Tag: oars

The Four Defaults

By readyallrow October 1, 2015

When there are so many different things happening in a such a short amount of time it can be tough knowing what exactly to look at or make calls for, particularly if you’re a novice and have’t fully grasped all the technical nuances yet. The four things listed below are the “defaults” that you should always be paying attention to (every day at practice and as necessary during races) since they are what tend to have the biggest impacts on boat speed (slowing it down when adjustments are needed and increasing it when adjustments are made).

Related: So, what did you see?

Timing at the catch and finish

This should be the most obvious. Are the blades going in and coming out together? If you notice that the timing is off at one (or both) end(s) of the stroke then you should immediately be making a call, either to a specific person, pair, or the entire crew, to get them back into rhythm with the stroke and following the cadence they’re setting.

Related: Timing at the catch

Ratio

This should be the second most obvious. Standard ratio is 2:1, meaning the recovery should be twice as long as the drive – 2 (recovery) to 1 (drive). Rush during the second half of the recovery (starting from the bodies over position) can kill boat speed so it’s important to call a ratio-shift when you feel this happening to get the crew back on track. Communication with the stroke can be a big help here since they’re usually more aware of when rush is happening than you are (unless it’s really bad).

Related: Ratio

Blade coverage

There should be no missed water at the catch and no washing out at the finish – the blade stays fully buried all the way through from beginning to end. If you’re coxing novices or less-experienced rowers, make sure that you communicate what the proper depth is (there’s usually tape on the oar shaft down near the blade – they shouldn’t be buried past that point).

Related: An Intro to Rigging, pt. 3: Pitch (Quick note: adjusting the rigging should never be your “go to” solution. Fix your technique first then see if any alterations can be made to the rigging to complement the changes you’ve made with your rowing.)

Jump at the catch

This is also referred to as the “impulse”. It’s a result of getting a strong, committed, and deliberate push off the foot boards as the blade enters the water and the slide changes direction. The further into practice/the race you are, the more likely it’s going to be that you need to make a call for this since it relies heavily on maximum engagement from the legs.

Related: Boat feel

Keep in mind that this is something you can feel more easily than you can see. If the the rowers are missing water at the catch then that’s a visual indication that the “impulse” isn’t happening but if you’re experienced enough to have a good sense of boat feel then the boat feeling sluggish, heavy, etc. should be another indication that you need to spend some time focusing on reigniting that impulse at the front end.

Image via // @j.bluff

Rowing

An Introduction to Rigging: Pitch

By readyallrow February 19, 2013

Previously: Intro to rigging, spread, and span || Oar length, inboard, and blade profile

Today’s post is going to talk about pitch. There are two types – stern and lateral. Stern pitch, which goes from front to back (aka stern to bow), is the angle that the oarlock pin is set from vertical during the drive. Lateral pitch is the degree of angle that the pin is either to or away from the midline of the boat.

Stern pitch

Stern pitch is a necessary component of rigging because it’s what helps hold the oar’s position in the water during the drive (meaning that it plays a part in ensuring the blade is at the proper depth). Since your blade is not strictly horizontal to the shell while in the water – it’s angled downwards – the pitch of the oarlock is necessary in helping keep the blade buried. 4 degrees is the standard angle, but it can range anywhere from 3-7. Too much pitch (7+ degrees) will cause the blade to wash out at the finish, whereas not enough (less than 4 degrees) will cause the blade to dig in too deep.

Lateral pitch

Lateral pitch creates different degrees of pitch at each end of the stroke. An outward pitch of one degree away from the boat’s midline increases the stern pitch by one degree (keeps the blade buried) and decreases the stern pitch by one degree at the finish (allows the blade to pop out more easily). Pitch here shouldn’t be more than one degree at most – the typical range is between 0 and 1 degrees to avoid creating too much depth on one end and not enough on the other.

To measure both the stern and lateral pitch, you’ll need a pitch meter. The most important part of doing this is making sure your boat is stable and not sitting cockeyed in the slings. It’s not a bad idea once you’ve set it down to go stand at the bowball and look down the boat to ensure it’s level. Set your pitch meter on the gunnel and calibrate it so that the bubble is in the middle of the level. It should read “zero degrees” at this point.

From here, take it out to the oarlock, set it against the face of the oar lock, and adjust it until the bubble is in the middle of the level again. This will tell you the degrees of your stern pitch (remember, 4 is average but it can range from 3-7). To measure lateral pitch, you’ll first have to take the oarlock off the pin so you can get better access to it. Place the pitch meter against the pin and measure the angle away from midline of the boat the same way you measured the stern pitch.

