Learn to Row

Difficulty: Novice Crew Size: 4 Focus: Beginners, Basics

Goal: Teach would-be rowers basic form and commands so that when they begin their free trial, they can participate safely and fully.

Requirements

  • Four experienced crew who can move the whaleboat without other assistance
    • Two must be strokes who can row steady at low rate, slow recovery
    • One coach who understands the below
    • One coxswain
  • 2–4 new rowers

Welcome

  • Chat about history or interest in rowing
  • Emphasize patience — takes 4–5 times out to “get it”
  • Introduce the boat
  • Ensure waivers are signed

Safety Talk

  • Getting in/out of the boat
    • Step carefully — the boat rocks
  • Moving oars
  • Speak loudly
  • PFDs are under the bench

Roles in the Boat

  • Cox is in charge
  • Identify the coach
  • Strokes:
    • Watch their oars (or button), not the person in front of you

Oars on Dock

  • Take out an oar and review its parts:

    • Handle
    • Button
    • Leather + Laces
    • Sleeve
    • Shaft
    • Shoulder
    • Blade

  • “Laces up!” — Ensures blade is perpendicular to the water for efficiency

Moving Oars in the Boat

Demonstrate safety and communication:

  • Say “oar up/down”
  • Say “stepping in/out” of the boat

Rigging Overview

  • Oarlocks
  • Foot blocks
  • Seat numbers
  • Bow/stern, Port (red) / Starboard (green)

Kinesiology of Rowing

Sequence:

  • Drive: Legs → Body → Arms
  • Recovery: Arms → Body → Legs

Demonstrate on dock:

  1. Catch — Compression
  2. Drive
    • Legs drive first
    • Open hips, pivot torso
    • Arms pull handle to chest
  3. Recovery
    • Hands push away
    • Body over
    • Knees bend into catch

Getting In

  • Coach assists from dock
  • Position:
    • Legs ~90° at catch
    • Sit bones just off back of bench at finish

Pushing Off

  • Bow 4: Do not follow commands, wait for cox
  • Stern 4 stand oars, then Bow 4 stand oars
  • Row away from marina fairways

Letting Fall / First Strokes

  • Let fall: Tip oars down into oarlocks (sleeve), push out to button

First Commands

Practice:

  • Let fall
  • To the catch
  • Weigh enough / Oars
  • Sit easy

Oar Depth

  • Let go of oars — observe ideal floating depth
  • “The oar knows where to go.”

Tapping On/Out

  • Raise/lower handles to feel blade movement
  • Every 1” of handle = 3” of blade movement

First Strokes

  • Silent stroke: Go to catch, blade in, drive with legs
  • Coach through form gradually

Common Learning Issues

Not sliding

  • Arms/body yank; butt not moving
  • “Drive with your legs. Sit bones off seat at catch and finish.”

Pulling with arms first

  • Early arm bend
  • “When the arm bends, the power ends.”

Overreaching / Collapsing

  • Shoulders hunch, chest drops
  • “Sit tall, shoulders wide, hinge from hips.”

Skying the blade

  • Blade high on recovery
  • “Hands away before body over. Keep hands level.”

Flying forward

  • Hurled forward, out of sync
  • “Core control. Stay tall, smooth hands away.”

Clashing oars

  • “Follow the stroke.”

Catching a crab

  • “Hands level, square blade. Push hands down, rejoin stroke.”

Refining the Stroke

  • Demo:
    • Dive: Hands forward (laces forward)
    • Skim: Hands rolled back (laces back)
  • Ghost stroke: Let oar float to assess natural height

Continuous Rowing

  • 3–4 minutes rowing together
  • Be encouraging

Commands Practice

In this order:

  1. Hold water

    • Upright, half reach
    • Take 3 easy strokes → hold
    • 3 harder strokes → hold

  2. Backwater

    • Push against oar
    • Half reach, not full layback
    • Hold water → Backwater

  3. Trail oar

    • Demo with stern 4 → All trail
    • Emphasize importance
    • If one side trails, other stops rowing
    • Practice with continuous row + random trail

Turns

  • Practice with each