* Hours on the water are subject to inclement weather.

Our goal is to provide a structured period of intensive coaching providing the basics of rowing technique and safety.  At the end of the course, you should feel comfortable in both sweep and sculling shells so you can decide if rowing is a sport to enjoy long-term. The courses consist of technical and safety training indoors using the infamous ‘erg’ (indoor rowing machine) as well as water training in boats.  You'll have a chance to get into large (eights)  & small (quads, doubles) boats. 

Our courses use an eight-person rowing barge that allows for beginners to row on the river in a more stable boat environment to learn the mechanics of the rowing stroke before adding additional complexity to balance. Both the sweep rowing technique (rowing with one oar) and the sculling technique (rowing with two oars) will be taught. The classes are conducted by experienced ARC rowing coaches and experienced volunteers.

Our Learn To Row course focuses on rowing technique and does not consist of hard workouts. However, you will be active during class. Therefore, there are some physical requirements for class admission:

• Participants must be competent swimmers. You must feel comfortable in and on the water and be able to tread water.
• Participants must be comfortable lifting at least 55 pounds overhead (participants will have to lift the boats to carry on their shoulders).
• Participants must weigh less than 230 pounds because of equipment design limitations.

PASS Requirements

The Atlanta Rowing Club grades each student on the following required passing criteria:  mobility, coordination, technique, and coachability.  Based on a student's progress, the coaches will communicate areas of concern where the student needs to improve. The above passing criteria are required to join the Atlanta Rowing Club.

Refund Policy

A student can withdraw from the learn to row class within the first 3 days for a 75% refund.  This does not include the $50.00 non-refundable seat hold.  Thereafter, a student will not be eligible for a refund.

You’ll enjoy time on the scenic Chattahoochee river while learning a new activity and making new friends. Those who PASS the Learn-To-Row program are invited to apply for membership in the Atlanta Rowing Club for the remainder of the calendar year. Please see our General Membership section of the web site for more information on our membership dues and volunteering requirements.

Here are a set of rowing terms with which to familiarize yourself. Knowing these terms and understanding the meanings of expressions will help keep you safe on the dock and water. 

Participants must be at least 18 years of age. If you are under age 18, you should contact two very good school age programs – the Atlanta Junior Rowing Association or  Saint Andrew Rowing Club.

The Learn to Row class is $550 per participant.  This includes a non-refundable $50 seat hold that is paid at the time of registration.  Class rosters are filled on a first-come, first-served basis and waiting lists often start more than a month ahead of the first day of class. As seats become available, applicants on the waiting list for a class will be notified of their admittance to the class.

A non-refundable fee of $50 will be required with your online application to hold a seat in a Learn to Row class.

Two weeks before the first day of each class, verified participants will be billed the balance of $500 for their upcoming Learn to Row session. Payment is due BEFORE the first day of class. If payment is not received by the first class AND a participant does notify the program coordinator of an absence, their seat will be given to the next person on the waiting list.

Please contact the Learn to Row program coordinator with any questions about the registration process at learntorow@atlantarow.org.

If you have any questions about registration, please contact our Learn to Row program coordinator at learntorow@atlantarow.org.

Each year, rowing clubs around the country host a FREE learn to row clinic to introduce and educate the community about rowing. Atlanta Rowing Club holds a learn to row clinic on this day for anyone interested! The 2024 event was already held on June 8th, but it will be held again on Saturday, June 7th, 2025! Keep an eye out for registration to open in Spring 2025.