep watching...

Alissa

Bob S. · Post by **Bob S.** » August 3rd, 2006, 12:33 pm

Ray79 wrote:Wait til you get into a pair Mark. You think balance is hard in a 4 - its far worse in a pair. I have had my only ever dunking out of a pair. Although I suppose I shouldnt have been trying to teach a guy to sweep in a pair :lol: :oops: .

Actually, the pair is probably the best place to learn sweep rowing - after a rower has developed a reasonable proficiency at sculling. My first rolling seat rowing was in 1942 in a 16 oar barge, with a walkway down the center for the coach. It was almost fifty years later that I finally had sculling lessons and realized that it would have been the best way to have started. Unfortunately, I didn't have that option.

An eight is still my favorite. It is such a fantastic feeling when everyone is in sync and the boat seems to fly. I have never felt comfortable in an uncoxed boat, especially when I was in the bow seat. I would much rather just enjoy the rowing and let someone else worry about the traffic.

Bob S.

becz · Post by **becz** » August 3rd, 2006, 12:49 pm

Bob S. wrote:I have sometimes wondered if there is a similar forum for OTW rowers.

http://www.rowersworld.com/Community/

Bob S. · Post by **Bob S.** » August 3rd, 2006, 1:03 pm

becz wrote:
Bob S. wrote:I have sometimes wondered if there is a similar forum for OTW rowers.
http://www.rowersworld.com/Community/

Thank you. I see that they have close to ten thousand members. That's quite a substantial internet group.

Bob S.