Here’s a video that demonstrates how to do it:

Next week: Rigger height and work through

Image via // @rowingcelebration

Rowing

An Introduction to Rigging: Oar length, inboard, and blade profile

By readyallrow February 12, 2013

Previously: Intro to rigging, spread, and span

Continuing on with the discussion on rigging, this post will go over the other components of leverage. Last time I talked about spread and span, what they are, how they’re measured, etc. and today we’ll go over oar length and inboard, as well as briefly touch on blade size.

Oar length

Oar length is exactly what it says it is – the total length of the oar. It’s measured down the center line of the oar from the tip of the handle, including the rounded edge on most Concept 2s, all the way to the end of the blade. Concept 2 lists the average length of their adjustable oars as being between 362 and 378cm, depending on what oars you get. Oars used with sculling are shorter and fall between 274 and 292cm.

The longer the oar, the heavier the boat is going to feel and vice versa – the shorter it is, the lighter the boat will feel.

Concept 2 recommends shortening the oars if you have more efficient blades (such as their Fat2), are in a slower or heavier boat, have a long reach or a narrow spread, or when sculling, if the handles overlap too much.

To adjust the oar length on Concept 2s, you’ll need a T20 screwdriver and a Phillips flat head screwdriver. There are two screws – the clamping screw and the adjusting screw. Start by loosening the clamping screw with the flat head screwdriver (don’t take it out though) and once you’ve loosened it, use the T20 to turn the adjusting screw that’s on the end of the handle. Four turns = 1cm. To shorten the oar, turn the screw clockwise and turn it counterclockwise to lengthen it. When you’ve got it to the length you want, re-tighten the clamping screw.

Inboard

The inboard is the part of the oar that goes from the oarlock to the end of the handle. (Outboard is from the oarlock to the end of the blade.) A fairly accepted method of measuring it with sweep boats is to take the spread of your boat and just add 30cm. With sculling, you would calculate the spread, divide by two, and add 6-8cm. Whatever measurement you come up with (usually 112-116cm for sweep and 87-89cm for sculling), measure that amount from the tip of the handle down the shaft. That position is where you’ll place the collars (or “buttons”, as they’re sometimes called), which are what keep the oar positioned against the oarlock and prevent the blade from sliding through.

Moving the collar closer to the end of the handle (shortening the inboard) increases the efficiency of your boat’s rigging but the caveat is that it makes the boat feel heavier. The issue with the boat feeling heavier is that it requires more effort to move, which leads to the rowers getting fatigued faster because they’re exerting more overall energy to power the boat.

One alternative to adjusting the collars, especially if you share oars with other crews, is to use a clam. Clams (or C.L.A.M., Clip-on Load Adjustment Mechanism) clip onto the sleeve in between the collar and the oarlock and are super easy to put on and remove. They’re used to adjust the load without actually making an adjustment to the oar itself. One clam is equal to one centimeter of inboard so the extra length you get from adding one (or several) increases the lightness of the boat.

If oars are shared between crews and the rigging is such that it’s too heavy for the next crew, they can pop on some clams and lighten the load without doing much damage in regards to the efficiency of the rigging. When you’re rowing into a headwind they can also be helpful in moving the boat. As a secondary benefit, they also protect the collars from wear and tear from being up against the oarlocks. row2k also has some good hacks for storing clams too, which you can read about here and here.

If you go here, you can check out a video from Concept 2 where they show how to measure the inboard and if you go here, you can see how collars are installed and adjusted.

Blade profile

Blade size is the last thing that helps create leverage. The larger the surface area of the blade, the more leverage you’ll create and the more efficient the rigging will be but it also results in a heavier boat feel felt by the rowers. As the rower moves the blade through the water, the trajectory of the blade generates the load that they feel. Different blades have different “loading profiles” so where the load is felt can differ depending on what you have (some blades have more resistance at the beginning of the drive, others have more at the end).

As technology has evolved, so too have the designs of the blades. If you look at old pictures of rowers you’ll see the “spoon” blade but as you progress to modern times you’ll see the more commonly used “hatchet” blades, of which Concept 2 has several varieties. (You can read about Concept 2’s innovation with blade designs here.) In the grand scheme of things, blade size has a minimal effect on one’s rigging when compared to other variables and shouldn’t be used to adjust the load felt by the rowers – that should be done by making adjustments to the oar length, spread, span, and inboard.

