As we age, compromises are part of how we adjust to rowing and sculling. Yet part of the fun of this is to go shopping for gadgets and gear! Let me be clear, you don't have to be old to get more gear - I know a famous rowing commentator who had a collection of row suits (Zooties / All in ones / Trou) that ran into the mid 30s. He claimed to have rowed for over 20 different clubs.
But gear isn't just fun and funky clothing (although maybe that's all you "need" to justify flexing your credit card. There are really helpful accessories which make rowing easire for those of us with physical compromises. Let's review a few
Shoes that fit - petite feet ladies have always suffered with club-supplied shoes. Now Unicorn Shoes has an adjustable shoe design using velcro as does RowFit; and the Active Tools shoes look like crocs and have a sliding clip to shorten the shoe. Taking this a step further and getting your own pair using a quick release system in the boat allows you to row with perfectly fitted shoes. BONT Rowing's quick release system and rowing shoes are priced to make switching your whole fleet very affordable. While The Shimano rowing dynamics system provide the highest quality fitments.
Hands and handles - Get a handle grip the right size for your hands from Croker Oars (4 sizes), or choose the Oarsom Potential overgrips to prevent blisters when your skin bunches up. Newly released soft grippy handles for those who suffer sweaty hands for sculls (My Row Grips),and the textured Stampfli grips. Maybe a simpler solution to blisters is a pair of rowing gloves made by Rowtex or The Crew Stop.
Backsides and Seats - finding a seat pad that gives you just enough comfort - from male / female hole spacings (EURow) to different heights (from 5mm to 30mm at RowPad) and jel squish softness (JL Racing) to raised pads to relieve pressure on your sit bones (Citius Remex ProW)
Eyes in the back of your head - literally not possible - but sadly the Hyndsight vision system is no longer in production - so there are other choices of mirrors to see behind you without twisting. The Coxmate mirror is a cheap option - it's large and on a bendable wire; newly released, the TriEye sunglasses with integrated mirrors for both left and right sides.
Visible Data displays - nearly everyone has a waterproof mobile phone and getting your boat speed and stroke rate on a large display (which you can read in bright sunlight) is straightforward using the Crew Nerd app (free trial available). Taking this a step further you can add a heads up display (HUD) inside your sunglasses from Engo Eyewear.
Note: some of these links are affiliates. We earn commissions if you purchase.
