Basic trainer

[bd_sculler]

If you have time on your hands you can make your own pontoons using slats of wood and plastic jugs, pool noodles, etc. These are made from coroplast (sign material.) I use them for cold water safety. They are off the water but fairly close. The Wintech pontoons are undoubtedly better and would be the way to go. You should also dress like a cold water kayaker, including wearing a PFD, when the water is cold. See Norm's annual cold water rant. An unusual use of pontoons: I know a very good sculler who attached pontoons while working on extending the catch angle.

Pontoons reduce your chances of flipping but nothing is guaranteed.

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[Nosmo]

How did you make those Pontoons? Is the core hollow?, Foam? Coroplast? Are they glued? taped?

[bd_sculler]

How did you make those Pontoons? Is the core hollow?, Foam? Coroplast? Are they glued? taped?

They are hollow. I cut the top pieces free form, made the bottoms by cutting a rectangle and folding. Coroplast is strong, flexible, and very light so if I bash a dock or something no damage is done. I put a small scrap of wood across the tops underneath and cut slots for the straps that go under the scraps of wood (struts) that attach to the riggers. The top piece is attached to the bottom piece with small plastic ties and the bow and stern are closed together using silicone glue and plastic ties.. You want the small ties to cross a rib or two so it doesn't simply pull loose. A typical glue does not work with coroplast but silicone glue works fine. The pontoons are extremely light and very strong. Sometimes you can get big pieces of coroplast for free because election signs are often made of coroplast. You might find scraps of coroplast at a sign shop. Otherwise you might have to buy a full four foot by 8 foot sheet at a sign shop. Even so, this is a cheap pontoon. Some of my friends have also made these and have extended the rowing season. A couple of years ago I organized a pontoon party at our club. Everybody who wanted to make a set of pontoons brought scissors, plastic ties, and silicone glue such as plumber's goop. I brought some sheets of coroplast. It was like an arts and crafts session. So we have a small supply of pontoons in our boat house.

As I mentioned, a friend recently attached pontoons while working on extending the catch. When the pontoons came off, the catch angle was bigger.

Back to the original theme. I agree that an alternative to using trainers is to use racing shells with pontoons if the water is not too choppy. A racing shell with pontoons is just as stable, if not more so, and since pontoons are removable you have two boats in one: a rec. boat and a racing shell. On the other hand, in choppy water where you are in danger of being swamped a rec. boat with a self-bailer would be my first choice. I've even done a rec. boat with pontoons.

[DudleyP]

The real problem with using a racing boat with pontoons is they get so badly beat up. They're racing shells, light and pretty fragile and of course very expensive. These Edons are $2400 new, come with pontoons are light and indestructable and designed for the job. Why would you use a racing shell. It's like using Bradley Wiggins bike for some off road cycling.

Dudley

[bd_sculler]

The real problem with using a racing boat with pontoons is they get so badly beat up. They're racing shells, light and pretty fragile and of course very expensive. These Edons are $2400 new, come with pontoons are light and indestructable and designed for the job. Why would you use a racing shell. It's like using Bradley Wiggins bike for some off road cycling.

Dudley

Good point. I was thinking of older vintage, well used racing shells.

[randallpatrickc]

In case other newbies come this way and are interested in this boat, I've started videoing my starting experiences with an Edon TS515 here:
http://www.iam-pcr.com/2/category/sculling/1.html
As a complete beginner, I can thoroughly recommend this boat for learning to scull without getting wet (well, so far).
Please excuse dreadful technique. The boat is very stable but rewarding to use. If I'm doing well, the little anas just skim the surface. If not, there's a lot of spray but no dunking
I have no connection with the importer apart from being a very happy customer.

Edon TS515 and beginner

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[Steven M-M]

Randall,

From one old guy to another, welcome to rowing. Violating my rule that unsolicited advice is rarely welcome, allow me one technique suggestion. In the pic, do you see how your hands are going straight forward? This is pulling the collar of your oar (red disk) well off of the oar lock. Much better to separate your hands as your move into the catch, while keeping some pressure on the oarlock. The best place to balance the boat is at the oarlock, so try to always maintain contact between the collar and the pin. Do you spend time on the erg/rowing machine? Your arm/hand position looks more like erging than sculling.

