Crew and Rowing Terminology

Rowing has a unique set of terms used to describe the equipment, techniques, and commands essential to the sport. Understanding this language is key to respecting the sport and fully grasping how rowing works. Here’s a guide to the basic rowing terms that every rower and their families should know.

Key Equipment Terms

• Blade: The flattened part at the end of the oar that goes into the water. Sometimes the entire oar is referred to as a blade.

• Bow: The front end of the boat. The rower sitting in the seat closest to the bow is also called "Bow" (seat #1).

• Foot Stretchers: The part of the boat where rowers secure their feet.

• Gunwale (pronounced “gun’l”): The upper edge of the boat.

• Oarlock: A square ring with a hinged gate on the end of the rigger that holds the oar in place. This is the fulcrum of the stroke.

• Rigger: The metal or carbon fiber arms extending from the boat that support each oar.

• Shell: The term used for the boat. It has sliding seats for the rowers and rigging for the oars.

• Skeg: A fixed plastic piece underneath the boat for stabilization, often paired with the rudder.

• Slide: The rail upon which the rower’s seat moves.

Parts of the Boat

• Bow Pair: The rowers sitting in seats 1 and 2, responsible for helping to balance the boat.

• Stern: The back of the boat, where the coxswain sits facing the rowers.

• Stern Pair: Rowers in seats 7 and 8, with seat 8 being the stroke, who sets the pace for the entire boat.

• Single: A one-person boat in which the rower uses two oars (sculling).

Rowing Techniques and Commands

• Catch: The starting point of the stroke when the rower places the oar into the water.

• Drive: The power phase of the stroke where the rower pushes with their legs and pulls with their back and arms.

• Finish: The end of the drive, when the oar is taken out of the water, and the body begins to move into recovery.

• Recovery: The phase of the stroke where the rower slides forward, preparing for the next catch. It’s a time to relax and breathe.

• Layback: The slight backward lean of the rower’s upper body at the finish of the stroke, usually around 10 degrees from vertical.

• Forward Body Angle: The position of the upper body leaning forward at the catch and throughout the recovery.

• Swing: The upper body motion as it pivots from the hips during the drive, transitioning from the forward body angle to layback.

• Hypercompression: Excessive compression of the legs at the catch, which can lead to improper technique.

Common Commands

• Let it Run: Command to stop rowing but let the boat continue gliding.

• Weigh Enough: Command to stop rowing completely.

• Paddling: Rowing at a slow, easy pace with a low stroke rate.

• Piece: A defined work segment during practice, either by time or distance (e.g., a “2-minute piece”).

Coxswain’s Role

• Coxswain (cox): The person in charge of steering the boat and giving commands. The coxswain plays the role of a coach, ensuring that the rowers maintain proper technique and stay in rhythm.

• Rudder: Controlled by the coxswain to steer the boat using strings attached to the foot of the cox.

Types of Boats and Rowing

• Sweep Rowing: A type of rowing where each rower uses only one oar, typically in pairs, fours, or eights.

• Sculling: Rowing with two oars per rower, typically in singles, doubles, or quads.

• Eights: A boat with eight rowers and a coxswain.

• Sculls: Boats where each rower has two oars (e.g., singles, doubles, quads).

Performance Metrics

• Pace: The speed at which the boat is moving, typically measured in strokes per minute (SPM) on the water. On ergometers, pace is measured in terms of 500-meter splits.

• SPM (Strokes Per Minute): A measure of the stroke rate, usually ranging between 28–36 SPM during a race.

• Ratio: The relationship between the time spent on the drive and the recovery phases of the stroke. Ideally, rowers spend more time in recovery than in the drive.

• Split: The work output measured over a set distance, typically displayed on ergometers for each 500-meter segment.

• Race Pace: The effort that can be sustained over an entire race. Race pace varies depending on the distance of the race (e.g., 500 meters vs. 2000 meters).

Health and Safety

• Blisters: A common issue when gripping the oar too tightly. Athletic tape or liquid bandages (like New Skin) can help manage blisters while rowing.