How to Row Facing Forward with the Forward Rowing System

People typically row facing backwards because our body anatomy makes it easier to pull the oars through the water rather than push them. When you row facing backwards, you can use the strong muscles in your lower body, back, and shoulders. But the tradeoff is that you can't see where you're going, and continually have to look to either side to keep yourself on course. This means you might end up rowing more strokes than you really need to, tiring yourself or straining your neck in the process.
The Forward Facing Rowing System makes it possible to face forward while rowing, using the same motion and strong lower body muscles that you use when you row facing backward. Having your eyes on your destination makes it easier to row in a straight line, saving you physical effort and time.
More about the Forward Facing Rowing System at www.ghboats.co....

[@oldben5772]

Please tell us the technical term for the metal joints on each oar which make all the difference. Are they knuckle-joints or elbow-joints, something like that?

[@snappa222]

Looking forward to it ,lol Really I am... been wanting one of your set ups for years

[@code3xiv]

Was thinking about forward rowing few days ago. And voilah!! Found it.

[@dc-wp8oc]

Looks like a good idea but in just the brief moments where demonstrated in this video, the rowing looks awkward and not to efficient. The oars seem to hit the water in a sloppy manner, and they appear to not have the same precision in the stroke as with conventional rowing.

[@andante8772]

bye?

[@TomasPabon]

man watching that face to face rowing is kinda jarring

[@Vid-FX]

Cool.

[@olegv9955]

The simple and The Best!...Especially for my hard understanding and imagination!(Hi from Russia)

[@snappa222]

Great presentation... thanks

[@NotAshamedOfficial]

Can you do two forward rowing setups on the same boat?

[@mortschubert3909]

Two years later, how wide is the system implemented?

[@ghboats]

Hi Mort - the system is designed to install along the gunwale of the boat so the width depends on the beam. My recommendation is that you look for at least 46” between the oarlocks. You can get away with less - maybe as little as 42” - but honestly, the more distance you can create, the better. If you have less than 42" of beam (e.g. on a canoe) you'll have to come up with some outrigger structure to get the supports wide enough.

[@mortschubert3909]

@@ghboats, thank you! How many people get the Forward Rowing System when they buy one of your boats?

[@ghboats]

@@mortschubert3909 Rough guess, maybe 10%

[@mortschubert3909]

@@ghboats, huh, I would have expected more... I guess lots of people are afraid to embrace the new!

[@unshdhGbzbs]

or you could just use your eyes to look

[@thewanderingbox8253]

neat

[@chipsterb4946]

Looks great except for not being able to feather the oars.

[@ghboats]

Yeah, that is a tradeoff

[@ALoonwolf]

Ah: "People typically row facing backwards because our body anatomy makes it easier to pull the oars through the water rather than push them." Surely it depends HOW you are pushing them? I experimented by lying underneath a bar and reaching up to grab it and pull myself up. Then I turned around and pushed against the ground. Push is a bit easier than pull, but both required a roughly equal amount of effort.

[@ALoonwolf]

Wait a minute..... If I am sat in a boat and I pull on the oars, then what's to stop me from just pulling myself towards the oars and wasting energy? But if instead on the power stroke I am pushing the oars away from me then I am also pushing myself against the boat and can get full power. Hmmm, the evidence is mounting....

[@MattGelgota]

Is there a significant loss of mechanical advantage with this setup?

[@orirune3079]

There'd be miniscule loss due to the extra friction of multiple pivot points, and there would probably be a bit more mushiness to the feel because of more stretch from more moving parts. But I don't see how the mechanical advantage would be changed.

[@ghboats]

Hi Matt - not really, no. The biggest thing you lose is the ability to feather the oars since the pivot hinge that transfers the energy doesn't allow for rotation.

[@robertschwartz3675]

@@ghboats So is the feathering done for you?

[@ALoonwolf]

I have "see behind glasses" - sunglasses with rear view mirrors at the sides. :) I am getting into a lot of new things lately. I always find absurdity and foolishness in the "traditional" ways that people are doing things. Next on my list is ROW BOATS. I have a floating feeling I am going to discover that there is no good reason whatsoever why people do not simply just ROW FORWARDS INSTEAD OF ROWING BACKWARDS. I can't seem to find anyone explaining why they don't...

[@Tedisdeaad]

With a pulling stroke your legs can contribute significantly more force.

[@mortschubert3909]

1. Rowing forward requires more effort (because of how the human body is built); 2. the number of strokes when rowing forward is lower than the number of strokes when rowing backward.