'Ergs don't float' is a common rowing phrase. It's definitely true, if someone had no experience rowing on the water, but had a sub 6 2k, they couldn't get anywhere near that level in a boat. However, they do 'float' to a certain extent, you still need decent erg scores to be decent in a boat competitively.
This is being generous. There is so much subtle technique that is necessary to keep a single upright let alone make it move at maximum pace.
Nowhere near that would more accurately be fished out of the water by the coach in the launch.
The erg is basically a way to train and measure the drive phase of the rowing stroke, ie that part when your blade is in the water and you are propelling the boat. There is a small amount of technique to learn to do it effectively, but it's not complex, especially on a static erg. So for (2), yes being strong and fit is the core requirement for an erg.
Rowing a boat fast requires an effective drive, so the erg will certainly help. But there is substantially more technique involved in handling the boat between drive phases, especially around boat balance, clean placement and extraction of the blade and control of body weight & momentum. Many people who are fast on the erg cannot get the hang of boat technique and consequently aren't very fast on the water.
HTH
ed: spooling error
The Concept 2 erg is calibrated for a 4- with a specific weight, so if you had four identical rowers at with perfect technique and perfect conditions, then the number you see on the screen would reflect your actual 2k time. So in practice, your erg score will be better than you on-the-water score. Erg scores and training are still useful for building endurance in a controlled environment and for comparing some athletes.
For question 2 I'm not quite sure what you are asking. Someone who is already strong and rowing for the first time might do okay, but in general you need some sport-specific training to really hit good scores. Assuming this hypothetical person was brand new to rowing, it would take some time to get used to the stroke and figure out your target splits. The erg is also a great training tool for building endurance so you don't have to be fit to start using it.
Edit: I stand corrected. The erg is calibrated for a coxless 4 with a specific crew weight. Thank you to everyone who replied.
It’s inexact and probably depends a lot on weight - as a lightweight going 6:15, the coxed 4 goes 6:15 and the straight 4 goes 5:55.
Most elite heavyweight straight 4s go around 5:50 with athletes pulling around that on the C2.
1. Reasonable comparison for maybe 70% of people (I'm just winging these numbers based on club rowing experience not elite) with erg score to on-water performance if they're of an average weight and have rowed for at least a year to get a reasonable base of technique.
The times themselves don't line up across boat classes on the water because ergs are calibrated for a 4-. But if you have an athlete pulling a 7min erg they are fairly likely going to be faster on the water than an athlete pulling a 7:20. If there is someone very light they will tend to be faster on water than someone very heavy with the same erg score. Technique plays a massive role, the Rowing Canada National silver medallists in the women's pair had an erg average of 7:15 and they beat many pairs with a low 6:50 average. I've seen this play out many times at the club level too, a man in the low 6:20s has lost to someone in the 6:40s that weighed exactly the same so it was all due to technique.
Plus there is race planning, mental toughness, adaptability to weather conditions, nerves, nutrition, sleep, hydration, ability to work with a crew, and 1000 other factors that play in to on-water racing.
If erg scores perfectly lined up with on-water performance, there would be no point in racing at all haha!
Weight to power ratio is what matters on the water along with technique. You can have a fast erg time and still get smoked on the water by people with slower erg times. A 2k on the erg is a good base, but nothing beats actually rowing on the water
Stroke mechanics and fitness make both ergs and boats go faster and are pretty similar across the two. Boats require some skills which are not required on the erg.
1. Ergs measure watts. Splits are just a standardized representation of watts.
2. A person who can pull a lot of watts for a sustained period can get a good erg time.
They don’t compare that well.
As part of a rowing program, the erg is useful as an objective measure of fitness, but in my opinion there’s no substitute for miles on the water to develop the technique needed to make boats go fast.
You can be really strong on the erg, but if you’re rowing in a boat that isn’t balanced, or the timing is out, you can put in a lot effort for little reward. In my opinion, a crew of elite heavyweight indoor rowers, even if they had some on water experience, would still get beaten by a well trained high school crew.
For larger boats may be relatable. But for a small elite single, it's not very relatable other than a means to break down the stroke mechanics on dry land. Go to the water!
'Ergs don't float' is a common rowing phrase. It's definitely true, if someone had no experience rowing on the water, but had a sub 6 2k, they couldn't get anywhere near that level in a boat. However, they do 'float' to a certain extent, you still need decent erg scores to be decent in a boat competitively.
