Got my brother to order one since he is stuck at the house.

I have been nursing a small injury that has kept me off it plus all the munchkins are home 24/7 now.
So there is that too.

Glad to see folks are enjoying them.

Started cycling again, and have been rowing a little bit to warm up before heading out.

Looks a lot more like a he than a she to me.

Bob

This message has been edited. Last edited by: rbert0005,

My Waterrower Classic rental arrived yesterday - it was a new build unit but setup was still a breeze, maybe 15-20 min just to ensure the threads were all correct and filling up the tank.

Rowed a little bit on it last night to check function, watched some of the instructional rowing technique videos and did my first slow (10 min) workout today, aiming just at technique. Will increase slowly every day / then multiple times a day as I get the hang of it.

It's very quiet and we have it in our living room, which has lots of wood accents and honestly pushed upright into the corner you don't even notice it. While rowing, no one really hears anything in the house, as opposed to an older treadmill in the backroom which you can hear throughout the entire house. Even the dogs don't pay much attention.

Very pleased so far and glad to have a quality workout at home.

I've been rowing with foam ear protection and it helps me focus. I don't look at the monitor until I reach around 800, counting my strokes. Get to near or half way to 900 by 30 minutes and it comes out to over 6000m - a typical work out day. Colder weather coming, so the Concept 2 Model D will see more action.

I've never had a chance to use a Water Rower but the fitness facilities in our 55+ community have Concept rowers and my wife and I have used them off and on for several years. When everything shut down in March we bought a Concept2 and I've managed to put over 850,000 meters on it since then. I also bought an inexpensive Wahoo heart rate monitor and use the free ErgData app to track my workouts. Here's an example. Note my Stroke Rate (black line). When I first started this was very erratic, however, after seeing it graphed out I began concentrating on my technique and it's much better now.

Hit 10,000 m day before yesterday, and hit it again today - around 50 plus minutes of rowing. Started using the ipod and time flys by. Sore saddle syndrome started to rear it's head - so I wore a well padded chamois cycling short and got a gel cushion from Amazon and these helped a lot.

I believe I am now in the market for a rowing machine and have a few questions for the SigForum brain trust.

My wife and I purchased a LeMond Fitness g•force RT digital recumbent bicycle a little over 10 years ago. It worked well for just over 9 years, then the electronics started to go out (resistance would go to zero & timer froze periodically). Now it’s pretty much a bike with no resistance whatsoever. LeMond Fitness phone numbers and e-mail addresses are kaput; apparently, they sold out to someone. Major repair parts (electronic boards and resistance coils) are non-existent on the Internet or show not available. I'm not sure repair would be economically feasible anyway.

A lot of folks here speak very highly of the water rower, and I am leaning that way (as is the wife). I have looked over WaterRower’s website & some of the videos, but still have a few questions, please:

In SigForum’s opinion, is the WaterRower company in it for the long run (don’t want to get burned again)? Do you believe support will be available over the next 10-20 years (I tend to keep durable items for a long time)?

How often do you find yourself replacing the water? Ours would be downstairs out of any sunlight.

Are they only ordered from the company?

Is assembly relatively easy?

How many chlorine tablets come with the rower? Is there a third-party source for these tablets? Apparently, there is an 8-10 week wait for the purification tablets from WaterRower these days.

Is there a preference of the mono rail vs. double rail?

How well do the straps wear? For those members with a WaterRower over a year old, how are your straps wearing/holding up? Anyone replaced theirs yet?

Has anyone encountered water tank issues? If yes, what happened?

Any issues with the Series 4 Monitor?

How do the seat wheels and rails wear?

I am considering the Waterrower Natural Rowing Machine with S4 Monitor, partly because it is made of solid ash – a very hard wood.

I appreciate everyone’s help. Black92LX, I hope you can chime in, please. Thank you.

WaterRower has been around more than 10 years that I know of so I don't really forsee them going anywhere but one never knows.
But their customer service is top notch. I bought mine used with all the paperwork they transferred everything into my name with no questions other than the original purchase info and they sent me tablets free.

I have only had mine just under a year and have not replaced the water. I do a chlorine tab every six months with no issues (though need to add one soon) mine gets very little sunlight in the home gym.

I would look for a gently used one on craigslist or Facebook marketplace. I lucked out and found a very gently used one with full paperwork. Fella got prescribed one for home PT after an injury. Shortly afterwards he was in a car accident and his injuries were too severe to use the rower again.
But they are for sale at numerous local fitness equipment retailers and Amazon.
I think if you buy site direct you get a longer warranty (or used to).

Assembly is easy. I bought mine used and it was assembled and my brother bought his assembled. I did add the riser to mine (which I highly suggest) so much easier to get on and off in my opinion.
Make sure you have quality drill bits, and use some wax or soap on the bit as the wood is hard and solid. I killed two decent bits prior to using soap on the bit.

