Rowing Boat Types: A Guide

As a quick guide, rowing boat types are sorted by three things: how many rowers they carry, whether those rowers scull or sweep, and whether there is a cox. Once you know the code, you can read any boat name at a glance. If you’re new to the sport, our top rowing FAQ has quick answers to other common questions.

Reading the names

• The number is how many rowers.
• An x means sculling, with two blades per rower.
• A minus means no cox.
• A plus means a cox.

So a 2+ is a pair with a cox, and a 2- is a pair without one. A 4x is four scullers, and a 4x+ is four scullers with a cox. The Olympic classes use the same system, and our page on what Olympic rowing boats are called explains which ones appear at the Games.

Every class at a glance

Code	Name	Rowers	Blades each	Cox	Minimum racing weight
1x	Single scull	1	2	No	14 kg
2x	Double scull	2	2	No	27 kg
4x	Quad	4	2	No	52 kg
4x+	Coxed quad	4	2	Yes	54 kg
2-	Coxless pair	2	1	No	27 kg
2+	Coxed pair	2	1	Yes	32 kg
4-	Coxless four	4	1	No	50 kg
4+	Coxed four	4	1	Yes	51 kg
8+	Eight	8	1	Yes	96 kg

Weights are the minimums listed in Rowing Australia’s boat weight rules, updated November 2025. They include riggers, seats, stretchers and shoes, but not the blades. Club boats are often heavier than these figures.

Typical lengths

Boat	Approximate length
Single	About 8 m
Double or pair	About 10 m
Quad or four	About 13 m
Eight	About 18 to 19 m

Published figures vary by source and by builder, so treat these as rough numbers. They matter when you plan storage or a trailer. Eights are normally built in sections so they can be transported.

Sculling boats

• Single (1x). One rower, two sculls. The most demanding boat for balance, because nobody else helps you settle it. Learn in a stable training single first.
• Double (2x). Two rowers, each with two sculls. Good for learning rhythm with a partner, and more forgiving than a racing single.
• Quad (4x). Four rowers, each with two sculls, coxed or coxless. Quads tend to be stable and fast, and are a common step for juniors and club crews.

Sweep boats

• Pair (2-) and coxed pair (2+). Two rowers with one oar each. The coxless pair is one of the hardest boats to steer and balance, since any imbalance between two people shows straight away.
• Four (4-) and coxed four (4+). Four rowers, each with one oar. A common club crew boat.
• Eight (8+). Eight rowers and a cox. The fastest class, and the one used for the Boat Race.

Scullers steer with pressure on their blades. Many coxless sweep crews steer with a rudder linked to one rower’s foot. The cox does the job in coxed boats, and racing rules set a minimum weight for coxes, which is 55 kg under World Rowing rules. Our comparison of sculling vs sweep rowing explains how the technique differs.

Other types

• Training and recreational boats. Wider, more stable and often heavier, for beginners and relaxed rowing.
• Coastal and sea rowing boats. Built for open water, with more stability and self-draining designs. Coastal rowing is a growing discipline in the UK and Ireland.
• Fixed-seat boats. Traditional designs such as gigs, where the rower’s seat doesn’t slide. They differ from a leisure rowboat in almost every way, as our page on rowing boat vs rowboat shows.
• Indoor “boats”. The rowing machine, or erg, is how many people train. Our rowing machines hub covers the options.

Materials

Material	Good for	Trade-off
Carbon fibre composite	Racing shells	Light and stiff, but expensive and easily damaged
Fibreglass	Training and club boats	Tougher and cheaper, but heavier
Wood	Classic and heritage rowing	Beautiful, but needs more upkeep

A heavier, tougher boat is often the better choice for beginners and shared use.

How to choose

Beginners usually start in a stable club boat, often with a coach. After that, work through these five questions in order:

1. Experience. Start wide and stable. Move to narrower boats as your balance improves.
2. Goal. Racing, fitness and touring each point to a different boat.
3. Water. Sheltered flat water suits shells. Open or tidal water needs a coastal boat.
4. People. Do you want to row alone or with friends? A single needs no crew, but a four needs four people on the same morning.
5. Budget and storage. A single at about 8 m is the easiest boat to own and move. An eight at about 18 m is a club boat.

If you’re thinking of buying, our guide to how big your rowing shell should be covers weight ranges.