SimDay

Rowing erg

A distance row on an air rower; the monitor is the judge, the damper is the athlete’s choice.

SimDay default
1 km (0.62 mi)
Loaded
No
Plates change between heats
No
Space per lane
About 2.7 m × 0.6 m per rower plus a walkway behind.

The standard to brief

The athlete rows until the monitor shows the target distance, with the monitor set to a single distance piece and reset before they sit down. Damper setting is the athlete’s choice unless you announce a fixed setting.

Common no-reps

  • Standing up before the monitor reaches the target distance — the athlete sits back down and finishes.
  • Starting before the monitor is reset to the target piece (the judge resets it, not the athlete).

Judging notes

  • Set the monitor to the distance piece in advance (for example 1000 m counting down) so the display shows 0 at the finish and there is no argument.
  • Watch for the display going to sleep between heats; press a button before each heat starts.
  • Tap the split when the athlete’s feet leave the foot stretchers and they move to the next leg, or when the monitor hits zero if your rule is “row complete”. Pick one and brief all judges the same way.

Setting it up in a gym

  1. Check every rower’s drag factor before the event — the same damper number can feel different on two machines, and the drag factor is the comparable number (More Options → Display Drag Factor on a Concept2 monitor).
  2. Leave 1 m clear behind the seat rail and space for the athlete to step off sideways.
  3. Put the rowers where the judge can see the monitor from the lane, not facing a wall.

Equipment

  • One air rower per lane plus a spare if you have it
  • Monitor batteries / charged monitors
  • Cloth to wipe the handle and seat between heats

Scaling for beginners

Reduce to 500 m, or convert to calories for a mixed-ability class.

Formats that use it

Sources

  1. Concept2 — What is the best damper setting for me?

Checked 17 October 2026.