Rowers Reviews

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Rating: 3.5/5 (8 votes cast)

Many WaterRower owners have rowed competitively in the past or are presently competitive rowers. From collegiate rowers to Olympic medallists and hopefuls, they all agree on one thing; The WaterRower Rowing Machine provides an uncanny similarity to the real thing. With its dynamic WaterFlyWheel and fluid motion, the WaterRower captures the essence of on-water rowing. Read the comments below for yourself or leave your own review!

 

Rowers Reviews, 3.5 out of 5 based on 8 ratings
  • Anonymous

    Ms. J H- Hertfordshire, UK:

    “Superb ergometer! c.f. Concept II model. A great alternative to rowing / sculling in adverse weather.”

  • Anonymous

    Mr. R. Bergman, Nevada City, CA:

    “The WaterRower is surprisingly different than the Concept II. It actually is much, much smoother, with a genuinely fluid feel. There is no sense of harsh, mechanical workings like the Concept II.”

  • Anonymous

    Mr. D B- Michigan, USA:

    “Better feel than Concept II.”

  • Anonymous

    Mr. D C, Cheltenham, UK:

    “The Best Rower in the World!”

  • Anonymous

    Mr. A A- London, UK:

    “Congratulations on simply the best rowing machine ever. All I need to do is close my eyes and I am back in my eight!”

  • Anonymous

    Mr. D E- Chessington, UK:

    “Truly natural rowing action. The next best thing to being on the water”

  • Anonymous

    Mr. M A M- Billericay, UK:

    ‘’Excellent! Far more friendly than a Concept Model C.’’

  • Anonymous

    Mr. R K- Bethesda, Maryland, USA:

    “I LOVE IT! I no longer dread getting up the days I’m scheduled to erg. It’s a whole new experience.”

  • Anonymous

    Mr. P M- Cambridgeshire, UK:

    “Brilliant, a lot more positive on the catch than the Concept II and is more sensitive to technique. Cheers!!”

  • Anonymous

    Mark Edgar – Physiotherapist, London England (and Physio to Great Britain Olympic Rowing Squad (Atlanta 1996 & Sydney 2000):

    “What impressed me most about the WaterRower was the lack of shock loading at the front end of the stroke…. the athlete must load biomechanical more efficiently to score well – similar to what is required on the water.”

  • Anonymous

    John Bowes- Director of Rowing, Sydney Rowing Club:

    As the Head Coach of Sydney Rowing Club I have been using the Water Rower in my rowing program for the last ten months. My program includes Juniors, Youth, U/23s, Senior and Masters both men and women; all use the Water Rower as part of their weekly training program.

    The Water Rower is a great coaching tool for me, my athletes get to feel the sensation of rowing indoors which is the next best thing to rowing on the water. I am able to get the athletes video feedback while training on the Water Rower. The Water Rower also runs smooth and quite which allows quality coaching to the athletes.

    I am able to set the athletes either interval training or long distance work on the Water Rower.

    My athletes love the Water Rower because it runs very smooth and is extremely quite when compared to other rowing ergometers which are on the market.

    At Sydney Rowing Club we have a number of local people who are non rowers came to the club for a work out on a regular basis. They all love the Water Rower because it gives them the sensation of actually rowing and “moving water”, similar to what actual rower feel.

    Whenever we go to major regattas we take the Water Rower for my elite athletes to warm up on before they get on the water.

    I have no hesitation in recommending Water Rower to anyone who is interested in a total but safe overall body workout.

  • Anonymous

    Martin Cross- Olympic Gold Medallist, Rowing Commentator and Author:

    “The Holy Grail for all ergo makers is to find a product that somehow captures the feel of rowing in a boat: a smooth ‘catch’; a resistance that loads their body just like it does in a boat and a recovery phase that simulates the glide a rower experiences as the boat moves under them. In over twenty five years of rowing, I’ve tried all that the market has to offer and there’s only one that comes close to capturing the essence of the sport: Water Rower.

    Explaining just how good it feels, is a challenge to anyone who’s never been out in a boat but here goes. I’m on the Water Rower, paddling hard enough to work up a sweat. The pick up feels right, I know it won’t stress my lower back, like other ergos seem to, so I let my kids use it when they want. What’s more, I feel good on something made of wood; like I’m in the wooden boat I never owned. As I close my eyes and listen to the gentle swoosh of the water, my mind puts me in a shell, gliding over the calm surface of a beautiful lake. I smile and open my eyes. By the end of my work out I know that this machine is the nearest thing to rowing. My whole family, is happy for it to be part of the furniture in my home.”

  • Anonymous

    Roz Savage- English Adventurer who finished the Atlantic Rowing Race as a solo-female.

