The Secret of Blade Type and Gearing

Recently Susan submitted this question about oar length:

I just received your “Nuts & Bolts guide…” from Amazon.com I bought the book because I’m getting alot of conflicting feedback about my rigging.

When I learned to scull, it was in a VanDusen racing 1x with club rigging: 160 spread, 289/88 C II big blades. My technique is good, but I’m not very strong (hence the reason why I work technique). I now own a 2004 Hudson LWT 1x. I have not been able to use these same rigging settings on my Hudson. I cannot get to the pin to save my life.

I’ve been playing around with measurements. I still have a 160 spread, but had to shorten my oars to about 287 with an 87.5 inboard on C II smoothies. I’m almost at the pin, but the boat is feeling heavier.

I looked at the chart in Chapter 15 of your book and I have to say that I’m even more confused. I’ve never seen scull lengths over 290. In fact, when I looked at Volker Nolte’s charts (Rowing Faster) and at the recommendations given for Fluidesign, they had me moving the oars shorter, citing a difference between the CII smoothie and big blade sculls.

What’s a good length and does the particular blade type make a difference?

Susan:

A great question. There certainly is a relationship between blade type and oar length. The physics of why can be tedious, but if you would like some insight into how blade shape, design, and length all work together you may want to check out this page.

Back to your question . . . as blade shapes have morphed into new shapes, blade lengths typically have shortened. In your case, going from a CII Big Blade to a CII Smoothie, you should shorten your blade only about 1 cm or so. Now this is based on CII’s testing, and is just a guideline. It looks like that is what you did. Please refer to the chart below for some guidance.

Here is the secret of selecting the correct rigging adjustments for you—testing. Slow, methodical testing can get you where you want to go. I would suggest that where you are now with your lengths might fine, and your inboard seems okay. I would not go any wider with your span (you are at 160 now). I would suggest that you might try testing your work-through.

I have noticed that scullers seem to have difficulty finding the right work-through measurement for them. (This is the distance from a perpendicular through the pin to a perpendicular across the front stops.) Scullers tend to need negative work-through with their hips at or behind the pin.You can make this adjustment on the water by moving the footstretchers. (Please refer to the book for more into on this).

Here is what I would do (on a no- or low- wind day).

1. Set up a SpeedCoach for average pace (the average is taken from the moment you hit “Start” until you hit “Stop”. You can use GPS. More on that in a later post.
2. Row 300-500 meters
3. Take average speed of piece
4. Make slight adjustment to footstrechters
5. Row and average piece again
6. Repeat a few times with small adjustments
7. Compare averages of each piece, noting footstretcher placement

This information should give you some insight into your hip placement against the pin. Also, record how you “feel” after each piece. These subjective evaluations are also important for someone who has rowed as long as you.

Try this and let us know what you come up with.

Readers, anyone want to pipe in for suggestions for Susan?

Does Rowing Equipment Go Wrong At The Big Races? (Part 2)

More about when bad things go wrong at the big race.

Does Rowing Equipment Go Wrong At The Big Races?

A post yesterday on Row2k got me thinking about this. Rowing equipment can go wrong at any race, and it certainly can at the BIG races, such as the World Championships or the Olympics.

Sometimes the results of those equipment failures can be small, such as a short equipment delay or a restart of a race.

Other times they can be devastating, such as this example. A high-tech, wonderful shell can certainly be stopped dead by a 49 cent fastener.

If you have a chance, check out a rowing coach while her race is coming down the course. It might look like she is holding her breath.

Now you know one reason why.

6 Things Not To Learn About Rowing From the Beijing Olympics

(photo by clevercupcakes)

With the Olympics blazing away it is an exciting time for rowing. And if you’re lucky you may just be able to view racing in person, on the web, or on TV. And possibly you can read about the training, selection, and coaching from a number of sources.

A word of caution—be careful what you learn.

The Olympics represent four years of a nation trying to make a boat go fast. It is our Indy 500. Our  Super-Bowl. To generate the hull speed needed to compete at that level the envelop is pushed—really pushed. Technological breakthroughs, advance training regimens, innovative equipment, and radical strategies and techniques are just a few of the outcomes of a country trying to get a boat to win a medal. However, many of those advances are not applicable to what us mere mortals can do with our rowing.

