| Oars are used to propel the boat. They are long | | | | made out of wood, but modern oars are made from |
| (250–300 cm) poles with one flat end about | | | | synthetic material, the most common being carbon |
| 50 cm long and 25 cm wide, called the blade. An oar is | | | | fiber. Since the use of synthetic materials, the weight |
| often referred to as a "blade" in the case of sweep | | | | of an oar has come down from over 7 kg, to less |
| oar rowing and as a "scull" in the case of sculling. A | | | | than 2.5 kg. The most common makes are Concept2s |
| sculling oar is shorter and has a smaller blade area | | | | and Crokers. |
| than the equivalent sweep oar. Classic oars were | | | | Blade shapes |
| made out of wood, but modern oars are made from | | | | The blade shapes are commonly "macons," "spoons," |
| synthetic material, the most common being carbon | | | | or "tulips" which are used for novice boats, and |
| fiber. The most common makes are Concept2, | | | | "cleavers" or "hatchets" which are used for racing |
| Croker, and Dreher. | | | | boats. A macon oar has an elliptical shape and has a |
| In sport rowing, oars are used to propel the boat. | | | | ridgeline running down the center of the blade face, |
| Sculling oars are around 284cm - 290cm in length and | | | | around which the blade face is symmetrical. The blade |
| rowing oars 370cm - 376cm long. The shaft of the oar | | | | is squared off at the end. Due to the blade face |
| ends with one flat end about 50 cm long and 25 cm | | | | symmetry, macon blades are ambidextrous and can |
| wide, called the blade. The part of the oar the | | | | be rowed either on the port or the starboard side of |
| oarsman holds while rowing is called the handle. While | | | | the boat, although in most cases, aesthetic issues |
| rowing, the oars are supported by metal frames | | | | concerning the decorative paint on the blade faces |
| attached to the side of the boat called riggers. | | | | may dictate an oar as belonging to one side of the |
| The parts of an oar are (labelled from outside first): | | | | boat or the other. |
| blade, loom, 2/3rds of the way up is the collar | | | | A hatchet blade's face is somewhat rectangular and |
| (consisting of wearplate and sleeve) and button, and at | | | | looks like a hatchet, hence the name. The shaft of a |
| the very end the handle and grip. | | | | hatchet blade connects to the hatchet offset to the |
| An oar is often referred to as a "blade" in the case of | | | | top edge of the blade. The shape of the face and the |
| sweep oar rowing and as a "scull" in the case of | | | | offset connection is designed to maximize the surface |
| sculling. A sculling oar is shorter and has a smaller | | | | area of the blade in contact with the water during the |
| blade area than the equivalent sweep oar. | | | | rowing stroke, while also minimizing excess material |
| There are hundreds of different variations of oars, but | | | | that would not contribute to driving the boat through |
| these are the most common types. Classic oars were | | | | the water. A hatchet blade is not ambidextrous. |