Newbie Question: Learning to Row (Scull)

[clarion]

I want to learn to row, with a view to a camping holiday on a Thames skiff.  I've wanted for a long time to learn to row - it was on my list of things to do I drew up before I turned 40, but, of course, I've waited till the year after I've ripped my entire shoulder joint apart to start

Thing is, there's loads of rowing clubs in London.  And they seem keen on introducing beginners.  Really must be the best place for it in the country.  But they're all about steaming along on those matchstick-thin things, and that's just not me.

I just want to learn how to scull a touring boat up and down the river without destroying myself or the boat.

Any advice?

[PaulF]

I imagine they have more stable craft for learners as well, when I rowed at school <content redacted> years ago we certainly did. The "matchstick-thin things" are race boats in the same way that you'd learn to ride a bike on a hybrid type before graduating to something more racy.

[clarion]

Yeah, I'd hoped so, but the photos on the beginners web pages all seem to be *slightly* wider boats with outriggers for the rowlocks and such.

I might do that, but I know I'm never going to be interested in racing, just as I'm at heart a touring cyclist, and, while I'd like to play at Herne Hill, I harbour no wish to race.

[Manotea]

I live within 100m of the Thames and made several attempts at inveigling myself into the various rowing clubs within a couple of miles from home as a beginner cum social rower.

My take is that if you didn't learn to row at school, then, basically, you're stuffed. It would be far easier to become a playing member of, say, Wimbledon or Lords, or that golf club in America where members wear green jackets.

If your aim is to practice handling a skiff then the simplest thing is probably to log some time on a C2 to develop some basic rowing technique and fitness, then head down to Richmond Bridge where there are boats for hire.

[mike]

A training scull with outriggers will be fairly similar to a skiff (skiffs have moving seats, right?).   Some might have 'virus' or Yole training boats too, big (sometimes yellow) jobs that are canoe-width and pretty nearly impossible to fall out of.  link:http://www.nauticexpo.com/prod/virus-boats/rowing-shells-touring-single-sculls-20475-216385.html

if you can learn in one of them, a big wooden skiff should be a piece of cake. Mmm Cake.

if skiffs dont have moving seats, then you're probably best learning to row in a skiff, it's quite a different technique.

Manotea - might be true in some places (thames and london in particular, if you're in putney) I dont think that's the case in most, we used to have loads of adult novices at my club and they were a key part of the place. Try Furnival or Auriol Kensington near hammersmith, they always seemed much friendlier to me...

[clarion]

Thanks for the tips

[mike]

be careful, it's addictive - give it 3 months and you'll be going out in an eight...

[Marco Stefano]

Try searching for skiffing clubs, there are a few on the Thames west of London. Skiffs have no moving seats, just fixed thwarts.

Many rowing clubs are gearing up for more recreational rowing, rather than racing, with wider, flatter-bottomed boats (as Mike describes, and also carbon / Kevlar lighter weight ones). They do have sliding seats, but are quite a bit more stable than racing shells, if more prone to skating across the river in sidewinds. I would imagine they might be a nightmare on the tidal Thames, but fine upstream (west of Teddington, I think).

We have many adults learning to row, and cater from pottering about to racing and the heady heights of national champions (we host a British Rowing 'Start'group - all huge and scarily fast). If you get going with it, that adds another potential trip from Mildenhall, to come  sculling in Ely as a guest - and other YACFers can watch and shout insults from the top of the bank.

[Jaded]

We learnt in a clinker boat, which was generally more stable than a smooth one.

When you have had a couple of lessons you will be able to try to swap the sculls (oars) over, mid stream, in one of those narrow fast ones. 

[Tim Hall]

We took a camping skiff on the Thames year before last.  It was the one pictured in the coveting things thread.

I'm fairly sure the only rowing/sculling I'd done before then was limited to the traditional "number 24, your time is up" on a pond. Oh, and coming third in a charity raft race.

What I guess I'm saying is I don't think you need to know how to do it beforehand. But it might help.

[JJ]

AIUI, skiffing is rather different from rowing and sculling in that the seat is fixed, and the oar goes between fixed pins rather than into a locking swivel, so that avoiding catching a crab is trickier.  On the other hand, I think the terminology is used rather loosely, so that some things that you might hire as skiffs, may well have sliding seats.

Ditton Skiff and Punt used to be a rather jolly lot, with a good bar, or so I was told.

[Titan]

You really don't need to learn to row to take out a camping skiff. Most of the people who take them out are not rowers,  and it's a onetime experience doing the three men in a boat thing. I did a very enjoyable long weekend, and rowing skill was not required. Cycling gloves are good for avoiding blisters, but the similarity to cycle touring pretty much ends there, it's a more leisurely thing and really very very slow indeed.
While rowing skill is not really a factor, it's well worth spending some time on the rowing machine though as your arms and shoulders will ache like hell otherwise.

[clarion]

The thing I'm concerned about is partly that I'm not sure my shoulder can take it following the surgery - not sure if I have the strength, or even the movement, required, and i want to make sure I'm working as efficiently as possible so I get the best out of it before I commit my cash.

Anyway, this plan may be put on hold, as events may have intervened.

Thanks, everyone, for your kind advice.