Oar Board® Owner’s Guide
Thank you for purchasing an Oar Board® SUP Rower, welcome to the Oar Board® crew! We’re thrilled to have you on board.
Below, you’ll find everything you need to set up your Oar Board® and start rowing. If you have any questions or need extra support, we’re always here to help. Just give us a call or send us an email, we’re happy to assist anytime.
Setting up your Oar Board®
Watch this video for instructions on how to set up your Oar Board® Rower Unit on a standard paddle board without deck rings.
See this video for guidance on how to inflate your paddle board with an electric pump.
See this video for guidance on how to inflate your paddle board with a hand pump.
Here’s a quick 47-second video to demonstrate how easy it is to install the fin on your paddle board.
Here’s a short video to demonstrate how easy it is to install the flex fin on your paddle board.
Packing your rowing gear into the Oar Board® Travel Bag is quick and straightforward. That said, we recommend watching the Oar Board® Travel Bag packing video for the best tips on how to fit everything securely and protect your gear during travel. A few simple techniques can make a big difference in keeping your equipment safe and organized on the go.
Rowing the Oar Board®
Most people get the row stroke down in minutes. An SUP is quite stable which makes it very easy to learn to row. Watch our online “How to Row the Oar Board” video and you will see that you can become proficient at sculling very quickly.
Safety
It takes a lot to flip an Oar Board® rower and a paddle board but it can happen. This short video shows how to use the quick release strap and how it can help make releasing your feet from the footboard easier, and also how to get back aboard the paddle board and start rowing again.
Care and maintenance
Paddle Boards
You inflate your SUP using the valve, which must be kept clear of debris. Keep the valve cover in place after inflation for this reason. Maximum inflation PSI is 15 for your SUP, which is also printed on your SUP’s deck. When storing your SUP between usage, if not rolled up in the bag, reduce the pressure to between 11-12 PSI. When leaving your SUP inflated in temperatures above 25 degrees, please reduce pressure to 10 PSI.
CAUTION: Overfilling the board may cause internal rupture/damage.
Follow the preventative instructions below to ensure longevity of your SUP. For black marks that can occur from scuffing against surfaces, use of a cleaner such as dish soap, Glue Gone or Simple Green are helpful. Some say a Magic Eraser works.
Use a bag for your deflated SUP and travel with it in the bag to keep it from being damaged – do not put it in the bag when wet. If leaving the SUP inflated, try to keep your board covered, a large tarp and bungee cords works well. Store it in a cool place, out of the sun. If exposed to the sun for prolonged periods, it may cause damage both to the core of the SUP, and the outside.
If you live in a cold climate, make sure the SUP is dry before storing. Any water caught inside when you roll it up, could free]e and cause damage to the SUP.
When carrying on the vehicle roof, only use straps recommended for transporting SUPs. Do not over tighten the straps, as this can cause damage to the SUP. Pads are recommended to avoid damage to the SUP and vehicle.
Always place the SUP face up on the racks, with the fin facing forward towards the front of the vehicle. Make sure to give adequate spacing between the front and back racks. Watch your speed, as having a large SUP on top of your vehicle can make you experience wind shear.
Your inflatable SUP is constructed from strong durable materials and can withstand most normal use. However, contact with very sharp objects such as rocks, glass, or edges can puncture the outer skin. An orange plastic tube containing a repair kit with patches and glue is included with your inflatable board, and can be used to patch the hole. If the hole is larger than the patch, you may need to seek professional repair from a boating facility. Also included in the kit is a valve tool. In the rare event of needing these, you can find instructional videos on procedures for inflatable SUP repairs on YouTube.
Sculling Oars
- Carbon Fiber Shaft
- Fiberglass Blades – Black Gelcoat finish
- Polyethylene Oar Collar – Blue
- Adjustable Plastic Button with Stainless Steel Clamp/fastener
- Grip – Rubber
- Push Button Spring Clip – stainless steel
- Integral fiberglass reinforcement sleeve – a 14´ or 36cm long extension tube
To keep your oars in good condition, separate the two sections and hose off with fresh water after use. Wipe with a cloth to remove salt, sand or dirt. If these two part sculling oars are kept conjoined, any salt water, grit or sand that is left in the joint or around the push button can cause sticking and eventually lead to permanent fusing of the two sections completely. They would then no longer come apart.
