Rowing for Pleasure

You'll love rowing your boat with the new FrontRower™ rowing system!

Here's why: 

• The FrontRower™ has a forward-facing position.  No twisting around to see where you are going.

• It's comfortable.  It has a big padded seat with a backrest that gives you support whether you're rowing or relaxing.

• It's great exercise.  Just like conventional rear-facing sliding-seat rowing (also known as "sculling"), the FrontRower™ uses muscles in your arms, legs, back and abdomen.  It's excellent aerobic exercise and its easy on your joints.

• It's easy to use.  The oars lift, feather, and return to the front automatically.  You can learn to use it quickly and with confidence, even if you're not a trained athlete.

• It's efficient.  It develops the same power as sliding-seat systems, but does so more efficiently, so you can go faster or farther with the same amount of energy expended.

• And it lets you row "hands free" so you can take pictures or use binoculars while rowing and steering with your feet.  Great for birding, fishing, photography or just messing about.

Canoes as rowboats.  Many canoes make excellent touring and exercise rowboats.  If you already have a suitable canoe, you can use it with the FrontRower™.  If you don't already have a canoe, you can buy one from a dealer near you.  See help choosing a canoe.  Be sure to check out our photo gallery to see some of the many different canoes and other boats Frontrower™ owners are using.

Custom touring rowboats.  If you want a distinctive boat to go along with a world-class rowing system, we can custom build one for you.  Or you can build it yourself from one of our kits or plans.  The Odyssey 165 and Odyssey 180 are modern wooden rowboats designed specifically for the FrontRower™.  They are easy builds suitable for the first time builder.  The 165  is the perfect size for solo rowing with room for a passenger.  The 180 is intended for doubles rowing, but makes a good solo boat for larger rowers.  Both are offered as finished boats, kits or plans.