Balanced oars

[J. Dillon]

I've noticed in foreign travels "balanced oars " but don't see them here at all. ( USA)

I mean where the loom of the oar is deliberately bigger on the inboard side to " balance it's weight on the outboard or blade side. It would seem advantageous when rowing for long periods.

Any thoughts pro or con ?

JD

[Donn]

JD...river-runners who use long oars, often use counter-weights clamped to the oar, inboard of the horn. My oars are 10' fiberglass, and quite heavy, so I tried wrapping a set of SWMBO's ankle-weights on them, and adjusted weight until I had balance. It didn't feel right to me, so I didn't buy a set of the real things.

http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/assets/prod_img/1390F.JPG

[Ian McColgin]

Pete Culler's little book and I think a WB article have good dimensions for making a proper oar.

You'll find nicely balanced oars available from some of the shops advertising in WB. They tend to be a salt water thing over here, and are less likely on say a Rangly guide boat. Howevr, the finer oars are so beautifully made and so light in the lower loom and blade that they don't need chunking up above the oar locks.

I think the perfect balance for oars is just enough weight outboard that if you relax your arms completely, the weight of your hand and forearm will just let the inboard part sink and the blade rise above the water. In oars of less than 8', this is quite easy to achieve without extra meat between grip and rowlock.

[J. Dillon]

Donn,

The ones I've seen were all wood affairs and quite beefy inboard. ( better for floating if lost overboard). Mostly fishermen pushing on them but also the usual way. All energy was focused on the power stroke and not lifting the oar clear of the water. The balance took care of that.

JD

PS Donn you used the "F" word ;)

[Mike DeHart]

The traditional oars, called sweeps by the oldtimers, used on the Delaware Bay on shad skiffs were counterbalanced. The sweep was made from a 4x4 (not dimension lumber from Home Despot!) and the part between the oarlock and handle was left in the square. Drift nets were tended using the sweeps. Those guys would row to make their living and they naturally found the easiest way to do what made their living.

[Donn]

Sorry...forgot. But the skiff that I row with them is made outta the same stuff. :D

[Ian McColgin]

River runners do some odd things and since they are not so much rowing as guiding the boat, it could make sense.

I had a set of monumentally heavey store bought 12' oars given me for use on the dory. I thinned the shafts and blades a much as I dared but getting blade out of the water was still huge work so as an experiment I started wrapping flashing lead around under the grip. Took more than I ever thought.

In use, given the long lever arm outboard and heavy lever arm inboard, the oar had such huge momentum that they carried me right out flat before I could get the recovery going.

[J. Dillon]

I also recall the technique used by standing rowers facing fwd. One foot was placed fwd. The rower kind of fell on both oars. Then at the precise instant the arms would come into play , pushing the rower up right to start the cycle again. I imagine a rower could do this all day between fishing spots.

I guess with recreational rowing the idea is exercise the opposite of a professional , less energy expended. ;) Afer all he has to pace for all day not an hour or two.

JD

JD

[Bruce Hooke]

Sadly, most people don't know what a high-quality oar is. So, since nicely balanced oars, with square looms if that is what is necessary, are expensive to make, they are also relatively rare. I see the same thing with canoe paddles. 90% or more of the canoe paddles out there are one of two patterns -- a wide almost recangular blade or a wide beavertail -- even though these are really basically whitewater shapes and other shapes would be better for the many people who never take their canoes into whitewater!

[tidmarsh]

You can find plans for oars based on Pete Culler's design here:
http://homepages.apci.net/~michalak/15aug02.htm

(I'm building a pair for the sailboat I haven't finished yet and the rowboat I haven't started yet.)

Tidmarsh

[J. Dillon]

Tidmarsh,

How'd you get that AF3 up on that station wagon? :confused:

Must be a story there. ;)

Thanks for the site on balanced oars smile.gif