    ‘Before the race I worked hard to build up my powers of endurance, training for up to 16 hours a day on my WaterRower machine. Rowing for 16 hours is never fun, but the WaterRower made it much more tolerable – it felt relatively gentle on my back and the rowing stroke felt realistic, right down to the sound of the water swirling in the drum. And the seat was so comfortable that I took two with me to use on my boat.’

  • Anonymous

    Niall McCann and James Burge

    Ages: 26 and 27
    Nationality: British and British
    Boat and Number: Komale No 7
    Position: Finished 6th Place
    Date Finished: Finished Tuesday 5th February 14:05 GMT – crossing time 63 days, 2 hours and 5 minutes (please note due to extenuating circumstances this team started 48 hours after the main racing fleet)
    Link: http://www.panatlantic.org

    “Throughout our training for our Atlantic row we used the WaterRower machines and apparel. Our main motives for using WaterRower were taking advantage of low-impact home-rowing, and most importantly trying out the seat that we were to take with us across the Atlantic.

    I struggle with lower-back pain, which is naturally exacerbated by rowing. The WaterRower’s smooth action reduced the pressure on my lower back and enabled me to train trouble-free.

    The sound of the fan-wheel moving through the water is not only rather soothing, but is quiet enough to allow me to train at home in front of the TV, alleviating the boredom factor of spending so long on an ergo.

    When we decided to have a crack at breaking the World Record for rowing a million metres on an ergo, we realised that comfort was going to be crucial to our success. The WaterRower’s low-impact action helped to prevent us from straining our muscles and tendons; and the soft seat enabled us to row 1 hour shifts with minimal discomfort. As a result we smashed the previous World Record by nearly 5 hours, setting the new mark at 67 hours 24 minutes and 14 seconds.

    The comfort factor was also absolutely vital when rowing the Atlantic. We realised that if we were to spend 9 weeks sitting down, we needed to be as comfortable as possible. Unfortunately the salt water causes such atrocious damage to your behind that real comfort is a distant memory; but for 63 days, rowing 1 hour on and 1 hour off – with 2 weeks at the end of 2 hour shifts during the day – I never suffered from the pressure-related pains that are the bane of most Ocean rowers. The hardest part of the row, for me, was in tolerating continuous discomfort, which at times was excruciating. Minimising pain was a huge factor in maintaining a positive mentality and I was absolutely delighted at our seats, which were WaterRower seats bolted on to runners with a single memory foam cushion on top. Most other teams had highly elaborate, heavy and essentially ineffective seats and most other rowers suffered terribly from sciatica and pressure-related muscle pains.

    I would wholeheartedly recommend the use of WaterRower machines and apparel for future Ocean Rowers in conjunction with other pieces of training equipment; and most of all cannot recommend the WaterRower seat more highly for use on an Ocean crossing. Comfort is absolutely key, and the most comfortable rowing seat on the market comes from WaterRower”

  • Anonymous

    Catherine Allaway

    “I’m truly grateful to the team at WaterRower for the loan of two of their machines. The training for ocean rowing is long & monotonous, but the WaterRower is very comfortable to use for very long pieces, especially with the padded seat. It’s also quiet enough to have in the home in front of the TV, unlike conventional ergo’s.WaterRower were 100% supportive of our adventure, training would have been considerably harder without their help, I can’t recommend them enough.”

    Cath Allaway
    Ocean Rower, Atlantic ’07/’08

  • Anonymous

    Sam Williams

    “Training for my solo row across the Atlantic Ocean meant I had to spend countless hours sat on a rowing machine. Having a WaterRower to do it on almost made it pleasurable! It was invaluable in giving me the opportunity to row for hours on end and was a far more pleasant experience than using the alternatives. Had it not been for the comfort of the WaterRower, it would have been a far greater effort to carry out the training required for the row, and therefore it was a great help in ensuring that I was fully prepared when I set off on my 3,000-mile journey.”

  • Anonymous

    Rachel Smith
    Winner of the Women’s Pairs Class
    Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race 2007

    ‘When Lin and I entered the Atlantic Rowing Race, we found it extremely difficult to train on top of finding time for fundraising, publicity, searching for sponsors and the million and one things we had to do to prepare for the race.

    We knew that Roz Savage had trained on one of these machines for her Atlantic Crossing and when we got in touch, the team couldn’t have been more helpful. There was no hesitation in offering to loan us two machines for a 2 year period to help us make it to the start line of the 2007 Atlantic Rowing Race.