Do Big Advances Happen
No doubt—great advances happen in Olympic efforts. Obviously not all are good (doping) but some of the advances can be brilliant. As a recent Fast Company article details no holds are barred reaching for Olympics medals. Here are a few advances for the Beijing Olympics:

• a swim suit that constricts to makes athletes smaller—therefore faster
• a running shoe so light the runners do not know that it is on
• track shoes that list to port to help with speed when the track turns
• javelins made of aluminum wrapped in carbon, like a giant toothpick swaddled in a carbon-fiber fishnet stocking

At the 1996 Olympics, where I was boatman for the US team, I witnessed some incredible advances. From explosive reduction of erg scores, to blazing speeds, to wickedly high ratings, to new equipment designs—it was almost like being part of a science-fiction movie. The image below is a past example of one such innovation. It is a sliding rigger developed in 1956. (It was banned from racing by FISA after Kolbe won the World Championships in the single in 1981. Bad break for  all of those who had bought one.)

(photo from Friends of Rowing History)

We Are Mortal

Often those advances are viewed as what colleges, high schools, and juniors programs should be doing. And this is where problems, sometimes big problems can occur. Olympic innovation is big—scratch that—huge. And big budgets, big athletes, and nearly unlimited resources (for some teams) are dedicated to being faster, higher, stronger.

But that does not describe most rowing programs in the US.  Our athletes are not Oympic athletes. Our training schedules do not allow for Olympic efforts. Our rowers do not row as well as Olympians. And our equipment is not like theirs. It does not mean that the aspirations of the rowers are different, but the  materials and resources are.

Yet I see many coaches, rowers, and supporters believing that what Olympians can do, others can do.

As you tune in and watch Olympic rowing I suggest there are 6 things you ignore when it comes to trying them with your own rowing or coaching.

Ignore This—Speeds. Aw, come on. They are faster than us. They are WICKEDLY faster than us. Heck, some of them are faster than my car. Hardly any crews can come anywhere near close to those speeds. So don’t ask to go that fast. Don’t ask your teams to go that fast. (Don’t ask your car to go that fast.)

Ignore This—Training. Those folks train like the type of athletes they are—amazing. The work volume, scheduling, and consumption is incredible. (At one camp I saw a sculler eat a 32 egg omelette after practice, and complain about still being hungry.) They train hard, and if anyone but those athletes were to try to train at that level the consequences could be drastic and crushing. Training plans need to be methodically designed for the level of athlete you are (or have). Don’t try to do Olympic training.

Ignore This—Strategy. Granted this is one area where you might be able to draw some wisdom, but keep in mind that Olympic racing strategy is designed to work against Olympic competition and with Olympic athletes.  And to implement an Olympic rowing strategy you  have to be able to do the tactics. Tactics such as racing the first 700 meters at 45 spm is probably well beyond all but the best rowers in the world.

Ignore This—Stroke Rating. See above. Their hull speed allows for higher ratings. Speed and stroke rating go hand-in-hand.

Ignore This—Rigging Numbers. This is my pet peeve. The only rowers who should be rigged like national team rowers are national team rowers. Yet I get emails from coaches who use those rigging numbers and wonder why their kids are hurting their backs. In my rigging clinics I no longer use national team rigging numbers as examples. Get the appropriate numbers for your rowing. Don’t use theirs.

Ignore This—Equipment. All that shiny new equipment, flying down the course. Don’t you just want to buy some? Of course you do, but is it right for you? For your team? There is some wiggle room here, but you might not get the bang from the buck you want.

So what should a rowing spectator do? Turn on the Olympics. Watch. Cheer. Enjoy.

But just be careful what knowledge you bring home.

Nielsen Kellerman Cadence T1 Wristrate Watch (product review)

Sports that count on timing, such as rowing, need watches. One of the leaders in making reliable and useful timing tools for rowing has been Nielsen Kellerman (NK). Their watch, the Cadence T1 Wristrate was first released in 2005 and since then it has been a steady seller for NK.

The Cadence is basically meant to do two things: allow the user to get stroke ratings, and act as a convenient timer. It also fills the role as a wrist watch. Here is a sampling of some of the features of the Cadence T1:

• takes stroke ratings on the wrist
• takes ratings when attached to an oar
• timing, with memory
• dual lap/split chronograph
• alarm
• water resistant

I’ve been testing a Cadence T1 for almost a year, as of this posting, and I wanted share my impressions of the product.

What Sets It Apart
Up until it’s release there were few options for coaches and rowers for taking stroke ratings and times. One of those options is NKs Interval 2000 Split/Rate Watch, the one frequently seen around coach’s necks at regattas. The Cadence T1 is about 1/2 the price of the Interval and as you might expect does have significantly less features.

Another option is to use a stroke counter that is in a shell, such as NK’s Cox-Box or Speed Coach. Also, more experienced coaches can often tell ratings by counting or by using a standard timing watch. I’ve found that the Cadence T1 sets itself apart from these other methods because it can:

• tell ratings without the use of wires by use of tilt-switch technology
• be easily switched between boats or positions in a boat
• be comfortably worn on the wrist, acting as a standard wrist watch
• stylish and competitively priced

The Pluses
Over the year I’ve found the Cadence to be extremely easy to wear. As a matter of fact I’ve never forgotten it. I put it on in the morning and not only do I have a stroke watch at practice, I also have one watch at staff meetings,  weddings, and picking the kids up at school. To me, this was a big plus. I found with my other watch, the Interval, I did not have it at about 1/3 of my practices because I would leave it somewhere and forget it.

