| Originally just plain straight rods oars eventually | | | | materials have revolutionised oar design. Modern |
| developed to have paddle ends known as blades. | | | | designs for blades plus more rigid shafts have seen |
| These blades improved the oars ability to grip in the | | | | improvements in efficiency of oars. At the forefront of |
| water reducing the length required and making them | | | | this revolution was the European manufacturer Braca |
| easier to manage. The design of the blade has been | | | | also using the technology for kayak and canoe |
| the most obvious development in oar design but all | | | | paddles. Modern oars have adjustable handles to |
| aspects of the oar have developed enormously over | | | | change the overall length plus the inboard and |
| the last few decades. | | | | outboard from the oarlock can be adjusted for |
| Oars can be broken down into their component parts. | | | | optimum performance. Shafts in various degrees of |
| Blade, Shaft and handle. | | | | stiffness to suit different boat types and athletes are |
| Wooden construction - Shaft - Originally a solid length | | | | also available providing once unheard of performance |
| of wood by the 1940s hollow wooden shafts had | | | | for racing boats. The greatly reduced weight afforded |
| been developed to reduce weight and improve | | | | by modern materials has made recreational rowing |
| flexibility. The shaft was made by cutting a deep | | | | and sculling more affordable and enjoyable. Oars now |
| channel in the wood and then inserting and gluing in | | | | last longer, are lighter and more affordable thanks to |
| place a flat insert. This produced the same solid looking | | | | the advancements in material science. |
| shaft but this now had a hollow core. | | | | Glossery of terms - |
| The blade was initially a flat straight piece of wood. | | | | Oar - Used by crews in rowing boats, one person, one |
| Eventually a slight curve was put onto the blade so | | | | oar |
| that it locked into the water better and was also | | | | Sculls - Used by individuals in sculling rowing boats, one |
| easier to extract at the end of each stroke. Changes | | | | person, two sculls. |
| in blade design have let to asymetric big blades, | | | | Blade - The end of the oar that grips in the water |
| hatchets, Sharpies and apex spoons, each designed to | | | | Oarlock - The holder for the oar on the side of the |
| be the most efficient method of propelling a boat in | | | | boat |
| given conditions. Contrary to popular opinion the oars | | | | Outboard - The portion of the oar outside of the |
| does not move in the water but merely acts as a | | | | oarlock |
| fulcrum or pivot point to lever the rowing boat past. | | | | Inbiard - The portion of the oar inside the oarlock |
| The handle again was originally wood. In an effort to | | | | Gearing - The ratio between a number of points on |
| balance the weight of the longer outboard end of the | | | | the oar and boat including inboard, outboard and span. |
| oar wooden handles have continued to be used even | | | | Span - in a sculling boat the distance between the |
| in high performance modern rowing circles. In most | | | | oarlocks |
| cases though they have been replaced by carbon | | | | Pitch - The angle on the blades. Pitch helps the rower |
| fiber handles with rubber grips. | | | | maintain the oar at the correct depth in the water. |
| Fibre Glass and Carbon Fiber - Modern composite | | | | |