by Clare Callow

Created on: February 14, 2009   Last Updated: March 27, 2009

The average rowing oar has come a long way since it separated from the normal boat paddle.* From its beginnings as a shaped length of wood with a flat section at one end, the modern rowing oar now consists (from water to rower) of the blade, the shaft (which is known as a loom), a sleeve with wearplate and button, more shaft and finally the handle, which can vary in shape depending on the purpose of the oar and the rower's disposition. Blade the blade of an oar is the part that cuts into the water.

The shape of an oar's blade is vitally important for the transfer of energy from the rower to the boat, and blade design has undergone quite a few changes in recent times. For many years all blades followed the classic shape of the macon blade, which is also known as a spoon or tulip because of its rounded, symmetric shape. Since the early 1990s, however, most rowing teams use oars with a cleaver blade, which is shaped exactly how it sounds; a sharpened rectangle which is set at a slight angle to the shaft to allow the lower left corner of the blade to cut the water first.

Very early rowing oars had an elongated triangular blade called a square. Loom the loom is the shaft of the oar. The shaft of a rowing oar has a hidden importance because of its weight. The loom is hollow and the material depends on the overall purpose of the oar most competitive oars are carbon, graphite or other synthetic material for light weight and precision design. Sleeve the sleeve protects the section of the shaft which attaches to the boat.

The sleeve fits into the fulcrum or oarlock of the boat, which works as a hinge which allows the rower to transfer the power of the oar in the water to the propulsion of the boat. The sleeve sometimes has a lip, in order to ensure the oar doesn't slip during the rowing stroke, and is marked with buttons to adjust the length of the loom within the boat. Traditional wooden oars have leather sleeves. Handle on longer oars this is barrel-shaped in general, and for shorter oars is tapered.

Traditional oars are wooden and can be quite beautiful works of craftsmanship. Unfortunately, wooden oars (which can weigh up to seven kilograms each) are not preferred when it comes to rowing as a sport.

Footnote:* What's the difference between an oar and a paddle, you may well ask? The simple answer is that an oar is fixed to the boat, whereas a paddle is held only in the paddler's hand. Not all kayak sports fans will adhere to this definition, however.

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