I can't say how many tablets come with the rower. I think they sent me 6 when I called them. I will check how many I have and may be able to send you one if they are back logged.
Though appear to be available on eBay
https://www.ebay.com/itm/362577248783

You absolutely want a double rail system it spreads your weight out better and I feel they ride a bit smoother.

I used a Water Rower at the gym for years and never saw much of an issue with the straps. Though they could have been pretty tight with maintenance I just don't know.

No tank issues

I like the Series 4 monitor it is very simple. I also don't really do a whole lot with it. Just for a few metrics.

No issues with wheels or rails so far.

The Natural is nice but I went with the Club I really liked the dark wood with black rails look over the light wood of the natural.

I am still very happy with mine and lucked out finding a cherry of a used one but would have had no issue paying full price.

I do suggest the wider handle but I am a bigger guy too.

Hopefully that helps.

Looks like a back ache I'd never recover from. Better you than me. Have fun!

After hearing about the rower on this forum over the past 2 years I have been considering buying one because my road bike can’t be used where we live.
Finally ordered the “waterrower club” model with S4 monitor which should arrive Dec 29th.

My decision was based on the quality of the product, the reputation, looking at many youtube videos of people evaluating this and other rowers.
Many other rowers require joining an online subscription which I did not like.

I opted for the risers, too.

Very much looking forward to getting this machine set up soon.

I went to Hawaii in February and was looking of photos and thought, "I am a big bag of goo".

I bought a Concept 2, entirely on the recommendation of my sister-in-law who works out at a rowing club four days each week.

When I started I could barely manage to "Pull the chain" for more than five minutes. After a few weeks I figured out I needed to slow down and just try to endure. Gradually, I worked up to a daily workout of between 5,000 and 10,000 meters.

My resting heart rate dropped from 72 to 65 beats per minute. I've lost 27 pounds.

I really like the workout but it is boring. To remedy this I watch something on Amazon/Netflix/YouTube.

I'm addicted.

Well, I bit the bullet and ordered a WaterRower. It will take 6-8 weeks to ship.

quote:

Originally posted by 229DAK:
Well, I bit the bullet and ordered a WaterRower. It will take 6-8 weeks to ship.

My too. Pulled the trigger yesterday. Been doing core to strengthen and stabilize my low back. Hoping this helps the glutes some, and burns more calories of course.

For you folks with WaterRowers, how do you manage resistance (water amount in the tank) between two people of different "abilities" using the same rower?

Ours should arrive in a few weeks and I am wondering how to manage water level/resistance between my wife and I. I can't imagine adding/subtracting water every time we change over. I envision exceeding my wife in a few short weeks.

For that matter, how do they do it in fitness clubs? Have several rowers with different amounts of water in them?

Thoughts?

This book kept me motivated: The Boys in the Boat. An excerpt.

quote:

Originally posted by 229DAK:
For you folks with WaterRowers, how do you manage resistance (water amount in the tank) between two people of different "abilities" using the same rower?

Ours should arrive in a few weeks and I am wondering how to manage water level/resistance between my wife and I. I can't imagine adding/subtracting water every time we change over. I envision exceeding my wife in a few short weeks.

For that matter, how do they do it in fitness clubs? Have several rowers with different amounts of water in them?

Thoughts?

Honestly don’t know anyone that uses anything less than maximum resistance. It is really not a whole lot.
I have always just worked on increasing speed and duration not building up more resistance.

If you are new to it I find learning the proper form comes easier with more resistance.
Proper form is makes for the best work out.

Think of the WaterRower as actually rowing a boat or shell. You can't change the amount of water in the lake, but you can change the speed at which you stroke. I have owned my Club model for almost a year and use it nearly everyday. I am 78 and use it to maintain flexibility and leg strength, not for strenuous workouts. So far, no water change, no belt repair, no maintenance at all except an occasional check of fastener tightness and dusting.

In lieu of buying the risers, I have mine sitting on two lengths of 6X6 lumber (much cheaper) because my rower stays in place all of the time.

It's here and set up. The water level is at 17 right now; I'll raise it up to the max in a few weeks.

Unfortunately, my wife (who loves it) is the only one using it. Right after it got here and I set it up, I developed adhesive capsulitis, a.k.a., frozen shoulder. I went thru this with my left shoulder 4-5 years ago and now it's the right shoulder. Hurts like hell at times. Once the shoulder loosens somewhat, I'll start slowly on the rower. But for now, it's the physical therapy/stretching I did last time.

The wife has looked at a lot of videos to ensure she's using the proper form and gets the most out of the exercise.