<p>My first question has to do with life vests. ? they’re not required or used? my H.S. age daughter just started a sculling class and told me that they get in the way. I thought all water sports involving boats made sure kids in boats used protective life-saving gear. No?</p>
<p>My second question is what is a good beginner’s class for someone wanting to get into crew. My d signed up for the only class available which was sculling, now the coach is giving her a hard time saying she needs a basic rowing course. How come?</p>
<p>Lastly how do you get involved in training as a coxswain? Are there any on-line courses to take? thanks</p>
<p>Typically for crew, a swim test is given to assure the rower’s safety. Scullers do not wear life vests.</p>
<p>Sculling is a delicate art, necessitating excellent balance and oar handling. The boats are expensive, very prone to capsizing–those are probably the reasons the coach wants her to have basic rowing skills first. </p>
<p>Coxing is a hands-on skill. Let her row for a few years to learn about the boat handling.</p>
<p>P.S. There is a site for Athletic Recruits in the Specialty Admissions section of CC where sports questions are typically handled.</p>
<p>Feel free to PM me with any questions - I am a former rower and my D just completed 4 years rowing My ex-husband was also a coxswain. I am also a licensed referee. I would be happy to help!</p>
<p>Simply put - sculling is using 2 oars at once and while some events do involve sculling, most typically are sweep events where each rower only uses one oar and while there are similarities in the stroke there are also some differences that can be important.</p>
<p>At least here, all rowers and coxswains complete a full swim test in full sweats to simulate what could happen in the rare event a boat flipped (8’s are very hard to flip but not impossible, 4’s are easier still and I often see singles and pairs/doubles flip at regattas even by experienced rowers). Rowers always go out though with coaches in launches who can help in any emergencies and at all regattas you have trained referees who also must show proof of swimming and pass licensing tests/requirements.</p>
<p>It is a terrific sport that is very rewarding but it isn’t easy - you love it or hate it! Also, on coxing, [THE</a> site for Coxswains and Rowing Coaches](<a href=“http://www.thecoxguide.com/]THE”>http://www.thecoxguide.com/), is THE site for information on coxing and the books/guide are a great tool. Not only is he well recognized for his cox training but I was fortunate to row with him many years ago and still count him as a friend.</p>
<p>I was a varsity coxswain in college and my husband rowed lightweight crew in college as well. Current swim tests at some schools do not require having to wear heavy clothing - just three body lengths underwater, four laps of the pool (breaststroke or crawl), two minutes of treading water, and the dead man’s (person’s?) float for 1 minute. For mine eons ago, I had to wear sweats, shoes, and socks (not my own) and take each one off and throw them onto the deck of the pool while treading water!</p>
<p>Some intro to sculling classes cover rowing with sweep oars before going onto sculling. And beginning scullers get put into wherries (very wide sculls that are easier to handle). As for getting into coxing, I did row before coxing and would recommend that all coxes get that experience. Generally speaking, coxes tend to be on the light side so as to add as little dead weight as possible to the boat. :-)</p>
<p>A number of colleges with rowing programs run camps for HS students. If you go to the college website, click on athletics, and then crew…there will usually be some kind of link if they offer a camp. Here are a few:</p>
<p>Where is the OP living? Rutgers and the Naval Academy on the East Coast have rowing camps as well.</p>
<p>The first year my daughter rowed, I bought her the brightest yellow-green nylon jacket I could find. I wanted them to be able to see her to fish her out of the water. The water around Baltimore is pretty murky.</p>
<p>When I took crew in high school (as the second women’s team in the country in the early '70s), we were required to swim 400 yards in sweat pants and sweat shirt. I did it and thought it was overkill.</p>
<p>The next year, rowing on the Charles River, I was one of the first women (at my college) allowed to take a scull out solo, and as I went out, the men on the men’s team lined up on the dock to watch me. I promptly capsized about 200 yards out. Wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt, I swam the boat back in, docked it, climbed out, pulled the boat out of the water, and re-stowed it. Without help.</p>
<p>My son rowed 4 years in HS and is rowing for his college club team this fall, he also has a single scull he uses for fun. I agree with your daughter’s intructor, basic rowing skills are inportant. My S’s coach trained the coxswains, he basically had the guys keep an eye out for small, intelligent girls and and then had the guys ask them if they were interested in joining crew! My son is still dating his coxswain. Also when the kids are on the water I assume the coach is out in a tender?</p>
My ex-husband was also a coxswain. I am also a licensed referee. I would be happy to help!</p>