I've invested in a pair of Dreher Alphas and so far I'm very pleased with them. My go to oars were my Croker S2 soft slicks, I'm a Masters rower and like the softer shaft. The Alphas feel much more in contact with the water all the way through the stroke and they just feel right to me, plus they look so good.
Of course this could be the placebo affect of blowing $700 on new oars again.
Anyone else tried these ?
Drehet Alpha sculls
Moderator: lt.wolf
Re: Drehet Alpha sculls
Was at a regatta where someone had them.
He liked them quite a bit but said the elliptical shaft was harder to row. It was more difficult to get the correct blade depth because you don't feel the shaft enter the water as easily as you do a cylindrical shaft.
For what it is worth this guy was mostly an open water rower.
He liked them quite a bit but said the elliptical shaft was harder to row. It was more difficult to get the correct blade depth because you don't feel the shaft enter the water as easily as you do a cylindrical shaft.
For what it is worth this guy was mostly an open water rower.
-
rowingrick
- Novice
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Tue Nov 08, 2011 8:42 pm
Re: Drehet Alpha sculls
BTW, it's Dreher, not "Drehet" and the oar shafts are round, not elliptical.
After trialing as many different sculls as I could get my hands on, I purchased a pair of soft shaft Alpha sculls untested last June. I chose them because Dreher Apex sculls have been my racing sculls of choice for 14 years and Dreher is often innovative. I was somewhat apprehensive about the tool free length and inboard adjustment features.
I must say the Alpha sculls are absolutely great and a joy to row with. The catch is solid, but not harsh. The blades maintain a very stable grip on the water throughout the stoke and the release is clean. Note, the blades are actually slightly concave rather than just curved in one direction like most blades. The shafts do a wonderful job of providing a connected feeling with the blades pulling through. These shafts are very, very light which some might find disconcerting. Scull weight is only 1140 grams compared to 1440 to 1500 grams for most other sculls. Even C2's low inertia scull weighs 200 grams more. Getting used to the light weight did not take long. I've had no problems with the wind from any direction and I intentionally rowed in some pretty crappy conditions to test them.
The tool free adjustment features are simple and work well. When I first rowed with the oars I would stop rowing every now and again and make a quick adjustment to the inboard, oar length, or both. It wasn't long before I found a setting that felt just right. Interestingly, the Alphas set 2 cm shorter than my Apex sculls even though the Alpha blade has a smaller surface area, 787 vs. 818. If one wants to make an adjust to suit changing wind and water conditions, it is easily done. And finally, oar build quality is excellent.
Are the Alphas faster? From the testing I've done I would have to say most all sculls are really very good. Each scull has its own set of attributes; the trick is finding the right combination that works best for you. The Alphas happen to work for me. I feel I'm getting more boat speed with less effort. It's taking me fewer strokes to complete the three mile loop on my lake. Importantly, the sculls have been effective in competition. As 65 year old master at this year's USMasters Nationals I won the F single, G single, F double, & F quad rowing with the Alphas. The oars performed when tenths of seconds were needed; the F single margin was .7 seconds and the F double margin was .3 seconds.
After trialing as many different sculls as I could get my hands on, I purchased a pair of soft shaft Alpha sculls untested last June. I chose them because Dreher Apex sculls have been my racing sculls of choice for 14 years and Dreher is often innovative. I was somewhat apprehensive about the tool free length and inboard adjustment features.
I must say the Alpha sculls are absolutely great and a joy to row with. The catch is solid, but not harsh. The blades maintain a very stable grip on the water throughout the stoke and the release is clean. Note, the blades are actually slightly concave rather than just curved in one direction like most blades. The shafts do a wonderful job of providing a connected feeling with the blades pulling through. These shafts are very, very light which some might find disconcerting. Scull weight is only 1140 grams compared to 1440 to 1500 grams for most other sculls. Even C2's low inertia scull weighs 200 grams more. Getting used to the light weight did not take long. I've had no problems with the wind from any direction and I intentionally rowed in some pretty crappy conditions to test them.
The tool free adjustment features are simple and work well. When I first rowed with the oars I would stop rowing every now and again and make a quick adjustment to the inboard, oar length, or both. It wasn't long before I found a setting that felt just right. Interestingly, the Alphas set 2 cm shorter than my Apex sculls even though the Alpha blade has a smaller surface area, 787 vs. 818. If one wants to make an adjust to suit changing wind and water conditions, it is easily done. And finally, oar build quality is excellent.
Are the Alphas faster? From the testing I've done I would have to say most all sculls are really very good. Each scull has its own set of attributes; the trick is finding the right combination that works best for you. The Alphas happen to work for me. I feel I'm getting more boat speed with less effort. It's taking me fewer strokes to complete the three mile loop on my lake. Importantly, the sculls have been effective in competition. As 65 year old master at this year's USMasters Nationals I won the F single, G single, F double, & F quad rowing with the Alphas. The oars performed when tenths of seconds were needed; the F single margin was .7 seconds and the F double margin was .3 seconds.
Re: Drehet Alpha sculls
Thanks Rowingrick, I think so far my only concern is the little locking collar thing for the toolfree collar, it seems a bit flimsy but it is easy to unclip and lock back again.
Oar quality is superb, they really made a nice job of these. I'm going to play around with the settings, interesting that you shortened yours from your previous sculls. Not sure any sculls are going to get me similar results to your great US Masters results but these I think are the best I've rowed with in my memory.
Oar quality is superb, they really made a nice job of these. I'm going to play around with the settings, interesting that you shortened yours from your previous sculls. Not sure any sculls are going to get me similar results to your great US Masters results but these I think are the best I've rowed with in my memory.
Re: Drehet Alpha sculls
OK so a few more outings and a lot of stops to fiddle with the length adjustment and inboard outboard and I seem to have settled on 285cm long and 87.5 inboard.
I'm 55 and 175lbs, don't scull as much as I would like so not as fit as rowingrick but do these measurements seem in the ball park. As with Rowingrick my overall length is shorter than I usually have on the Crokers.
I'm 55 and 175lbs, don't scull as much as I would like so not as fit as rowingrick but do these measurements seem in the ball park. As with Rowingrick my overall length is shorter than I usually have on the Crokers.