This will provide you with an insiders guide to all aspects of rowing. From simple technique to how the sport is beneficial for the body, the information is here. As a member of the FSU Rowing Team, I would encourage anyone with slight interest to try it out even if its just for a day.
The Technical Stuff
Most people think of Rowing as an "all legs" sport, but little do they know it works out the entire body. At the beginning of the stroke you first push with the legs, then extend the back backwards, and then pull the oar with the arms. The two most used words we use in terms of location in each stroke are the catch and finish. The catch is where the rower is at the beginning of the stroke, about to pull the oar through the water. The finish is at the end of the stoke with legs extended, back angled backwards, and arms holding the oar at the chest. The drive is the most powerful part of each stroke. The drive is where the rower exerts all of his energy with the whole body into pushing off the footplates and pushing the oar through the water. The recovery, refers to the few seconds during which a rower comes from the finish back to the catch.
Keeping the boat set, or balanced, is a key indicator of a successful boat. Each rower in a boat has to keep their oar handle at the same height, because it only takes one person to make the boat lean to a certain side. Looking from the bow, the left side is called Starboard, and the right is called Port.
In every boat the rowers are facing the stern, basically facing backwards, and never seeing the finish line until it is passed.
Almost all boats have a coxswain, the person who steers and directs the rowers through a race. The coxswains are one of the most important parts of rowing. Nicknamed the "cox", one will tell the rowers when they need to put on more pressure, the rate at which the boat is at, and if someone needs to correct their technique.
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