The Cadence has proven itself to be tough and well made. It has survived through two kids, a full year of practices, and a summer of swimming, boating and yard work. It has large buttons that are easy for small and large hands to press, and the screen is easy to read. I found it very simple and almost intuitive to switch between settings.

One important plus for me is the customer service of NK. When I did have a problem, which I will discuss in a moment they were top notch.

The Minuses
When I bought the watch, it did not work out of the box. Either the watch or battery was defective. A quick call to NK solved the problem, and the tech folks were knowledgeable and helpful. Another problem I had showed up about 6 months after having the watch. The end of the band separated making it almost impossible to put the watch band through the slot in the watch. Again, customer service came through and a new band was quickly on its way.

A large minus I’ve found it that it is difficult to get accurate ratings by hand. This is where the Interval watch excels and the Cadence falls down. I’ve also noticed that it is often difficult to keep the watch on an oarhandle from slipping so that is is hard to read while rowing.

MaxRigging Buying Advice
If you are looking for an inexpensive and simple way to take ratings, do some timing, and have a watch that is often handy, the Cadence T1 would be a good bet. After 28 years of coaching I find it handy and it does fill many of the needs I have, and the purchase was a good way to save money when I needed, as a coach, to be frugal. When time comes to replace it, for general use, I will buy another.

However, if you want more precise measurements, where accurate ratings are crucial, then you will probably be happier with one of NK’s Interval Split/Rate Watches.

Have an opinion about this product? Share it with our readers.

Is Catch Length Right For My Crew? (reader question)

Recently James, from New Zealand, submitted this question:

I am interested in finding out the best way to set a crew up in the boat. I have for a long time measured back from the line of work a set distance and had all the crew set their back axel to this – to help with different length of legs etc. But now I am reading more and more about the need for a large catch angle. So, what is the best way to set the archs so everyone is rowing the same? Should I set an angle at the catch, but will this mean different finish lengths? Set it at the back and coach the catch length? What effect does Cord Length have?

First, thanks James for your question. It is a good one, that certainly should be of interest to anyone who wants to generate maximum hull speed for their boat, regardless of sweep or sculling.

Second, it would probably help to define some of terms, to make sure that we are talking about the same things (as you know, terms in rowing can be rather, er, strange.) You can find more rowing terms here.

The catch angle is the angle of the oar, at the catch, to a perpendicular line that runs down the middle of the shell. Catch length is a simple way to measure the catch angle, and is often used to really describe the same thing, from a non-angular perspective. The arch, or arc that you mentioned describes the theoretical track that the oar makes through the water. (I say theoretical because the blade really doesn’t move more than a small distance through the water, unlike the butt of the oarhandle which does make an arc.

The last term, cord length, is one seldom used here in the US. Basically it is the distance from the end of one point of the arc to another. It is not relevant to outside arc (how the blade travels through the water—because it doesn’t). Instead it is more relevant to the inside arc—specifically the distance of the inside arc. You might find this post on Oarsport helpful.

Why Should You Care

For beginners coaches and Riggers (first and second Dimensional) this may all seem like hoopla. What difference does this make? A reasonable question. And a reasonable answer would be . . .”Speed.” It is all about speed.

Beginners, don’t worry about all the technically stuff here. It really boils down to this—where should I set my footstretchers? With that noted, zip to the end, and I’ll cover it there.

For you folks with more rigging under your belt, the reason you should care is still speed, but knowing how this works and all fits together will give you the tools to get more speed. The old ‘Teach a person to fish” saying applies here.

So how is all this information going to help you become a better Rigger? My rigging greatly improved when I realized most of the major adjustments I did when I rigged had an effect on the arcs. As soon as I grasped this concept, everything about rigging seemed to fall into place and I made the step from Second-Dimensional to Third-Dimensional Rigger.

Things Have Changed

There is not much change that has happened in rowing, or rigging, over the years but one place of some change has been track length. Used to be that rowers were concerned about running out of track, and hitting one or both ends. No more, in the last few years boat builders have been putting longer tracks into the boats, much longer than most rowers would ever use.
Another change I’ve noticed in the US is that the focus seems to be placed on the catch, and not as much on the finish. I know most of my peers rig to empahsize the catch, and the finish is a secondary thought. Don’t know if it is better or not, but that is what we seem to be doing.

