Training in the heat
Why heat is a safety issue for young rowers, not just a hydration one, and what changes on a hot session.
Warm weather changes what a training session should look like. Young bodies are less efficient than adult ones at cooling themselves down, and rowing often means training in direct sun with limited shade — on the water, on a hot erg room floor, or waiting between pieces at a regatta. Heat isn't just uncomfortable; it's a genuine safety consideration, and it's treated that way.
What changes on a hot day
On a session flagged as hot, a few things shift. Drinking becomes more deliberate — steadily through the session rather than waiting until you feel thirsty, since thirst tends to lag behind how much fluid you've actually lost. Your coach may also start earlier to avoid the worst of the heat, shorten pieces, or build in extra drink breaks that wouldn't normally be part of the session.
Nobody gets to skip the plan
Whether a session goes ahead as planned, gets adjusted, or is called off altogether in serious heat is always the coach's call, made under the club's safety rules — never something an individual athlete is left to judge alone, and never something to push through to prove a point. If you're struggling in the heat, that's exactly the moment to say so.
Signs to take seriously
Feeling unusually dizzy, getting a pounding headache, cramping muscles, or feeling sick during a hot session are all signs to stop and tell someone straight away, not signs to push through. These can develop quickly in heat in a way they wouldn't on a cooler day, so acting on them early matters.
Getting ready for a hot session or a hot regatta
A bit of preparation goes a long way: extra bottles packed rather than relying on refilling somewhere, a hat and something to cover up with between races, and shade sought out whenever there's a gap rather than standing in direct sun. Travelling to a warmer country for a training camp or a regatta is exactly the situation where this matters most, because the heat can be a big step up from what training at home has prepared you for.
For coaches
Forecasts are checked for the venue and the session window rather than assumed, because conditions can vary a lot even across a single county, let alone between a home river and a regatta abroad. A session flagged as hot is a cue to adjust the plan in advance — earlier starts, shorter pieces, mandated drink breaks — rather than reacting once athletes are already struggling.
For parents
If your child is travelling for a hot-weather training camp or regatta, packing extra bottles and appropriate kit — a hat, something to cover shoulders between races — makes a real difference, and it's worth checking your child knows it's always fine to say something if they're struggling in the heat.
Who to talk to
Your coach is responsible for the safety call on any session, so speak up if you're finding the heat difficult — before it becomes a problem, not after. If anyone shows signs of struggling seriously with the heat, that's a first-aid situation and should be treated as one straight away.
Last updated 2026-09-13