Here's a general overview for anyone keen to learn a bit more about the club. Members will be provided with more information once they join.

Do I need to be able to row to join?

No! Everyone is welcome to join and we may look at running some beginner-focused sessions in the coming months. For now, beginners can join a session and go out for a row with more experienced rowers (conditions permitting) to learn as you go. If you can already row, that's great and you're welcome too.

Do I need to be able to swim?

Ideally you will be able to swim. If you can't swim but feel happy in an open boat on the sea and stepping in and out of a boat from the land or from a pontoon, you are still very welcome to join, though will need to wear a life-jacket at all times.

Do you have rowing for the over 55s?

Yes! Please read this quick page then come back for the rest of the FAQ.

Fitness levels

You don't need to be fit to join and there are people at the club with all different types of aspirations for their rowing. Some folks have joined to make friends, others to get fit, others to train hard and to race. Everyone at every ability level is welcome. You will need to be comfortable stepping from land into the boat (for example from sand, from mud, from a pontoon) down into the boat, with assistance from crew members, and will need to be able to hold and control a heavy oar. If you're not sure about any of this, do come on down to observe to see if it's something you'd like to have a go at.

Can I just have a go first?

If you’d like to try rowing to see if you like it, get in touch (submitting our Application Form is a good starting point so we have your key contact info). We’ll organise for you to come down to sit in the non-rowing ‘pilot seat’ of the boat and to go out to sea with a full crew for a trial. You can then experience sea-rowing first-hand, to see how it’s done, what kind of terms and language the cox uses, and how the oars are handled/ how the rowers work together. If you like it, you may then get to have a go at rowing yourself during that session, during the row after, or on another day.

Are life jackets compulsory?

Wearing a life jacket in the gig (the boat) is not compulsory except for the cox, any non-swimmers, and anyone sitting in the pilot seat. All club members must wear one when if on a pontoon and when getting into the boat. The club can provide them. Once in the boat, rowers may choose to remove their life jackets (non-swimmers, cox, and pilot seat people must keep them on).

How much does it cost to join?

It's £120 for the year. If you join once the annual membership date has passed, your total will be pro-rated so it's fair (i.e. join halfway through a membership year, pay 50%).

When do you row?

Good question. There are no regular times for sea-rowing, as we are governed by the tides. As a rule of thumb, we prepare the boat and row in the two-to-three hour period leading up to and continuing beyond high tide. Some high tides are not as high as others, so this also affects whether we can row or not. The rows that get the most interest at the moment - when sufficient rowers/ shore crew and a cox are signed up and available to get the row out - are on the evening tides during daylight hours and at various times at weekends. Midweek daytime rowing sessions will likely build up as our membership grows and as we develop our own coxes to lead these rows.

Tide Times in North Somerset

This handy link will take you to the North Somerset Tide Times predictions page. From this page you can download or save the PDF for the year. For 2025, find the Tide Times PDF here.

How do members know when rows are happening?

The club's members will look at sensible rowing times/ tides for at least a month in advance to allow a bit of forward planning and to confirm coxes/ rowers. These rows are then all added to the club’s App, TeamApp, as ‘potential rows’. Members need to download this app and create a profile for themselves there, to be able to add their names to a given row. If joining rows this way isn't possible for you, just let us know and we'll work out a way to do it. Using the App, you’ll see when a row goes from being a ‘Potential Row’ to a ‘Confirmed Row’, when it has enough rowers, a cox, and an organiser (someone to herd the kittens on the day).

There is also an optional WhatsApp group for general club/ members chat, though all rows are organised through TeamApp.

Do you row on the sea in winter?

Yes, when conditions, daylight, and tides align. We are looking into other places to row over winter (and when tides/ weather is less favourable) when there are fewer accessible daylight hours to row on the sea. Other locations might be locked water, harbours, rivers, and reservoirs. Successful day trips have been run and offer many hours of rowing on reliably calm water such as in Gloucester, and at Wimbleball Lake.

What’s the process if I join?

You will complete our online Application Form and make your payment (it’s £120p.a. or a pro-rate payment if you join mid-way through the membership year). Once your payment is confirmed our end, you will be added to the Members WhatsApp group, for general chat, comments and questions. You'll also need to download the App called Stack TeamApp - its website can also be accessed online if you find that easier to use than the App.

Individual rows are then organised using TeamApp, you do not need to participate in the WhatsApp group to see and sign up for rows and events, it's totally optional. The date and time of the row plus any relevant other info will be listed in TeamApp, and you 'RSVP' to each row within the App. You can also leave a comment or ask a question using the 'Comments' within each row. If you have completed the online application form and not yet been added to the WhatsApp group or to our club's TeamApp, please email westongigclub at gmail.com and we'll sort that out for you.

