By Jamie Duck.

Hello Greater Dayton Rowing Team!

The GDRA Summer 2026 Team Store is officially OPEN!

Need a new uni? Looking for a fresh team t-shirt? Want some racing shorts (yes, the famous “spandex confidence boosters”)? Maybe a hat to keep the sun out of your eyes while looking incredibly fast? We’ve got you covered.

This store is open to ALL GDRA rowers—not just those who compete. Whether you’re racing at regattas, rowing recreationally, coaching, coxing, volunteering, or simply enjoying time on the water. Anyone, even family members, can order team gear and show your GDRA pride.

For our competitive rowers, this is the official competition gear for Greater Dayton Rowing.

🛶 Team Store:
Greater Dayton Rowing Association Summer 2026 Team Store

⏰ IMPORTANT:
The store closes at midnight on June 10, 2026.

Seriously. It closes.

No late orders.
No “I thought I had another week.”
No “Can you sneak one in for me?”
Once the store closes, the boat has left the dock.

Welcome to Discover Rowing. Get introduced to the boats, oars, basic body mechanics, how to get in a boat safely, & get on the water in a rowing boat. Wear comfortable clothing that can get wet. Normal workout clothes are fine. Wear or bring socks.

The Greater Dayton Rowing Association is located at: 102 East Helena Street, Dayton, Ohio 45404.

UPDATE: The event unfortunately has been cancelled because of high water conditions. However, we are offering Learn-to Row classes in both June and July. Classes will be held for two hours at 10 am on Saturday and Sunday each weekend for four weeks, beginning on Saturday, June 6 for the June classes. If interested, please contact Brian White, GDRA’s Adult Learn to Row Director, at 937-602-4081 or by email at ltrdirector@daytonrowing.org.

Because of harsh winter weather, the delivery of new boat racks for GDRA’s outdoor cage had to wait until late March. A crew of enthusiastic volunteers got to work immediately when the racks arrived. The new racks are metal, painted an attractive shade of red, and will be a considerable improvement over the old wooden racks. Another work crew is planned for Saturday, April 11, to finish the rack assembly and do a general spring cleaning of the boathouse and grounds.

Some recreational boats have been moved to a temporary rack inside the cage, and more are on the trailer just outside the cage. There are plenty of boats easily accessible for rowing—the weather is forecast to improve later this week, with pleasant temperatures and less wind.

Some GDRA members got an early start on the spring season in March by traveling south for regattas in Sarasota and Nashville, enjoying a little competition and warmer weather. We always have fun on our travels and welcome suggestions for more adventures!

As this year’s rowing season comes to a close, we are working to improve our boathouse facilities by replacing old wooden boat racks in the outdoor storage cage with new metal racks, under the capable leadership of GDRA President Doug Barker. The new racks are on order, and delivery is expected in December. A volunteer work crew prepared the site on Saturday by taking boats out of the cage and removing the old racks. Thanks to everyone who pitched in! Doug also reports that new gravel has just been delivered for the cage, with some leftover gravel placed in areas near the boathouse.

GDRA was represented at several regattas during the 2025 fall racing season. Our rowers traveled to the Chicago River Marathon & Half Marathon, Sept. 7; the Head of the Ohio, Oct. 4-5; the Music City Head Race, Oct. 11; the Head of the Charles, Oct. 17-19; the Secret City Head Race, Oct. 25-26; the Head of the Hooch, Nov. 1-2; and the Head of the South, Nov. 8. We had perfect weather in Augusta for the Head of the South—just warm enough to feel pleasant and summerlike, with a clear sky and little wind.

The temperatures rapidly fell on the return trip north, with snow squalls at the boathouse while unloading and putting away boats, which made it clear that we’ll be doing indoor rowing machine workouts for the next few months; but we are looking forward to another fun year of rowing outdoors in 2026.

Over the weekend of October 4th and 5th, GDRA volunteers set up a tent at the Wagner Subaru Outdoor Experience in Eastwood MetroPark in Dayton. This annual event, in which we’ve participated for several years, introduces people to a variety of outdoor activities. The location is on the Mad River Trail, allowing visitors to bike or walk along Dayton’s extensive network of paved trails.

Our volunteers enjoyed this opportunity to serve as ambassadors for the sport of rowing in the Dayton community. Visitors were invited to try the rowing machines at our GDRA tent, as always. Ben Boehm, who organized the volunteers this year, reported that 528 people completed our 500m or 1-minute rowing challenge, which was an increase of almost 50% more than last year. It was a busy and fun weekend.

The Greater Dayton Rowing Association has lost a beloved founder. Doug Barker writes:

Dear GDRA Members:

It is with deep sadness that I share the news of the passing of Jim Wall. Jim was a remarkable individual, whose vision and passion laid the very foundation of our rowing club. He was President of GDRA from its founding in 1992 to 2015. He continued as a Board member until just last year. Thirty two years of continuous service.

Our thoughts are with Jim’s family, friends and all who were fortunate to know him.

