First of all, rowing on water is, of course, rowing on water. An RP3 stands on the mainland, on the ground, and that of course gives more stability. It is possible to use a ‘wobble seat’, which also simulates the lateral imbalance of a rowing boat. With a ‘wobble seat’ you can train to sit more upright and prevent imbalance.

In the boat, the catch; where the blades of the oar go into the water, is more difficult than on an ergometer. After the catch, the feeling of rowing is very comparable to the rowing stroke in the boat. Hang, build up pressure, finish with back and arms. The final part of the stroke is good to practise with RP3, where most – even experienced rowers – often lose pressure too quickly. The recovery is also comparable to a recovery in the boot.

Technique is a factor for better scores, whereas on a static ergometer just more force is also an option for better results. On RP3 Dynamic indoor rowing machines you are implicitly ‘forced’ to improve and be as technical as possible.

With RP3 you get direct feedback via the monitor (App on smartphone or tablet) about the shape of the power curve and the figures such as joules, watts and stroke length. There are many other fields (30) to select, besides the standard ‘stroke rate’, ‘split’ (time / 500m) and ‘average split. Rowing on RP3 therefore gives much more real time feedback over the rowing stroke. This makes RP3 a very suitable training machine for better rowing and improving your rowing technique.

With RP3 it is also possible to physically link 2 or more machines. This allows the synchrony of the pressure curve of the team of rowers to be trained. The software offers the possibility to analyse your own curve after the workout, but also the curves of the team (overlay) and expose the differences. This is input for improvement.

RP3 is also busy adding rowing data from boat training sessions to the log, so that this data can also be compared with rowing data from an ergometer training and vice versa.

On a Dynamic Indoor Rowing machine the flywheel is also moving as the seat does. So ‘everything’ is loose. The athlete even moves relatively much less than the flywheel, which corresponds to the situation and the feeling in the boat. That is the reason we are using “True Rowing Experience” as our motto.

> Static -> Body Mass turning, instead of just flywheel on Dynamic, very similar as in the boat

> Less stressful lower back, injury prevention and often even used for back injury recovery

> Dynamic rowing is much more like rowing on water and better useful as part of rowing event preparation or during the season

> Difference in scores: less hard in extensive (longer: 30min +) workouts, harder on fast (high pace) parts, but above all: dynamic is more like what you do in the boat during a race

We get this question very often. The short answer is: it cannot be compared. Static and dynamic ergometers are just completely different. When reversing the movement of the rower’s body weight in static rowing, more energy is lost. And the body takes a hit with every stroke. Often and especially it causes (lower) lower back complaints and even injuries, and joints can also play up.

On RP3, the acceleration of the flywheel is measured for the score and the real time feedback and numbers in the monitor. Static machines usually measure the movement of the chain. Therefore, with a rowing style in which a firm final stroke is made with the arms, the score can be higher on a static machine.

However, this is not a natural and logical movement in the rowing boat. On the RP3 it has no (minimal) effect on the score. Better rowing does though!

Although the scores are not really comparable, it can be said from experience:

> more power rowing: higher scores on static ergometer
> more technique: better score on RP3

The technically better rowers score relatively better on RP3. The difference between RP3 and the common static ergometers on a 2,000m score is approx. 1-3s per 500m in favour of the more technical rower.

One of the big advantages, often mentioned by the users who do have much experience on both: on RP3 you can practise higher stroke rates more easy, so really can train at (boat) race pace and have very similar experience or feeling.