Learn to Row

We make it easy and fun!

Rowing is fairly easy to learn. We have always said "give us an hour and we'll teach you to row".

If you stop by Virus on Grand Lake Colordo, gateway to the Rocky Mountain National Park, you'll be greeted with a smile and a rowing lesson!

Anybody can learn the sport that you may have seen in action, performed by  athletes. You  thought "I would like to be able to do that" when you saw trained rowers gliding quickly through the water in their rowing shell.  We are here to show you rowing is easy! Rowing for exercise and  pleasure is  possible for all. Rowing for recreation is easier than rocket science or olympic gymnastics.

It requires a practical boat and the patience to start in a wider boat which, by the nature of things, is more stable and less intimidating because of "tippyness" or length. Provided one has a proper start, the basics of rowing, or sculling, can be learned in less than 2 hours of relaxed instruction. These first elements will let anybody learn to row and then, mile by mile, improve their skills becoming an accomplished sculler.

This page shows some of the basics. Though it's definitely not comprehensive training or instruction, it does give you a feel for what it takes. Rowing is a great recreational sport for everyone. Virus Boats, practical, stable and easy to handle make it easy.

Introduction to Rowing
7am to 9am  Daily coffee or Juice included

Prisca and Benno, total novices check it out. On Sarasota Bay, the Yole Club is the right boat to start with when learning sculling style rowing.

Urs provides a little demonstrate of the stability of Virus rowing sculls to comfort Benno, who still had doubts. The Yole is so stable one would fall over board before the Yole would tip over, if it would tip at all.

It is beneficial to start sculling single in the boat. One by one the motions can be learned much easier without worrying about synchronizing your rowing. Prisca has it right, hold the oars and step in to the center of the cockpit

Each one did a few rounds rowing alone in the boat first. Then they ventured in to double sculling. The Yole Club was converted from single to double scull in a matter of minutes, without tools.

And they are ready to go! Benno rows bow and Prisca stroke. Benno is stronger and can more easily adjust his stroke to Prisca’s. It would be more difficult for Prisca to row up to Benno's speed. Being in the bow allows Benno to see Prisca and match her stroke.

A few words of comfort and some fine tuning before casting off…

Benno maneuvers the Yole off the dock. He is in charge of the direction. Prisca clears her oars of the dock.

So far so good. It's now about 1 hour since Prisca and Benno first stepped into a Yole and rowed single.

..oops, Benno adjusts the oars blades. Scoop up not down.

Prisca is ready to begin the stroke, Benno still has some confusion about the blades facing up or down. He will get it eventually, people most always do.

OK, just a little more synchronization and things should fall in place.

And there it is. Repeat this twenty times and you will have it. This is also the moment when the batteries of the camera failed. Benno and Prisca got back in great harmony. 2 hours in all, the last half hour successfully rowing a double scull across the bay. Not bad, for this very new experience.