Outdoor vs Indoor Rowing?

Question

How transferable is the skill of indoor rowing to outdoor, i am a keen indoor rower and was thinking of trying the proper thing and was just curious,(i have a fan powered row like in the gyms) thanks in advance.

Answer 1

after winter training with my novice boys it was clear they had forgotten how to row correctly for atleast 2 pratices...

outdoor roing is so much better

and if u have to row indoor tanks are so much more fun... they seriously need to get times and splits on those

Answer 2

If you have good technique on an "erg" (rowing machine), then the transfer to rowing in a boat may not be too difficult.  The extra factors outdoors are:

Finding a Club: You will want to go out on the water with an experienced group of people the first few times.  It is harder than expected for most people to stay balanced enough to keep the boat upright.  You will also want a coxswain (person who steers) to be in control of where the boat goes, because the boats turn more than you want them to.  Also other people in the boat can help you learn technique.

Balance: this will be used partially just to keep the boat upright (this is especially important if you are hoping to try a one person boat).

It will also be used to keep your fingers from getting smashed on the gunnels (sides of the boat)

And lastly, a balanced boat makes you go faster.

Oar Work: if you go out in a larger boat in order to learn the technique basics, then you will only have one oar.  This will feel different than rowing on the machine, because it will naturally make you lean to one side instead of moving straight back and forward.  

You also need to learn how to get your oar in and out of the water.  I know this may sound like something easy, but sometimes you catch a weird undercurrent that can knock even an experienced rower off their seat.

For further finesse and success in rowing, you will also need to learn to feather your oar: this means turning it flat above the water so it doesn't catch on the surface.  

There may be a lot of technique that you can only learn on the water, but with good technique on the rowing machine and a good rowing club, the transition should not take long.  The effort to learn is well worth it because days on the water can be beautiful and satisfying.