[KiwiCanuck]

Echoing Stephen... Allow your hands to follow the arc that the handles describe when the collar stays in contact with the oarlock. If you're new it can feel a bit "out there" to allow your hands to reach out there, but you get a longer, more effective start to the stroke. It may make you feel a bit less stable, so ease up for a short while until you're used to the length, and then bring back the 'grunt'..
Cheers,
W

[randallpatrickc]

Just another good point about the Edon - out early yesterday morning - in the dim conditions I managed to row into a 4ft section of piling floating just level with the surface. I t-boned it and it traveled the whole length of the hull banging one of the training floats in the process. No damage

[randallpatrickc]

Anyone got a typical 500 split for an Edon TS515 or similar please? (Ideally with and without it's training stabilisers)

[bayrower]

Randall,

From one old guy to another, welcome to rowing. Violating my rule that unsolicited advice is rarely welcome, allow me one technique suggestion. In the pic, do you see how your hands are going straight forward? This is pulling the collar of your oar (red disk) well off of the oar lock. Much better to separate your hands as your move into the catch, while keeping some pressure on the oarlock. The best place to balance the boat is at the oarlock, so try to always maintain contact between the collar and the pin. Do you spend time on the erg/rowing machine? Your arm/hand position looks more like erging than sculling.

I hope heis really taking what you said seriously (or those pontoons can never come off). Great post.

[randallpatrickc]

Randall,
.... The best place to balance the boat is at the oarlock, so try to always maintain contact between the collar and the pin. ...

Steven, this was great advice. I've started leaving the pontoons off now and what you say makes great advice when trying to balance without them. Thanks again.

Can I ask a follow-up? When I started, I was separating my knees, like I row a dinghy. Getting the hands away first and compressing my legs, knees together feels correct and kind of "coiled" but as I'm still somewhat overweight, I can't reach as far at the catch as reaching between my knees! I was wondering if I have the stretcher in the right place? Is there a "starter formula" for basic setup?

(Mods, I suspect this is a little off-topic, should I post this somewhere else?)

[Steven M-M]

Randall,

Yes, you want your arms outside your knees, although arms inside wide knees--giving birth position--was common 100 years ago. Knees can be together or as wide as under your armpits or somewhere in between. I prefer to just let my knees just rise and fall, so about fist-width apart. If your "master's abs" get in the way of a good compression, I would try to keep good form and limit your forward reach. If you can drop some weight you will get better and better compression.

I don't know much about rigging your basic trainer; many don't have the adjustments available in a racing 1x. Mostly now I would just focus on good posture and putting in the miles.

[DudleyP]

Patrick,
Love the yellow color of the Edon you have, only ever seen white before. Was that a special order or do they come in colors ordinarily
Technique is looking pretty good for someone new to the sport, hope you are enjoying the experience

Dudley

[terry]

Hi Patrick,

The Edons have a full range of adjustments and are rigged pretty standard with 159 / 160cm span and adjustable oarlock heights and footplate. Some trainers don't have this or are rigged with a narrow span or fixed oarlock heights. If you can't get out wide at the catch you but get more room if you go between your knees it might be that the footplate is too close to the bow. Move it towards the stern a chunk and see how that feels, you might find that you lose some room at the finish. If so move it back to the bow a bit until you get it comfortable all round. Also if you don't have a very long stroke length you probably don't need much overlap of the handles so you could shorten the inboard of the oars by moving the buttons towards the handles. Personally I think it would be better to work on lengthening your stroke, a bit of lean back at the finish and maybe some hamstring streatches to help at the catch.

I like the Edons a lot, they are a big improvment on the assortment of pseudo trainers we had here before and they are easy to look after. They are working well for us. There are bunches of videos on Youtube that show rowing technique, not all of them are good so be selective though.

Terry