Rowing is an incredible sport and we hope you’ll love it. We want to make it as accessible as possible so everyone is welcome to come and give it a try!
We have two ways to do this depending on your age.
JUNIOR ROWING is from age 14-18. You can join the junior waiting list where you will be invited to start with land-based training before progressing to the water and becoming a junior member. Email jo.butlin@talk21.com to join the waiting list.
If you are over 18, you can attend one of our taster sessions, followed by a Learn to Row course, predominantly held starting from spring and throughout the summer, before deciding if you would like to commit to further training in our novice sessions.
You can learn more about our club divisions on the Outings page. It’s important to note these are guidelines only, so you can tailor your sessions to suit your abilities, socialise with like-minded people, and choose timings that suit you.
Rowing is a generic term which encompasses sweep oar (with one oar) and, sculling (with two oars). For beginners, we focus on sculling rather than rowing which can be pursued at a later date. Click on this British Rowing link here to see what is involved in learning to scull. If there are any terms you don’t understand, you can check out their glossary here.
What to Expect
As you are new to the sport of rowing, you will need to attend one of our Learn to Row courses. This is run by our volunteer coaches designed to teach the fundamentals of rowing for complete beginners. It includes three coached sessions at a cost of £20, prior to joining the club.
Our coaches will suggest some dates for your introduction to rowing, with a land-based session prior to going out on the water.
Once you feel confident enough, we will organise for you to go out in a boat with experienced rowers. Rowing is a great way of improving your fitness – though a basic level of fitness is required. Everyone at the club is there to have fun and socialise too!
Preparing for Your First Session
We’ll provide the boats, but there are some things you’ll need to have to complete your first session safely:
- Wellies. We do have some to borrow if this is an issue but they’re all giant sized! Best to bring your own about 1 size up from your foot size. You’ll need to wear these to get in and out of the boat.
- Exercise clothes such as lycra that dries quickly. Rowing is a water sport and therefore you may get wet! Absolutely no jeans or hoodies. If you decide to become a member, there will be opportunities to buy some Deben rowing club kit.
- A spare change of clothes and a towel.
- Mobile phone, preferably in a waterproof bag.
- Be sure to let the session leader know of any medical conditions before starting.
- Your first session will typically be on a Saturday from 0830am – 10.30am. Session lengths can vary depending on how much you want to do but your first session will be an in-depth introduction, so save enough time to attend the full lesson.
- Bring a snack to keep energy levels up, a hat and a water bottle. Keep yourself fueled and safe the entire time.
How to Sign Up
Please complete the enquiry form to register your interest.
It would be helpful to know if you’ve had any water sport experience. Let us know a bit about your background and what you would like to achieve through rowing.
Looking forward to hearing from you!