So What Should I Do?

If the focus is all about speed what to do? I suggest:

• focus on the catch angle
• measure the catch angle by using catch length‚Äîor footstretcher placement
• pay attention to the inside arc
• pay no attention to the outside arc
• accept a compromise between catch length vs finish length

How Do You Measure Catch Length/Angle
In a future post I will show how to measure the catch length and angle. Or you can read about  it in my book, Nuts and Bolts Guide to Rigging. In the meantime, if you are looking for a solution, you can get number suggestions here. Then set your tracks. And then set your footstretchers so that the seat wheels almost touch the front stops at the catch.

I hope that this is a productive start. Readers, send your thoughts along for James.

Share The Waterways

Sharing is part of rowing—for example we share the water we row on with many people. Anyone who grew up with brothers or sisters knows that sharing can involve hassles. One of these hassles is who do you turn to when you are having a conflict.

For rowers an area of potential conflict is the wakes generated by other boats. All vessels (including coaching launches!) are responsible for damage that their wake may cause, and wakes can definitely cause damage.

If you have a problem with someone’s wake you basically have two solutions—you solve it or someone else does.

Often the best recourse is to attempt to solve the conflict yourself. Do this by having a conversation with the individual that made the wake—an intelligent conversation—not a yelling match. In most cases drivers of boats don’t realize how fragile a shell is or how much damage their wake can cause. They may not even be aware of what their wake is doing. In these cases a polite and intelligent conversation may get to a resolution quickly.

But unfortunately you may find that the driver’s behavior, or the situation, may make the first solution difficult—then I suggest you take the second recourse (especially if any damage has been caused). The steps here are simple:

• Record as much information about the offending boat as possible (bow number, boat name, description)
• Get a witness (if possible)
• Report the information to the authorities

If the offending boat it is a commercial vessel then you should contact the United States Coast Guard directly. If the boat is privately owned then the information should be reported to your local authorities. Exactly who that authority is will depend on your area—it may be the county sheriff, marine patrol, or Department of Natural Resources. To find out who to report to you may need to make several phone calls.

Surf’s up. Be careful.

57 Ways To Rig #1-#8:

Talking to a coach yesterday, and I was asked what was the #1 top thing that he needed to do to get the most from his rowing equipment.

I stared at him—processing a list of hundreds of items in my head. And it got me thinking, “I should put up a list, say of the top 57 tips, a rower/coach needs to do to get the most speed and keep the most sanity.”

And so that is how this post began, and the list starts. Some tips may be very specific (tighten this), others very conceptual (think about this).

To start off, here are 8. All are conceptual, but important.

1. Thrive inside the box: Over the past hundred years there has been very little significant innovation in rowing in terms of hull design. We live in a box compared to other areas, such as telecommunications.
2. Don’t underestimate the importance of a simple $.45 nut: It can stop dead a $30,000 boat.
3. Keep your hull clean
4. Keep your hull smooth
   
5. Know how the rigging numbers are measured when getting them from another source
   
6. Keep all moving parts clean
7. Test your rigging numbers for your own situation
   
8. In the big picture of hull speed, rigging is not in the top four items of greatest importance

How To Rig For A Different Size Partner (sculling)

When one is big, and the other is small, what should you do?

I just recently received the following email from Patrick, about rigging for different size rowers.

Hi Mike,

I’m wondering, I’m trying to rig a double up for my partner and myself to race in. I’m 5’11” and he’s somewhere around 6’4”. We’re rowing in a Wintech double so the adjustments have been pretty easy so far.
I raised my seat to its highest potential and moved my stretchers about 1/2 in up, but our angles are still off, people have been telling me to move my pins in and his pins out but I am not sure how much is too much or how much is enough.
Was wondering if you could give me some insight on this. Hope to hear from you soon.

Patrick brings up one of the most frequently asked questions I get from rowers who really want to get the most from their equipment: “What if I am a different size from my partner, what can I/we do?” This is not an easy one to answer. However there are some steps he can take to find a solution that may work for you.

Read more

Get More Done (reader’s poll)

As a coach/rower/Rigger I am often asked to do much more than I have time for. There are solutions that help, but I’ve found that most fall into the same abyss that happens with resolutions from the New Year.

They work for a bit, maybe even a month or so, but then I’m back to the same overload situation.

There are certain things that I do to be more productive (a.k.a. save time) as a coach such as:

• use a planner
• teach assistant coaches to rig (delegate)
• keep the work room organized
• keep spare parts in my on-the-water tool box

However, I’m always looking for ways to save a few minutes, and do a better job—quicker. So . . . do you have a time-saver that you could take 5—of those saved minutes—to share with the readers here (and me)?

photo by truthinreligion

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