All members will agree to abide by our club rules and bye laws which are available upon request from the Club Secretary.
All new members should complete a membership form - click here - and juniors (18 years and under) should complete the following form as well - click here. Completed forms and cheques should be posted into the treasurers post box in the clubhouse.
Members wishing to pay in instalments can either setup a monthly standing order or two half yearly payments. i.e. Full membership will be 12 x £16.67 or £100 Oct 09 and £100 March 10. Members racking a boat and paying monthly please setup a standing order for £22.92
Bristol Ariel Rowing Club is open to rowers of all abilities.
For experienced rowers we run a series of training sessions throughout the week where access to boats and ergos are available. A training programme is provided to be used at these sessions. The club currently has four squads - Men, Women Veteran and Juniors. Each squad is assigned coaching sessions where our coaches will oversee your progress. In addition to the coached sessions there is the opportunity to go out in crew boats or individually to improve fitness/skills.
New members are welcome at any time of the year - contact the Learn to Row Captain Alex Brown if you are interested in joining.
For those who have never rowed before Ariel runs beginner courses at various times throughout the year. Learn more about rowing here. The core of the course is six two hour sessions which cover the basics of sculling, rowing, indoor rowing boat maintenance and water safety. When is the next Learn to Row course? The next course starts in June and will run on the following dates, September 5th, 6th, 12th, 13th, 19th, 20th with a catch up session aimed at those who can’t make all the sessions on September 26th.
There are a number of taster sessions planned throughout the year. These will be a session of approximately 1-1.5 hours and will give you the opportunity to have a brief introduction to the rowing stroke and get on the water in training boats. If you are interested in attending the Learn to Row course, a taster session, or would like more information please email your interest to Alex Brown.
Is there a minimum level of fitness required? Rowing is an ideal aerobic sport for the entire body as it is low impact and low injury. However, this course is suitable for all levels of fitness. The only requirement is that you must be able to swim at least 100m in light clothing for safety reasons. As you continue to row you will find your cardiovascular fitness, flexibility and timing will improve.
At Ariel we cater for all types of rowing, including those who want to race, and those who are interested in purely recreational rowing. Once the course is complete, you will have the opportunity to participate in water and land based sessions to improve your fitness and technique throughout the week as well as the main weekend rowing sessions. For those wishing to race then we will give you every opportunity to be competitive at events.
How much does the course cost? The course costs £60 for the six sessions and, should you choose to continue rowing at Ariel, you will receive a £25 discount off your next year’s membership. Places are allocated on a first come, first served basis.
What should I wear to row in? There's a reason you see rowers wearing those unflattering tight rowing suits - loose clothing is a hazard! Loose shorts will get caught in the seat as it slides back and forth, and loose shirts can sometimes snag the oar handle as it comes close to your body. Clothing need not be absolutely skin tight clothing but a relatively close-fitting T-shirt is ideal. Jeans are not suitable. Please bring a change of clothes as although it is very unlikely, it is possible that you may fall in!
Please note that at present the course is only open to those aged 16 and over.