Are there regattas and races?

Clubs can enter regattas and racing events at any level, you don't need to train for years first. Weston club sent crews to informal race nights and local and regional regattas in 2023-24 and will continue to do so in 2025. This page on the Cornish Pilot Gig Association’s website shows the most up-to-date timetable of events of all types happening throughout the year. It is updated often.

The World Championships: Isles of Scilly 2025

For the first time in 2025, the club is entering the World Pilot Gig Championships on the Isles of Scilly in May 2025 (IoS 2025). For IoS, accommodation and travel to the Isles of Scilly book up well in advance so early commitment, preparation, booking, and payments is essential.

Don’t think that the club is all about hard-core training for big events though, it’s absolutely not. You can also join the club purely for social rowing: there’s something for everyone, and the regattas offer a chance to spend a day in a lovely place with a race in the middle!

Fitness levels

You don't need to be fit to join and there are people at the club with all different types of aspirations for their rowing. Some folks have joined to make friends, others to get fit, others to train hard, race and win! Every ability level is welcome. You will need to be comfortable stepping from land into the boat (for example from sand, from mud, from a pontoon) down into the boat, with assistance from crew members, and will need to be able to hold and control a heavy oar. If you're not sure about any of this, do come on down to observe a row (or to sit in the pilot seat as a non-rower and go out with a crew) to see if it's something you'd like to have a go at yourself.

Kit and clothing for rowing in Weston

Depending on the method of getting into the boat (from a pontoon, from hard sand, from a muddy area), then yes you might get wet (your feet in particular) or muddy. Pontoon access is easier and cleaner of course but isn’t always available. Keep changes of clothes and footwear in mind for such occasions. You'll usually know where you're getting into the boat from before the row.

Once in the boat, you shouldn't get 'wet wet' (from the sea) but might get a bit wet on occasion from the odd splash of the oars around you. If it's raining, obviously you'll be getting wet! Layers are great as you can delayer as you warm up, and windproof/ rainproof outer layers can be useful in colder and wetter months. You can get surprisingly hot, even when rowing in cold weather.

A technical/ quick-wicking sports vest or T-shirt with a long-sleeved layer on top is a good start, and shorts, leggings or tracksuit bottoms are ideal. In winter, hats, gloves and buffs are also useful as are additional layers to put on afterwards. Keeping a dry pair of socks/ shoes/ clothes in your car or back at base to change into after your row is a good idea.

Club kit and merch is available: you can talk to someone about this after joining.

Mobile phones

As mentioned above, you shouldn't be getting very wet, but you never know and even a downpour might soak your phone in your pocket. It's great to get pics and videos on board though, so feel free to bring your phones (100% at your own risk), but make sure you have a waterproof place to keep them, i.e. in a small waterproof roll-top dry bag.

Hats, hairbands, and sunglasses

Once you're rowing, you can't remove your hands from the oars easily so having stray hairs in your face or eyes, or a cap that blows off easily are not ideal. It's useful to ensure your hair is off your face. Just something to keep in mind. Things like caps and sunglasses can also be dropped overboard or can blow off, so perhaps leave the Ray Bans at home... Having something to clip a hat to a layer of clothing, or having a cord for your glasses that goes over your head can help so they aren’t lost.

Gloves: to wear or not to wear?

Some people like to wear gloves when they row, others don't. Fingerless sports gloves with a bit of padding are generally preferred. If you start rowing with no gloves, your hands will likely toughen up as you go. You could always do half and half to start with and keep a pair of gloves handy in case your hands start to rub or blister. Slippery/ knitted gloves won’t work as you really need to be able to feel and control the oar.

Having a bag on board

A small, waterproof, roll-top dry bag (along these lines) is a great option as something to bring on board. It's somewhere to keep your layers as they come off, your 'phone, your water and your keys etc. The rubbery, wipe clean ones are best as they might get sand on them/ splashed with muddy water while sitting in the bottom of the boat.

Food and drink on board

Always bring a drink/ bottle of water on board. Rowing is thirsty business, even on cold wet nights. You won't normally be out for longer than an hour so food isn't required but a few sweets (Haribo, trail mix, Jelly Babies etc) can be great to quickly hand round once you stop for a breather.

Parking on the beach

Members can park on the beach just beyond Weston Bay Yacht Club’s Club House during rows. For this, you enter the beach via the Uphill beach entrance at the end of Links Road. This area can be cut off by very high tides on occasion for short periods of time (and is locked early and late, someone on your row will have a key). More information about tides and parking will be provided once you join. Parking in Uphill village and walking across the beach is also possible; car-sharing is encouraged.

Other Qs?

If your question isn't answered here, please use our contact form to ask us we'll get back to you as soon as we can or will post the Q&A here.