Parts of the Oars

Parts and descriptions

Rowing oars are divided into 5 parts:

• The Blade: The blade is typically the shape of a modified rectangle and is the part of the oar furthest from the athlete. During the drive phase of rowing stroke this is the part of the oar which should be just buried under the water.

• The Shaft: The Shaft of the oar is the long piece of the oar which connects the blade with the handle.

• The Sleeve: The sleeve of the oar wraps around the shaft and is attached about ¾ of the way from the blade to the handle. The shaft has incremental markings which are used when adjusting the oars.  More on that in later lessons where we discuss appropriate oar lengths for different athletes. 

• The Collar: The collar of the blade wraps around the sleeve of the oar and is used to change the distance between the gate and the end of the handle.

• The Handle: This part is a tube which slides into the end of the shaft closest to the rower. This can be adjusted to change the length of the oar. The handle sizes vary and can be changed based on the size of the athlete’s hand.