Ben Booth is the founder of Rebel Row - he started rowing on the ocean as a child - with a small diversion into flat water rowing, he is now back doing what he enjoys most. He is designing and building a FISA approved coastal rowing single scull.

At the end of these show notes are links to Ben's videos and instructional blog with Coastal Rowing Technique articles.

Timestamps

02:34 Background in rowing

07:50 Rough Water technique in a rowing scull - read Ben’s blog where he explains a lot

https://rebelrower.com/blog

09:30 Ocean Rowing Technique basics - how to get in the boat if you fall out. This is skill number 1. Finding breakers to practice rowing through

https://rebelrower.com/blog/2020/2/8/re-boarding

11:30 You need a bulldog mentality. Just gun it! Take a glimpse over your shoulder. Know when to stop and de-power at the base of the wave. Throw your weight forward to weigh down the bow.

15:00 Bracing into the wave and surfing it sideways. Amount of zen is high.

21:15 Rounding a buoy is the biggest physiological challenge of coastal rowing.

23:15 Building boats. The FISA class rules are broad - depth, beam, length and weight. This opens up the sport to creative boat design

28:30 Guided tour of the Rebel 1x single scull

- Reverse bow - for piercing the smaller waves

- High flare bow canvas to give lift

- Cockpit as new components

- Seat wheels are wide and slide tracks are convex

- Foot brace is wider at the foot stretcher to give improved ergonomic case.

- Vertical heel cup adjustment on foot stretcher

- No fittings pierce the hull

40:00 Adjustable fin - from the inside of the cockpit. You can put the boat down on a beach after lifting the skeg so no tyres or trestles are needed

44:00 Water drains out of the sides the “Darth Vader” design section. Stern deck is high with no transom

47:00 Try the boat

50:00 A ballast box design will go under the seat to take the boat weight up to FISA minimum of 35kg / 77 lbs

53:00 Youth Olympic Games in 2022 in Senegal includes coastal rowing.

Contact Ben [email protected]

Ben’s videos Whitewater. Here I'm negotiating the endless whitewater of a massive breaker. I made it through this staying upright, but came out the other end with another broken rigger!

https://www.facebook.com/rowcoastal/videos/2557415624487828/

Stern View. This includes a fun end-over-end capsize (sort of a cartwheel in the boat!). These waves were moving very very fast, from 60 mph winds

https://www.facebook.com/rowcoastal/videos/294291274778699/

Bracing. Here I show how to take a breaking wave sideways. Generally, it is considered "unsafe" to take big breakers over the side. With the right techniques, its actually quite possible and a heck of a good time

https://www.facebook.com/rowcoastal/videos/300168640915848/

In the Rip. Caught in a rip current, which dragged my boat underwater, leaving me to row out of it with a submerged boat

https://www.facebook.com/rowcoastal/videos/273709750024020/

through the surf. Beautiful winter breaker

https://www.facebook.com/rowcoastal/videos/427470931020397/