Clothing

This could probably come under the FAQ page as a simple answer to the question “What should I wear when I’m on the erg?”. But it’s worthwhile pointing your towards some specific kit instead of just saying “Make sure T-shirts aren’t baggy and long (they can get trapped under the seat) and it’s a good idea to wear shorts that don’t have rough seams that may rub against your skin” The good news is that kit designed to be worn on a ‘proper’ rowing boat can be worn on the erg too – and you won’t get laughed at at races for doing so. Choose your combination of T-shirs, polo shirts, shorts, leggings, fleeces, tech tops etc from the following companiesGodfreys are one of the most popular places to go for team branded kitTermaxxDBA Sports(Used by Esprit for their team kit)Akuma (the Fitness Matters team have their own branded kit by Akuma which can be bought here)JL RacingCrew Room If you have a favourite place where you buy your kit, get in touch and it’ll be added to the list.

Footwear

A quick look at a race floor will reveal that people wear a wide range of different shoes (and socks!) when rowing. From a normal pair of trainers to solid, flat footed school shoes – you’re also likely to see Converse All-Stars, Adidas PowerLift shoes and for the ultimate flat footed experience, people with no shoes on. What these people are searching for is a flat bottom to the shoe so that the entire foot connects at the same time when they drive off at the start of a stroke – and many have moved away from running shoes / trainers due to the cushioning too. Too much spongey cushioning, and you’ll be wasting energy compressing that first, before the power is transferred to the stroke. Sure, it might only be a couple of watts, but if you’re trying to squeeze every 10th of a second out of a 2K race, those watts may make a difference.