Image credit: Halifax Rowing Association.
It’s early in the morning, the waters are calm and cold, birds have just begun to sing their songs, there’s no sight of any fog or rain, and groups of rowers are getting ready to begin their day. They grab their oars and extra supplies if needed, then they begin to set out onto the water in their boats to begin their journey of the day. This is what an average morning with the Halifax Rowing Association program looks like.
The program started small and simple, “Halifax Rowing Association grew from the determined interest of a group of ex-collegiate rowers,” Frankie Riddle, the treasurer of HRA, said. One of the rowers was from Embry Riddle and was the main lead of the program when it started. The program began to gain popularity through colleges in its early years and has only grown since then.
Currently, the program is a volunteer-run organization. However, there are coaches hired to assist and lead the rowing. Along with that there are eight representatives, five of which are in the master’s program itself and three who are in high school. “We oversee the operations of the club and make sure everything goes smoothly, and everybody has a great time,” said Halifax Rowing president Buck James.
Image credit: Katherine Sutton.
While having a “great time” is important, so is safety. Rowers are required to watch a safety video every year, to ensure that the rowers know what to do when their safety is on the line. They get many of their safety measures from a local fire station as well.
Rowers have to be able to complete some criteria in order to join, “They have to be able to swim 50 yards with a freestyle, they have to be able to tread water for 10 minutes, then while they’re treading water, they have to be able to put on a life jacket,” James said.
If the participant understands the safety precautions and is able to complete the criteria, they can move on with the program, which includes many benefits. One benefit is that “rowing is one of the sports that you can literally do your entire life,” James said.
Image credit: Halifax Rowing Club
Prices for different teams differ but the college master’s is $200 for a six-month period. All teams may participate in competitions and if a rower is in the college program. “You may get recruited by colleges, there’s opportunities for college scholarships,” James said. There’s also opportunity to move further ahead and train for the Olympics rowing category.
The Halifax Rowing Association has made an effort to advertise their Rowing Club to colleges around Fla. to introduce this sport to college students, not only as a hobby but as something that may introduce bigger opportunities to the participants in the future.
National Learn to Row Day is also an important opportunity with the program. On Saturday, June 7, 2025, at 201 City Island Parkway, there will be a chance to test the waters with a rowing group. “We’ll put you in a boat and let you try your hand at some strokes and let you see what it’s all about,” James said.