Recently Rob submitted this question:

Hi Mike,

I have a question regarding rigger heights. We are a men’s masters crew and as you would expect there is a wide variance in body shapes and sizes.

How would you set up the boat? Would you work on an average height or set up each individual rower?

For example our stoke is 6 ft 3 inches but the average height would be 5ft 10 inches. From my perspective I am 5 ft 9 with short legs and long body, so I sit quite high in the boat and find drawing up to my sternum at the finish difficult at times. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Rob, good question. Here is what I suggest:

I would certainly have rigger heights set per the person, when you get to the stage of knowing who rows where. Easiest (and best) way is to do a height check when you first launch. Following are those steps:

• Have bow 4 set boat
• Stern 4 go to finish position, blades square in water
• Make sure that the blades are buried as you want the finish to be set
• The outside arm should be parallel to the surface of the water. If the wrist is above the elbow, probably too high. If the wrist below elbow, probably too low.
• Then have stern 4 set, and check the bow 4
• Adjust riggers accordingly, and take a test row.

Yes this sounds super simple, and for the most part it is.

Measuring your riggers in the boat bay works well but it doesn’t account for the crew’s average weight not being the same as the average weight that the builder made the boat to carry. This simple Height Check accounts for that and has proven itself over the year.

Good luck, and Row Slow!

This post is another in the Basic Rigging Video series of how to take basic measurements of a shell.

Knowing how long your oar is, and the length of your inboard, are two very important pieces of information that you need to have to rig your shell properly. Without that info you really put your rowing efficiency and effectiveness at risk.

As important as having the measurements is, knowing how to measure them correctly is just as important. Although simple to do, many people have difficulty with getting correct readings.

The short video below shows how I measure both oar length and inboard. The audio is a little low in spots. Still, I hope you find it helpful.

Have suggestions on ways to improve this, or your own way of measuring? Please share in the comment box below.

Laurie just sent a great question about blade oar depth. She asks:

Hi Mike! Can you give me some guidelines on where best to place depth-marking tape on the sweep oar. If you have any ideas on this and if you could tell me from where you are measuring ie- the end of the blade or where the blade attaches to the shaft.
This is for some varsity college guys who are digging a bit and thought the visual may help…any thoughts?

Thanks Laurie, for the question. Let’s see if this helps.

Why To Do It

The oar during the drive moves rather quickly, often around 1 second, and it sometimes can be difficult to see the placement of the oar under the surface. A wrap of tape along the lower shaft of the oar (often called the throat) can help a coach or coxswain gauge the depth of the oar during the drive.

The tape also gives, from behind the shell, a view of how all the oars on a side work, or don’t work, together.

However, in conversation about this with Allen Rosenberg (coach extraordinaire) he noted that the blade depth is likely to change  as a boat’s speed increases. However, the tape could be a good tool for noticing fluctuations that shouldn’t be happening.

Personally, I’ve used tape, and then not used it—depending on the level of skill of the crew. I’ve found it to beneficial when coaching beginners but as the rowers become more experienced it was not quite as helpful.

How To Do It

The first part of the process is pretty simple:

1. Get the heights correct for each rigger
2. Then put boat in the water
3. Put oars in
4. Have rowers sit in boat with oars buried, at the finish.
5. Check oar handle height at release and blade depth to make sure they are correct

The second part is a little tricky. You then need to bring your launch over to the buried oars, use your fingers to mark the place on the shaft where the it enters the water. Then I gently lift the oar up, dry it and put a wrap of tape around it.

From here you can either do all the oars, or wait until you come in from your row, measure the distance on the marked oar, and then mark the rest.

My tape of choice is colored duct tape. If I don’t have that, colored electrical tape works well. The brighter the better.

When To Do It

I suggest that you do this process when you have some time to set it up correctly, and when you have time to be able to work with the results. The info you will get may prompt you to make changes in technique (not a great thing to do the day before a race).

Where To Do It

Do this on water that is flat and nice (preferably not at 35 degrees F). Flat water is critical.

I hope that helps Laurie. If anyone has suggestions, please let me know.

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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?

An oar grip is an incredibly important place - it is where the rower meets the oar.  If that grip is not ready to race, the rower won’t be either.  Today, most (but not all) grips are made of synthetics. There are many different types of materials, sizes, and colors used. Regardless of these differences I found one commonality—if the grip is not clean it can be very difficult for the rower to have it do what she wants it to do.  Over time a grip can get dirty with such things as skin, sweat, blood, oil, plain old dirt, or aging pieces of the surface layer of the grip.  All of these can add up to cover an oar grip with a slippery coating.  Dirty grips will slip in a rower’s hand and if a dirty grip gets wet it can be extremely difficult to control.  A clean grip is easier to control, and as I wrote about before it can also cut down on infections. Continue Reading »

Here is a question for you, (and I cannot wait for the comments).

If your focus is sweep rowing, and going fast, can sculling help you get faster?

I had my own opinion about this, but I wanted to search out others for their thoughts. I asked several friends who are rock-star coaches. I got several different responses back and the common theme that stuck out was, “it sure can!”

When I prompted one coach for more details she told me “Sculling can help with so many of the small intricacies of sweep rowing that the athlete dismisses as important when the call is loud and clear to PULL HARD.” Continue Reading »