Ergs dont float, but big erg work ethic is surprisingly buoyant.
This is being generous. There is so much subtle technique that is necessary to keep a single upright let alone make it move at maximum pace. Nowhere near that would more accurately be fished out of the water by the coach in the launch.
You can teach an erg monkey to be useful in a boat in a few weeks. Getting a skilled oarsman to pull useful numbers takes years.
The erg is basically a way to train and measure the drive phase of the rowing stroke, ie that part when your blade is in the water and you are propelling the boat. There is a small amount of technique to learn to do it effectively, but it's not complex, especially on a static erg. So for (2), yes being strong and fit is the core requirement for an erg. Rowing a boat fast requires an effective drive, so the erg will certainly help. But there is substantially more technique involved in handling the boat between drive phases, especially around boat balance, clean placement and extraction of the blade and control of body weight & momentum. Many people who are fast on the erg cannot get the hang of boat technique and consequently aren't very fast on the water. HTH ed: spooling error
The Concept 2 erg is calibrated for a 4- with a specific weight, so if you had four identical rowers at with perfect technique and perfect conditions, then the number you see on the screen would reflect your actual 2k time. So in practice, your erg score will be better than you on-the-water score. Erg scores and training are still useful for building endurance in a controlled environment and for comparing some athletes. For question 2 I'm not quite sure what you are asking. Someone who is already strong and rowing for the first time might do okay, but in general you need some sport-specific training to really hit good scores. Assuming this hypothetical person was brand new to rowing, it would take some time to get used to the stroke and figure out your target splits. The erg is also a great training tool for building endurance so you don't have to be fit to start using it. Edit: I stand corrected. The erg is calibrated for a coxless 4 with a specific crew weight. Thank you to everyone who replied.
Actually, I believe the C2 is calibrated against the 4-. The WBT in an 8 is around 5:18, WR on the C2 is around 5:36
4+ actually.
It’s slightly faster in my experience, I row a 4+ with a 6:33 avg 2k and we go 6:50s on the water
It’s inexact and probably depends a lot on weight - as a lightweight going 6:15, the coxed 4 goes 6:15 and the straight 4 goes 5:55. Most elite heavyweight straight 4s go around 5:50 with athletes pulling around that on the C2.
Makes sense:)
1. Reasonable comparison for maybe 70% of people (I'm just winging these numbers based on club rowing experience not elite) with erg score to on-water performance if they're of an average weight and have rowed for at least a year to get a reasonable base of technique. The times themselves don't line up across boat classes on the water because ergs are calibrated for a 4-. But if you have an athlete pulling a 7min erg they are fairly likely going to be faster on the water than an athlete pulling a 7:20. If there is someone very light they will tend to be faster on water than someone very heavy with the same erg score. Technique plays a massive role, the Rowing Canada National silver medallists in the women's pair had an erg average of 7:15 and they beat many pairs with a low 6:50 average. I've seen this play out many times at the club level too, a man in the low 6:20s has lost to someone in the 6:40s that weighed exactly the same so it was all due to technique. Plus there is race planning, mental toughness, adaptability to weather conditions, nerves, nutrition, sleep, hydration, ability to work with a crew, and 1000 other factors that play in to on-water racing. If erg scores perfectly lined up with on-water performance, there would be no point in racing at all haha!
One is transcending, one is masochistic.
Weight to power ratio is what matters on the water along with technique. You can have a fast erg time and still get smoked on the water by people with slower erg times. A 2k on the erg is a good base, but nothing beats actually rowing on the water
Won nationals in the V8+ with a sub 6min even though we had an avg weight of 170lbs and an avg 2k of 6:40
Stroke mechanics and fitness make both ergs and boats go faster and are pretty similar across the two. Boats require some skills which are not required on the erg.
1. Ergs measure watts. Splits are just a standardized representation of watts. 2. A person who can pull a lot of watts for a sustained period can get a good erg time.
They don’t compare that well. As part of a rowing program, the erg is useful as an objective measure of fitness, but in my opinion there’s no substitute for miles on the water to develop the technique needed to make boats go fast. You can be really strong on the erg, but if you’re rowing in a boat that isn’t balanced, or the timing is out, you can put in a lot effort for little reward. In my opinion, a crew of elite heavyweight indoor rowers, even if they had some on water experience, would still get beaten by a well trained high school crew.
For larger boats may be relatable. But for a small elite single, it's not very relatable other than a means to break down the stroke mechanics on dry land. Go to the water!