With heartfelt sympathy,
Doug Barker
GDRA President

When our team members were getting ready to travel to Lake Ford in Ypsilanti, Michigan, for the four-day RowFest regatta in mid-July, we wanted to bring a flag for the GDRA boat trailer. We knew there was a large flag with the GDRA logo somewhere, but where was it? Not in the boathouse. Not in the storage container. After a search, it was finally discovered in the old cargo trailer. Mystery solved, and we were ready to race!

On the first day of Masters racing, Thursday, July 17, some races were cancelled due to high wind. The weather was much better on the other days, and we all competed in several races, with each GDRA rower bringing home at least one medal. More than that, we all had a good time!

Our last sprint race of 2025 was the Midwest Summer Sprint Championships, held on Saturday, August 2 at Dillon Lake, Ohio. This one is always a favorite to close out the season because it is in our home state and an easy drive, about two hours east of Dayton.

GDRA’s Learn to Row classes for this year are now finished, and we’re glad to have new members sharing our river. The wildlife has been abundant and lovely to watch this year; we’ve often seen herons standing on the dock and eagles flying overhead. When a tree falls at the river’s edge, beavers are quick to chew it up. Rowing is a great way to get outdoors and enjoy nature.

Rowing is a great sport for enjoying the outdoors, staying fit, and competing in regattas. It’s also an excellent way to make friends and have fun! Here at GDRA, we are free to row any time of day. Even on the hottest summer days, people often get together to row early in the morning or late in the afternoon when it’s cooler. Our June Learn-to-Row class, which meets on weekend mornings, has been making good progress, and we’re looking forward to having new rowing buddies.

GDRA just purchased a new boat, which was delivered Monday, June 23. It is a lightweight Peinert single in a pretty sky-blue color, just right for our smaller rowers to enjoy. This photo shows the new boat above two of our older Peinerts. The new single is a modern style, bow-rigged with carbon fiber riggers. It is lighter and easier for small women to carry.

Traveling to regattas is also a great way to make and keep in touch with friends. GDRA rowers often travel to regattas with members of the Greater Columbus and Great Miami teams, sharing boat space on one trailer to make the logistics easier. We sometimes row with members of other clubs in composite boats—that’s more races and more fun for everybody!

So far this year, GDRA rowers have raced at the Sarasota Sprints, the Percy Priest Sprints in Nashville, the Dogwood Masters in Oak Ridge, and the Indianapolis Summer Sprints, with an upcoming race this weekend in Oklahoma City—the Stars & Stripes regatta. We’re always glad to welcome new people to travel with us.

Greater Dayton Rowing Association’s 2025 adult Learn to Row classes are now open for registration! We welcome everyone with an interest in the sport of rowing, whether for recreation, fitness, or competition. Our boathouse is located on Island MetroPark, near downtown Dayton. If you have no experience with rowing, or if you have rowed previously but want to brush up on your skills, you’ll enjoy our Learn to Row program!

We will teach you how to row!

– You start out in quads (4-person boats), and then progress to doubles and singles.
– The cost is $195 for eight lessons, held for two hours at 10 am on Saturdays and Sundays.
– After graduating from Learn to Row, your first-year membership is free!
– Sign up at Regatta Central.

June Session
Saturday, June 7 & Sunday, June 8 10AM – Noon
Saturday, June 14 & Sunday, June 15 10AM – Noon
Saturday, June 21 & Sunday, June 22 10AM – Noon
Saturday, June 28 & Sunday, June 29 10AM – Noon

July Session
Saturday, July 12 & Sunday, July 13 10AM – Noon
Saturday, July 19 & Sunday, July 20 10AM – Noon
Saturday, July 26 & Sunday, July 27 10AM – Noon
Saturday, August 2 & Sunday, August 3 10AM – Noon

As Arranged
If neither of these sessions is convenient for you, contact Brian White, GDRA’s Adult Learn to Row Director at 937-602-4081 or ltrdirector@daytonrowing.org and arrange a time that works with your schedule.

If you already know how to row, then join GDRA now!

– Row on your own schedule! Our club boats range from entry level boats to elite Hudson racing shells.
– Membership fees are reduced for Young Adults (age 18-27) and summer-only College Students.
– Active and Retired Military discounts on all classes and membership fees.
– Questions? Contact Brian White, GDRA’s Adult Learn to Row Director, at 937-602-4081 or send an email to ltrdirector@daytonrowing.org.

Visit our Learn to Row page for more information.

After several days of heavy rain, the Great Miami River came out of its banks, flooding Island MetroPark and closing Helena Street. Fortunately, the water crested just below the GDRA boathouse on Sunday, April 6th. In an abundance of caution, Doug Barker and Mike McCarty put on their wading boots and went into the boathouse to pick up anything that was on the floor, just in case—thanks, guys! Linda Clemens took this photo showing the floodwaters at their highest.

Jamie Duck took the opportunity to send an email reminding GDRA members that our team uniform store at JL Rowing is now open, and orders can be placed until April 12, 2025:

Link to GDRA Team Uniform Store

Jamie wrote:

The Uniform Flood is upon us—but the end is near.

By April 12th, the waters will recede, the portal will close, and only those who answered the call will be fully outfitted for battle on the water. Don’t be left high and dry!

Secure your uniform before it’s too late.

May your oars be swift and your outfits matching.