Natural Resistance. Inspired by Rowing on Water.
WaterFlywheel Technology
At the heart of every WaterRower is our patented WaterFlywheel, created to reproduce the physical dynamics, resistance and sound of rowing a boat through water.
The WaterFlywheel does not impose a preset resistance. It responds continuously to the effort applied through the handle. Row gently and the resistance remains light. Increase your power and the water provides more resistance.
Just as when rowing in a boat, the resistance always matches the intensity of the person rowing.
More power. More resistance.
How the WaterFlywheel Works
The WaterFlywheel uses specially shaped paddles that move through the water inside the enclosed tank.
As the handle is pulled, the paddles accelerate the water. Their shape cups the moving water, reducing slippage and creating a smooth, effective connection throughout the stroke.
A gentle pull moves the water slowly and produces lighter resistance. A more powerful pull moves the water faster, increasing the drag against the paddles and creating greater resistance.
There are no resistance levels to select before beginning. You control the intensity through the speed and power of your stroke, allowing the same WaterRower to support gentle exercise, endurance training or demanding interval workouts.
The moving water also provides natural cushioning, producing a smooth and even load rather than an abrupt mechanical sensation. Its distinctive sound adds to the connection between indoor training and rowing on water.
The Rule of Cubes
The relationship between power, speed and resistance is explained by a principle of rowing known as the rule of cubes.
The power required to move through water increases in proportion to the cube of the speed. This means a relatively small increase in rowing speed requires a much greater increase in effort.
In simple terms, doubling the simulated rowing speed requires approximately eight times the power. This is why the WaterFlywheel becomes progressively more challenging as you row harder.
It does not move between fixed resistance levels. The water responds continuously to your intensity, just as it does when rowing a boat.Â
Water Level and Rowing Feel
Changing the amount of water in the tank changes the mass being moved rather than setting the intensity of the workout.
More water simulates a heavier boat and crew. It requires greater torque to accelerate and creates a heavier feeling through the stroke, while maintaining more momentum once the water is moving.
Less water simulates a lighter boat. It requires less initial torque, accelerates more quickly and loses momentum more quickly between strokes.
A fuller tank can feel similar to selecting a higher gear on a bicycle because there is more mass to work against. However, unlike changing gear, it does not impose a fixed resistance level.
At every water level, the user’s effort determines the intensity. The water level changes the character of the rowing experience. How hard you row determines how demanding the workout becomes.
Patented Since the Beginning
John Duke developed the original WaterFlywheel while creating the first WaterRower in the 1980s. His aim was to make the movement, resistance, sound and physiological experience of rowing on water available indoors.
A patent application for the WaterFlywheel technology was filed in 1987, and the first WaterRowers were handcrafted in Rhode Island in 1988.
WaterRower frames, materials and performance technology have continued to evolve, but the patented WaterFlywheel remains at the centre of every model.
Whether you choose the WaterRower Lite, Original, Hybrid or Metallic, the principle remains the same.
The water responds to you.
More power. More resistance.
