COACHING
Regular Coaching Times
| Novices | Sat 8am |
Individual coaching can be arranged with the coaches.
Coach Contact Details
| Bob Mowlem |
| Meredith Hinds |
OUR PROGRAMS
Novices |
Competitive Juniors |
Competitive Masters |
Safety |
| NovicesIf you would like to try rowing, contact the Secretary . You can then make an arrangement to visit the club, meet the Captain and participate in a couple of introductory sessions. This usually happens at 8am on a Saturday morning. If you would like to continue, you are asked to make a non-refundable deposit $100 and commit to a learning period of roughly 6 weeks. At any stage, you may decide to become a member. Your deposit will be offset against your membership fee. Your learning period may involve time with both coaches and mentors. Members usually soon find compatible crews with whom to start either social or competitive rowing. A fleet of club boats are available to members. The Captain or Vice Captain will advise you which boats you may use. Boats are allocated based on your physical characteristics and level of proficiency. Competitive JuniorsThe junior team meets on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday mornings for coached sessions.
Juniors can attend tryouts for NCAS, as well as at least 4 regattas per annum, including school regattas, as well as Junior State (February) and Junior Nationals (February). Competitive Masters
PMRC typically attends 5-6 regattas per annum, including NSW State Masters in May. A motivated few attend the Australian Masters in June. In 2011, PMRC had an excellent showing at both State and National Masters. Visit our photo gallery for pictures of our masters and juniorsat their various pursuits. You can see all the year's regattas at the NSW Rowing Regatta Schedule webpage. We take on and off-water safety very seriously at Port Macquarie Rowing Club. Capsizing is a very real possibility. You must be able to swim 100m in rowing clothes in order to go out in a boat. If you are a poor swimmer, you must be accompanied on the water, and we encourage you to better your swimming skills. The water courses we row on are subject to wind and strong tides, and contain multiple hazards - 2 cable ferries, rocks, oyster floats, channel markers, power vessels... Here are some Safety Tips. Also download the Member's Guide for more information. |
safety programs
On noteworthy occasions, some of our rowers have, at speed, tackled :
- aids to navigation,
- the ferry, and
- the Dennis Bridge.
Their efforts are recognized at our AGM with the presentation of the Ceremonial "Boatwrecker of the Year" Oar ward. :
Capsizing
Rowers do fall out of sculls on occasion! It is imperative that you are able to swim at least 100m in rowing clothes, are familiar with capsize drill and with the hazards of the environment (eg sharp oyster beds, tides and currents).
High Speed Watercraft
We share the river with high speed power boats, jetskis, BBQ boats, racing sailboats, oyster barges, freighters and two ferries! And we row backwards, at speed!
Other Water Hazards
The Hastings and Maria rivers are peppered with navigational buoys and oyster rafts. Submerged debris can prove a hazard after floods. Semi-submerged swimmers can prove a hazard during IronMan season. There are also multiple sandbanks where it is easy to run aground or smite submerged rocks.