The Fontana Paddle Company is the best place to learn to row on Lake Geneva. Our coaches accompany you on the water, teaching you the basics so that you can row for leisure or competitively. Many of our rowing shells are equipped with pontoons to allow for greater stability during the initial instruction phases. Students who complete our Beginner Rowing Course and are certified by our instructor, are able to row on their own and are eligible to become a Club member. As a Club member, you can take advantage of the opportunity to row as often as you like, whenever you like.
At our retail shop we stock Little River Marine rowing shells and skiffs. We carry the following models:
Cambridge Rowing Shell (front left, pictured next to Heritage skiff) ($4,567; $3995+$572 destination fee)
The Cambridge Rowing Shell built by Little River Marine is now the most popular open water shell in North America.
What makes the Cambridge the best open water shell made?:
Lightest to carry at 34 lbs. Quick release wing rigger for easy car-topping & storage. Removing the rigger means you are carrying only 34 lbs! Dryest row in choppier waters of any design. A full reverse Waveguard that wraps around the cockpit keeps the water out. Other designs let it in, then require you to row very hard to get it back out. Most stable of the popular open water shells. The flared sides make it low and stable.
Most stiff and toughest shell made. Why?
(1) Complete carbon-fiber hull and deck
(2) full-length molded fiberglass I-beam
(3) Molded ribs inside
(4) vinylester resin
These 4 items combined add incredible durability (and a little weight, but we aren’t trying to be the lightest, that’s for racing. Just the strongest.) It is the best design for average and large size men.Interestingly, all the flat deck boats (including our Regatta) best fit women and smaller men. The Cambridge hull is about 2 inches deeper. It has a low volume cockpit Enclosed on 3 sides, (not 4), which is self-bailing by design – you can’t sink or swamp this shell! A tracking fin, storage bag, water bottle shelf, and a built-in back rest! Racing quality welded rigger, Concept II oarlocks, dual action composite seat, and mega-adjustable stretchers.
Our riggers have all (not just some) of the adjustments a racing shell has.
Reminiscent of the romantic rowing craft which graced the waters at the turn of the century, The Heritage is as much a joy to look at as it is to row.
What’s her best feature?Versatility to fit your lifestyle. Take a partner to row, or pile in the kids. Row hard or just drift. Clamp on a two-horsepower motor. Pack a lunch and go exploring. Strap it on the car for summer vacation. There is even a great sailing option. Take her anywhere. Really. Just ask the man who rowed across the Baltic Sea. Or the fellow who rowed the entire coast of Texas… more
The possibilities are endless… Built with a wider hull than rowing shells, the Heritage is terrifically stable. This allows the rower to stand while launching or even at sea. One can even stand and cast a fishing pole. The Heritage also has a prominent bow enabling it to charge into the roughest seas. The deep-tracking keel and high stern will thrill you as you surf down sea. This is the first truly “ocean-capable” sliding-seat rowing craft. Designer Bill Larson has rowed in 5 foot seas, reporting not only was she dry, but she was fast and stable. The low profile sides prevents nasty windage issues, yet she is so buoyant she “bobs like a cork” in the rough stuff. There are built in passenger seats both in the bow and the stern. All Heritage’s come standard with a sliding seat monorail and a fixed seat bench, so you may row sliding seat for aerobic exercise, or traditional fixed seat just for the joy of it.
Simplicity… Thanks to our patented folding rigger, set up and launching is a breeze. Slide your Heritage off the dock, push off, swing out the rigger and go… it’s that simple. Little River is the only builder to offer the folding rigger system. The rigger folds in to act as a handle as you sit down. Another plus: it has a built in safety feature where the rigger will collapse should you accidentally hit something, with no damage to the oars or boat. In the Heritage, the seat is much higher than that of a shell so it is much more comfortable to sit in than shells. If you like, you can row out to your favorite quiet spot and just take in the beauty.
The Other Heritage Models: The Heritage comes in three sizes, the Heritage 12, the Heritage 15 and the Heritage 18. The Heritage 15 and the Heritage 18 can be rigged to row as a single or a double station. The difference is that the Heritage 15 is a lighter launch, and thus easier to handle, while the Heritage 18 has a longer water line, and thus a better rowing double. Which row boat is best for you? If you will be rowing mostly as a single, the 15 is probably best. The Heritage 12 comes as a single only, but can carry passengers. It is a good choice where space is a concern or to use as a tender to a big boat.
At Fontana Paddle Company we carry the Heritage 15 single and double as well as the Heritage 12. They are available to try before you buy!
