Sculling Oar Simulator

Use this simulator to explore how changes in oar setup affect your stroke. This interactive tool allows you to see how inboard length, overall oar length, spread, and chord length affect oar-overlap, catch and finish angles, and gearing ratio.

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Gearing ratio is calculated by dividing the outboard length of the oar by the inboard length.

• Shorter inboard = higher gearing ratio. This results in a stroke that feels heavier but travels longer through the water, with higher catch and finish angles. 

• Longer inboards = lower gearing ratio. This results in a stroke that feels lighter and is easier to accelerate and maintain at higher stroke rates, but travels a shorter distance through the water (lower catch and finish angles).

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Chord length is the straight-line distance between the catch and finish positions of the oar handles, and is shown by the red lines in the simulator when SHOW CATCH AND FINISH ANGLES is enabled. Chord length is primarily determined by the rower's effective stroke length and is influenced by factors such as reach and compression at the catch, layback at the finish, body proportions, and technique.

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Note: the default value for spread (160cm) reflects the general set-up for most club sculling boats. Club oars are generally between 283 and 288 cm in overall length.