Spray the metal parts with a silicon-based spray occasionally to keep them from oxidizing. Store oars out of direct sunlight to reduce UV exposure. Wax the carbon fibre shaft and gelcoat blade using any auto wax to keep them shiny and protect against UV damage. Before applying the wax, wash the surfaces and dry thoroughly.
One button per oar is set to suit the required overlap by locating them on the blue plastic collar and using a slot screwdriver tightening them securely in place.
Your oars come with a red stripe and a green stripe at the base of the shaft near the blade and a red stripe above the button on the second half of the shaft to match the red striped oar blade section. Each oar fits its own individual shaft, so be sure to set them up with red-to-red and green-to-green matches. To separate the shaft push down on both push button spring clips on both sides of the shaft simultaneously while pulling the two sections apart.
Warranty
Your Oar Board® fit-on-top SUP rowing/sculling unit is manufactured with fittings designed for use in salt water or fresh. All metal parts are sleeved where they would come in contact with dissimilar metals. Always ensure that your nylon sleeves are in place where stainless steel bolts go through any part of the aluminum structure.
Your Kwik Lok straps stainless steel buckles must always be closed on the inside surface of your unit’s base and never against the surface of your SUP. We recommend that you release the Kwik Lok strap tension on the board when not in use to prevent strap imprinting on the surface of your SUP. Follow the set up instructions provided with your unit.
For safety during transport by road ensure that your unit is securely fastened to the vehicle’s roof rack. Double-checking is always advised.
For maintenance we recommend hosing the entire unit off with fresh water and wiping down with a cloth after use to minimi]e salt corrosion of the metal parts and/or excess scratching and wear on the tracks due to salt crystals, sand, mud or grit. Occasional spraying with a silicon-based spray will help keep metal parts from oxidizing and reduce friction.
We warrant this Oar Board® fit-on-top SUP rowing/sculling unit to the original owner for a period of 3 years. In the event that the unit should be defective or develop a functional problem Whitehall Rowing & Sail will, at their discretion, either (a) provide the needed replacement part(s) or (b) request that the unit be returned for repair or replacement.
First to establish a warranty claim for your unit with Whitehall Rowing & Sail send your proof of purchase to us via email, fax or mail. Next either phone, fax, email or write to us to describe the problem (with photos if possible) then wait to receive confirmation of your claim. Provide us with the best way to reach you including time of day if a phone call is the preferred contact method. We will endeavour to respond before the end of 4 business days.
Do not return the item until you receive our instructions on where to send it and we have gone over the unit’s problem with you to determine the best plan of action.
Once we confirm with you that the return of the unit is required, Whitehall Rowing & Sail accepts the return of the unit for repair or replacement during the warranty period (providing you are the original owner and have already sent your proof of purchase to us via email, mail or fax). Return the unit to us by carefully packaging all parts up with appropriate packing material, in a similar manner to its original packaging, to prevent any scratching or damage to parts during transport and ship to the address we will provide to you. If the unit arrives incomplete the warranty is nullified. This return shipping cost is to be at your own expense.
Whitehall Rowing & Sail 85 Dallas Road, Victoria, BC Canada V8W 1A1 Ph: 250-384-6574 Fax: 250-384-6506 Email: info@whitehallrow.com
Oar Board® do’s and don’t’s
Do not over tighten buckle – too much tension will produce an indent or print in some SUP surfaces. Release the buckle’s tension or remove the Oar Board® unit from the SUP when not in use to prevent SUP surface printing.
Do make sure your foot stretcher pad pins are pushed down all the way into the correct hole before rowing to ensure they don’t slip out.
Keep Oar Board® tracks clean and free from sand, mud, or crusted salt to prevent abrasion of the track.
Make sure your Oar Board® is equidistant from the sides on the SUP on all four corners before rowing (it might slip slightly off center while carrying to the water). Handy tip: once you’re satisfied you have the ideal spot determined for your board, making some marks or adding some stickers to the board at the four corners of the unit helps.
Gaskets: Once your weight is on the unit the added pressure on the four neoprene gaskets located on the bottom of each corner keep the unit in its centered position. Remember to replace any gaskets that come off before using your Oar Board® unit.
Do not use your Oar Board® rigger arms to pull the SUP up out of the water. Instead remove the outrigger carriage from the board first, then use the Oar Board® seat base to grab onto and lift or carry the board.
Hose salt water off all surfaces after each use to help keep your Oar Board® unit pristine and prevent salt build up.
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