    Having the WaterRower at home was ideal and meant that even if I only had 20 minutes to spare, I could still train. It made it easier to get in some rowing in the early mornings before work, but also meant that I could do much longer sessions (which wouldn’t be possible in a public gym) when time permitted. It stood upright out of the way in my lounge (which kept my partner happy!) and was easy to move around to use. I used to put it in front of the TV for some entertainment, or watched DVD’s on my laptop. We also had WaterRower seats on our Ocean rowing boat, so training on the same seat was fantastic.

    The machine performed very well and certainly made a difference to my physical preparations. I loved the swooshing sound of the water and found the resistance to be fine for building up the endurance and stamina that I needed to develop. We even did a 24 hour row on Lin’s WaterRower as part of our training plan. It certainly hurt, but gave us essential information to help us both in the journey to the start line, and while we were on-board.

    I’d like to say a huge thank you to the WaterRower team for this invaluable support.’

  • Anonymous

    Katie Spotz
    Trans-Atlantic Rower

    “WaterRower became one of my first sponsors for my upcoming solo trans-Atlantic row. With their support I am able to train consistently and conveniently from home. Since the machine is easy to transport, I am able to place it outside on my deck or in front of the TV to watch movies. I am truly grateful for the ongoing support from WaterRower.”

    Katie has since completed her row across the Atlantic Ocean and continues her efforts toward the goal of clean drinking water through the Blue Planet Run Foundation.

    For more, http://rowforwater.com/

    Amazing!

  • Anonymous

    Xeno Muller

    2000 Sydney Olympics Gold Medalist.

    “My lovely wife took this picture of me rowing the WaterRower (right). I moved the rower to our new babies room because our cute senile old dachshund confused it with a garden tree last night.

    It finally arrived. I got my WaterRower and love it. As soon as you start rowing there is a nice sound of water swishing around during the acceleration of the rowing stroke.

    Last night, I went for a paddle in my living room while my family was watching TV. It was awesome, no one was bothered by the quite sound of water. The WaterRower will enable me to feed my rowing neurosis without polluting the family space with a metallic chain noise or an intruding high pitched fan whistle.”

    Visit Xeno Muller’s website here: http://www.ironoarsman.com

  • Anonymous

    Sarah Outen

    “The water rower makes erg-ing fun – much smoother than any other standard machine. I love the sound of the water sloshing around too – it’s very therapeutic. I am very pleased to be supported by WaterRower UK in the build up to my Indian Ocean Row next year”

  • Anonymous

    Madie Steer and Christine Bunting
    Woodvale Challenge 2009, Team Ocean Row Girls

    “We are both thrilled with the rowers. Having only ever used concept rowers for training for the Cornish pilot gig rowing we do I cannot believe the difference. I can’t row for that long on a concept as my shoulders and hamstrings cramp up, but the first go I had on the water rower I rowed for a hour non stop and wasn’t stiff at all the next day.

    It is such a smooth action, no jerking when you “catch” at the beginning of a stoke so your shoulders aren’t put under as much pressure. I also find it a lot easier to maintain a harder rowing rate due to the smooth action. The rowing position is very comfortable, and I find it doesn’t put as much strain on my lower back and I find it much easier to maintain a good posture even when I’m getting tired. The seat is comfortable for longer periods of rowing.

    It is perfect for the amount of training we are doing. I have it sent up in my living room so that I can watch TV whilst doing a long row as it is quiet enough to be able to hear the TV over the sound of the water.

    Christine feels the same. She is building our boat while I get the sponsorship so she is going to use the dimensions of the rowing position from the water rower to craft our rowing system for our 3500 mile row.”

    http://www.oceanrowgirls.com/

  • Anonymous

    Anne Miltenberger and Ashlee Lytle
    Woodville Atlantic Rowing Race 2009

    “With our my water rower training for my Atlantic crossing would have been impossible! Being in land locked Colorado our water rowers provided us with the most realistic training possible without actually being on the water. The fluid movements are very natural and were easy on our back and joints. Also its portability allowed me to train in-doors and out, plus the natural wood looks great!”

    http://www.rowingfortheenvironment.com

  • Anonymous

    Mylène Paquette
    Woodville Atlantic Rowing Race 2009

    “I really like training on the Water Rower; this is, by far, the closest thing to rowing on the water.
    It s smoothness is very beneficial and relaxing, and this is a good way to calm during the preparation for a transatlantic challenge.

    I particularly value the psychological effects of the sound of the water. This is as useful for helping to visualise the challenge at it is for the physical preparation itself.

    Additionally, this training doesn’t provoke any tension and stress on articulations and lower back which is not the case on other rowing machines.

    I was also pleased to notice that it allows me to keep an adequate posture for periods of time than with other rowing machines.

    I hope that I will enjoy rowing on an ocean rowing boat as much as I enjoy rowing on Water Rower!!!”