There are many different forms of rowing or approaches to rowing, which can vary based on any of several factors, including:

• The type of boat used: Recreational boats tend to be shorter, wider, and heavier, as well as easier to balance. Racing shells are built to minimize the weight of the shell and with a hull shape designed for speed.
• The material the boat is built from: Older boats were made of wood; most new shells are made of plastics and modern composite compounds.
• Levels of competition: Rowing is done around the world by people of all ages from approximately ten years old through adulthood into the eighties and nineties.
• Beginners of any age can compete in novice categories.
• Some competitions are limited to specific schools or teams. These range from races between two high schools to Olympic events among national teams.
• Many other rowing competitions are open to anyone who wishes to enter. These include many rowing regattas in the summer and fall. Such regattas usually include events or score results by age, with different events and/or handicaps for rowers of different ages.
• Seasons:
• In the winter, most rowing competition is on indoor rowing machines
• The spring is the primary outdoor racing season for youth and college rowing teams
• In the summer, rowing clubs and individual rowers compete, usually in short races of 1,000 or 2,000 meters. This is also the time when national rowing teams compete around the world
• In the fall, many clubs hold head races, often named the “Head of the . . .” (insert the name of the river where the competition takes place). Head races are usually three miles long or a similar distance that works at the particular venue. Some clubs that sponsor head races also run longer distance races, up to marathon length.
• Age: Competitors often include everyone from novices and youth teams to college and national team boats, as well as older rowers, usually referred to as masters rowers. Masters categories usually begin at about age twenty-three to twenty-seven and include all ages above that. There is no age limit for rowing.