Surrounded by water, Marin’s residents have found ways to integrate water travel for fun or utility since they first arrived. Two thousand years ago, the Coast Miwok were the first to traverse its waters using boats made from tule reeds and steered with long poles or double-ended paddles, according to Angel Island Conservancy.
Fast forward to 2025: Vessels of all kinds are a common sight on and around the bay. For the open and flat water rowing communities in particular, this activity often begins before dawn when the wind is mild, turning the often turbulent bay into a glassy, smooth playground and as the creeks animate with wildlife.
What is rowing?

Amidst the sail boats, the cargo ships and the kayakers, the powerful and uniform stride of rowers in specialized carbon fiber boats stands out.
These boats, aka “shells,” come in two varieties: crew boats and scull boats. The difference between the two reflects the difference in styles of rowing: sculling and sweep rowing. Sculling means the athlete has two oars with one in each hand, and sweep rowing means using both hands for only one oar. Crew boats (think Boys in the Boat, the award-winning novel about University of Washington’s crew team) are used by the sweep rowers, and scull boats are used by the (you guessed it) scullers. Typically, crew boats are operated by more rowers — ranging from two rowers to eight or more — while scull boats can be operated by just one rower, a pair or a quad.
What kind of rowing can be found in Marin?

In Marin, there are two rowing clubs, both with a passion for the sport and its community, but each with unique characteristics. Based in Greenbrae, Marin Rowing Association (MRA) has operated since 1968 and mainly takes its rowers on the Corte Madera Creek, while the Open Water Rowing Center (OWRC) has operated on the bay in Sausalito since 1985.
Like with any sport, the rowing community is diverse in its participants, ranging from every age, skill level and gender identity. MRA has as many as 125 junior members and 200 adult members, the youngest being around 11 or 12 years old and the oldest being 91, says Coach Sandy Armstrong, who also is executive director of MRA and head coach of its U19 girls team. Armstrong says the adult members have a positive influence on the junior rowers that sticks with them for life.
“These rowers become great team members at work where they know how to work hard, but they’re not looking for a pat on the back,” she says. “It’s only successful if the team is successful.”
The OWRC has over 150 members of their own, ranging from ages 24 to 85 years old and with over half being women, President of OWRC Wayne Aleshire says.

As the organization’s name implies, OWRC members almost exclusively participate in rowing on the open San Francisco Bay, and sometimes even beyond it. Open water rowing requires a lot of special training and caution, Aleshire says, including but not limited to focus on balance and rhythm and learning how to read the water and wind. But this effort is repaid with views of the glittering skyline of waterfront cities like San Francisco or Sausalito, complemented by the vibrant blue-green hues of the water.
MRA’s type of rowing focuses on a slightly different goal that reflects that of flat water rowing: speed. The boats are made to be as light as possible, and the rowers train to cover certain distances as fast as they can.
But even though rowing opportunities might look different throughout Marin, they all share a universal passion and a common goal, Armstrong says. “We generally support one another, we have no reason to compete, we just are trying to grow the sport of rowing. And I think that, if there’s a partnership, I think that we would love to offer rowing to a more diverse community. Rowing is a sport that is seemingly cut off from a general population, and we’re trying to grow that.”
Why do they do it?

As people scramble to keep up their New Year’s resolutions, two boxes typically made to be checked off are being happier and healthier. Apparently, rowing can do both.
“Rowing is a human-powered, non-polluting activity, and it enriches the individual personal fitness with an outstanding meditating feeling while on the water,” says Aleshire. “Watching an OWRC rower is like watching a very talented ballet dancer.”
Individually, rowers need to be strong, both physically and mentally, in order to be on the water for long periods of time, push past discomfort and consistently contribute to the team’s overall goal.

“We would work together to be on the same page. Your technique, my technique, I give to you, you give to me,” Armstrong says. “We work together for this entity to go fast, which is the boat. And you’re on the water — it’s beautiful. It’s fast. There’s nothing like it, really.”
For younger rowers in particular, the sport teaches discipline and time management skills, in needing to adopt a work-life balance as early as high school, when they’re trying to keep up on schoolwork while also coming to every practice, Armstrong says.
“I think that it’s community, I think it’s recreation, and those are the things that we are all in the county to be doing, all of us. We’re here to participate in living a good life and being on the water,” Armstrong says. “For a lot of people — not just for in rowing — but for a lot of people, it’s part of it.”
Feel the Burn

How many calories does rowing burn?
A combination of grace, strength and endurance, it’s no secret that rowing is a labor-intensive sport. Here’s a look into just how many calories rowers can actually expect to burn while on the water
10 minutes — 133 calories
30 minutes — 398 calories
60 minutes — 797 calories
Note: Estimates pertain to high intensity training and are provided by nutracheck.co.