How to choose a boat

Why Rowing?

In today’s quest for a more healthy and exhilarating lifestyle, the sport of recreational rowing has emerged. Many doctors, sports medicine specialists, and fitness enthusiasts are proclaiming it the ideal exercise and for some very good reasons.

1. One, rowing combines a full-body fitness sport with a recreational activity, offering a complete physical and mental conditioning program all in one.
2. Two, rowing requires a minimum of skills to achieve, (you can learn to row in one afternoon), yet will remain a challenge throughout the years as you continue to improve.
3. Three, people of all ages, sizes, and physical limitations can learn to row and achieve a level of accomplishment that is both physically beneficial and personally rewarding. Rowing is now recognized as an effective means of therapeutic conditioning used in various applications, such as for joggers with bad knees to those physically handicapped.
4. Fourth, and most important, rowing puts you in a unique and refreshing atmosphere-far from the madding crowd-one that stimulates your senses while challenging your efforts.

You’ll come to find that rowing never encourages boredom; that you’ll actually look forward to your next row, whether it’s to workout or work less. The fascinating sport of rowing, simply put, is a fun way to stay fit.

Topics to consider when choosing your rowing craft.

First, what are your typical athletic tendencies in a sport? Are you interested in building skills in a new sport (shells) or are you simply looking for a hassle-free way to enjoy exercising outdoors (skiffs)? Are you interested in rowing by yourself, or with someone else? Will you take friends or family along?

Second, what are the typical water conditions at the time and place you will most often row? These questions will help maximize the enjoyment of your purchase.

Question most often asked:  I’m attracted to shells, but heard they are tippy.  What should I expect?  Here is the well-kept secret about all shells:  if you let go of the oars, you will probably tip over.  If that is not for you, consider the Heritage skiff.  We get far more people switching out of shells into skiffs (especially other brands where the buyer was misled as to the difficulty of shells) than skiffs to shells.

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Why choose a rowing skiff?

Are you looking for the stability of a sliding seat row boat?

Do the sweeping graceful lines of this sliding seat row boat appeal to you?

If so, a Heritage skiff from Little River Marine is the boat for you!

What are the advantages of a Heritage Skiff over a rowing shell?

Because of their wider hulls, sliding seat row boats are more stable than rowing shells. With a Heritage you can stand up. With a shell, there is well kept secret: let go of the oars, tip right over (shells, not skiffs).

A Heritage is only one mph slower than a shell at cruising speed. Average speed Heritage 5 mph, shell 6mph. So you give up little, but gain a lot.

Each Heritage model has enough room to carry passenger(s), and the Heritage 15 and 18 have the ability to accommodate a second rower.

A motor mount or sail can be mounted on your sliding seat row boat.

Little River Marine’s patented folding rigger system makes the boat easy to transport.

Boat Construction

Since 1977, Bill Larson has been designing and manufacturing rowing shells with an emphasis on superior quality.

Heritage Models

As with our rowing shells, Little River has place strict attention to ensuring that our skiffs deliver beyond the expectations of our customers. The Heritage class all come standard with molded, non-skid interiors that provide a comfortable and dependable rowing craft. Also, our interiors come standard with passenger seats that can accommodate members of your family for a fun filled day on the lake. You may also remove the six-wheeled, sliding seat from your heritage to convert to a traditional fixed-rowing craft. A unique feature to our skiffs is the fold-out rigger system that enables your Heritage to be stored easily. Finally, the full-length keel provides true tracking as you paddle through the water.

Rowing Shells

Among one of the unique features of the rowing shells is the molded splash gaurd that ensures a “dry ride”. In addition, all of our rowing shells have complete carbon fiber decks and hulls for superior performance and durability.

Classic Carbon

– Doubleliner
– Lightest
– Fold-in arms
– Massive flotation
– Ultra stiff

Classic (fiberglass)

– Doubleliner
– Most-popular
– Fold-in arms
– Massive flotation
– Very stiff

FAQ

Why Rowing?
Rowing boasts the highest calorie consumption of any sport. Rowing is low impact. No bad knees or elbows. Rowing is often used in physical therapy for rehab of other sports injuries.

What’s the difference between a rowing machine and a real sculler?
A quality rowing machine provides the same exercise as a rowing shell. The difference is largely that rowing a shell is outdoors and on the water. Rowing a real sculler doesn’t feel like exercise, it feels like you’re boating and having fun. For many people this is the difference between loving to exercise and boating it!

How do I get to the lake?
All the shells we make are designed to be easily car topped on any type of roof rack carrier. We also make a safe, inexpensive, foam block system that doesn’t have to be attached to the car. Our boats can be car topped upside down (so you don’t have to worry about rain collecting) or right side up in fiberglass slings for short, quick, trips. See our accessory page for details.

Can one person carry it?
Yes! Most of the boats only weigh about 45 lbs. and can be easily carried or car topped by one person.

How do I store it?
It is ok to store your Little River shell outside; simply set it down in a set of land racks and strap it down. Others prefer to hang their shell above their car in the garage with a set of ceiling slings. This is especially convenient for quick loading and unloading.

Is it hard to learn?
With proper instruction, either by instruction video or a personal lesson, most people learn to row in one afternoon. Little River provides lessons to our customers from Maine to Florida. Some people like to start with a set of outrigger floats to really insure safe learning. They are available for rent or purchase.

Can my kids row?
Yes, kids often pick it up quicker than adults. The outrigger floats are a good idea for children under 15, for safety. We also have a couple of models that carry a passenger seat.

How do I know what type of shell is right for me and my family?
There are two things to first consider when choosing your shell: the water conditions you will mostly be in and your personal athletic ability. These two issues must be balanced when making your decision.

If you’ll most likely incur windchop or boat wakes when you row, you will prefer an open water design. The beginner or intermediate athlete will enjoy the Heritage, Sprint or Cambridge. The intermediate or advanced athlete will prefer the Cambridge, or in light chop, the Pro Am. If you’ll most likely be rowing in calm (no chop) water you can row in any type of shell or skiff. Choose on of the features and stability level you like.

How stable are shells, verses the Heritage?
All shells are unstable without the oars. Shells need to be about 3 feet wide at the waterline (30″ for women) before it is stable enough to safely climb in without holding onto the oars. This is wider than kayaks because in a shell, we must sit higher than our feet. So all shells, by name, have an element of balance involved. Active people can learn to balance a shell in a half-hour or so, especially the open water type shells. Flat water types take a good bit longer to master.

If you don’t want that instability, consider the Heritage. It is stable enough to get in with ease without the oars. It is safer for cold weather rowing, and only about 1 mile an hour slower than open water shells.

Why not build a Catamaran Shell? Isn’t that more stable?
It turns out to be a bad idea in waves. The problem: when a wave goes under one hull, that hull goes up; that oar goes flying, and the other oar goes down, digging into the water. You can’t prevent this. In a mono hull, you can lean your body left and right to keep the boat relatively flat, and this really maters in waves.

Is the Heritage available lighter?
Yes, the Heritage 15 in carbon weighs in at 62 lbs