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Dreissigacker oars are designed to withstand forces at work through the rowing stroke. When oars and boats were made of wood, great care was taken to manage and preserve them. Now that light, technical materials are used to build oars, there is a perception that equipment is indestructible. Not true!
Remember that you have made an investment in a piece of high performance sporting equipment. We encourage you to care for the tools that allow athletes to make the best use of their fitness and training mileage.
- Cleaning grips and inspecting the condition of oar blades, shafts, sleeves and collars should be a routine as frequent as the washing of boats.
- If you row in salt water, rinse oars with fresh water after each use, paying special attention to the sleeves, collars and oarlocks.
- Pushing off the dock with oar blades can create splinters or cause other damage. Even blades with the vortex edge can be damaged over time if this practice is not carefully managed.
- When approaching a dock it is best to do so with the concave face of the blade up (blade tips up) to avert the same kind of splintering damage from loose nails or rough wooden surfaces.
- When setting out oars on a dock or on the ground at a venue, blades can be tips up or down, your preference. Even if carelessly stepped on, the blades will endure this brief load of body weight.
- Do not row by pairs at full power in an eight. The practice of rowing half boat to full boat combinations can work for short stretches—bouts that last 30 strokes or less. Work by sixes is common and should not stress oars beyond their structural integrity.
- Oars made of fiberglass and carbon fiber are extremely durable, but do not assume they will survive collisions. If oars are involved in a collision, inspect them carefully for signs of damage before continuing to row with them.
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