Next week: Pitch

Image via // @rowingcelebration

Q&A Rowing Technique Training & Nutrition

Question of the Day

By readyallrow December 23, 2012

Hi! I was looking at this past question from back in October. I know I do this too but, I watched the video and I don’t know if I do the shooting the slide thing but I do get pain in my lower back after longer rowing sessions. I don’t understand how to fix the problem unless I am in a single. My coaches mentioned placing the oars, then waiting to feel something to ‘grip’ on to then take the stroke. How am I meant to apply this in a boat?

To answer the first part regarding the pain in your low back: it’s possible that you shoot your slide a little bit but not enough that you’d be able to see it on video unless you slowed it down. When I’ve watched video before with my coaches I’ve seen things in slow motion that I never noticed at regular speed. It’s usually the really intricate stuff that most rowers don’t worry about until late high school and college, but if you look closely, you can see it. Other causes of low back pain that I can think of are:

Arching your back. In an effort to sit up straighter, some rowers will unknowingly puff their chests out and exaggerate the curvature in their backs

Not enough core strength. If your core muscles aren’t developed enough, it can make your low back sore from trying to maintain good posture. Planks and side planks are two of the best exercises a rower can do in order to develop their core strength. Try adding those into your stretching/workout routine if you don’t already do them and see if that helps. A really basic assessment for core strength is to do a plank and see how long you can hold it for. 30-60 seconds is average, longer than 60 seconds is considered strong, and less than 30 seconds means you’re a weakling.

Herniated disc. This is one of the most common injuries with rowers. This article from the New York Times explains everything you’ve ever wanted to know about them. Even if you think this is a slim possibility, you should still go to the doctor just to have it ruled out. Rowers careers have ended over these things and it’s unfortunate when they find out that if they’d gone to the doctor sooner, something could have been done to correct it.

There are many other causes of low back pain, including just plain poor technique, but these are some of the most common causes. Regardless of whether or not the pain is acute or constant, you should really get it checked out. Better safe than sorry. Also make sure you stretch before AND after practice.

Going back to what your coach said about “placing the oars”, this is something I’ve heard one of the Harvard coaches say and it’s one of the reasons why you don’t want to have a “death grip” on your oar otherwise you can’t feel what your coach is talking about. When you’re on the recovery you’re pushing the oars away from you (in the direction of your fingertips). At the catch when you place the blades in the water, you’ll feel the oars change direction because there will be a slight push-back into your palms. When you feel that push-back, that’s when you start your drive (which is why it’s important to make sure your slide is synced with your blades).

How To Q&A

Question of the Day

By readyallrow December 18, 2012

Hey, I was wondering if you have any advice on oar painting. In the past all our team has done is just use regular spray paint over the old cracked paint job (obviously a mistake), but our coach has put me in charge of the repainting this year and I want to do it right. I’ve stared working on sanding down the blades but am unsure how to go about painting. Should we just use regular spray paint with a protective finish? I’ve read that some people use automotive paint.

It’s been awhile since I last painted any oars myself but I have a general idea of how it’s done so hopefully this helps. For paint, automotive paint is definitely the way to go. You can also use marine paint but automotive paint has more color choices.

1. Start with a low-grit sandpaper (180 is good) and sand the oars until ALL the shine is gone. Rinse the oar off and let it dry.

2. Prime the oars with a lacquer or enamel primer (lacquer works best but enamel is fine too) 2-3 times, letting it fully dry each time between coats.

3. After you’ve applied the last coat and let it dry, go over the oar with a high-grit sandpaper (400 is good), rinse, and let it dry. This will help the top coat adhere to the primer and create a stronger bond between the paints.

4. Once it’s dried, begin applying the topcoat. Make sure you use the same type of paint for the topcoat that you used for the primer – i.e. if the primer was lacquer, use a lacquer top coat. Add 3-5 layers of topcoat and make sure you let it dry fully in between each coat. After the final coat, let the oar dry for at least 8 hours (or overnight) before you start adding any designs.

5. Use painters tape and/or stencils to add your team’s design to the oar. Before you paint the design, lightly sand the area that you’ll be painting with the 400 grit sandpaper. If you’re adding multiple colors/layers to the design, let each layer dry before moving on to the next one.

6. Once you’ve completely finished painting, use a clear coat to seal in the color and design. This will also help protect the oar as well as give them a nice shine. Add 2-3 coats, letting each one dry in between.