Handbook: Cantabs Kit

Cantabs Kit

The official club colours for clothing are Oxford blue with a white stripe (although blade colours are Oxford blue with a silver stripe). If you are racing in a British Rowing event, the rules say that you will need to be wearing a club all-in-one as the top layer for your torso, although leggings and base-layers can be of any design.

Cantabs all-in-one

The official racing kit are the Cantabs all-in-ones from either Godfreys or Powerhouse (see below). Diverse other club-branded items are available from various suppliers, also listed below.

Cantabs kit, including a standard all-in-one, from Powerhouse, (Password: Cantabs2241) can only be purchased as part of bulk orders, which are placed two or three times per year. The Kit Officer will let members know when an ordering window is open; do get in touch with them if you believe there is demand for a new window.

Individuals can order Cantabs kit from Godfrey at any time. Note that Godfrey kit is available VAT-free for under-16s (restricted sizes). Some of our kit, such as the standard all-in-one, is based on their stock range which means delivery times are fast, but there is no further discount for bulk orders. However, if people want to buy the items labelled as ‘Custom’, we can set up a Kit Ordering Window, which lets us buy items at the “2-11” bulk purchase price, and saves on postage charges for all items. Again, the Kit Officer will let members know when an ordering window is open; do get in touch with them if you believe there is demand for a new window.

Tech top from The Kit Crew

Hoodie from The Kit Crew

Jumper from Kit Crew

The Kit Crew have a number of tech tops and items for training and casual wear, at competitive prices. Their base-layers with logos on the arms, rather than on the chest, have been designed to look good under an all-in-one. You can order items at anytime, but if you have a large group of people all wanting items at once, you could ask the Kit Officer if there is enough to open an order window, which will allow you to save on postage.

A small selection of club-branded items is also available from Saffron Apparel, which you can order at any time.

From time to time, you may be contacted to let you know about additional Cantabs-branded clothing, including Mizumo technical kit, fun AIOs, leggings, loungewear and headwear, casual wear, sports bras, blazers, and ties, which may be available either for individual ordering or to buy from a bulk-purchase.

The Kit Officer does carry some stock of various items. You can see the current stock list, with prices here, and illustrations of many of them here. Please contact the Kit Officer if you are interested in any of these.

What to wear for training

Outside of British Rowing events, it is not necessary to wear Cantabs-specific kit, although of course you can if you wish, and rowing-specific clothing is designed to be comfortable on the water. However, other clothing that is soft, stretchy, breathable, and fairly form fitting, including many items designed for running and cycling will often be suitable for rowing. Bear in mind that loose shorts/trousers can get caught in the slides under the moving seats, so avoid basketball style shorts or baggy tracksuit trousers. Oar handles can get caught in loose tops, so avoid anything that isn’t close-fitting, especially bulky jackets or sweatshirts.

Most rowers find they are most comfortable if they dress in multiple layers of technical fabrics. Layering means you can remove and replace outer garments during the outing depending on exertion and changing conditions. Technical fabrics will keep you relatively warm even when wet (from perspiration, rain or splash), and they dry quickly. Don’t forget a hat to keep you warm in cold weather, or to give protection from the sun. A cap/visor can also help shade the eyes from the sun. Sunglasses, ideally polarising, will also help protect your eyes from the glare on the water when it is sunny.

Example clothing for a VERY cold-weather outing

Feet: Warm socks, possibly two pairs, ideally the outer pair should be waterproof if you expect to get wet. Some people like long socks to give extra insulation for the lower leg.

Legs: Thermal leggings as a base layer, topped with normal leggings or close-fitting tracksuit trousers.

Torso:

  1. Long-sleeved base layer top(s) – form-fitting and wicking; they don’t have to be rowing-specific, but check that they will be long enough in the arms and back to allow unrestricted movement and keep you warm. Multiple base layers can be worn for extra warmth.
  2. An insulation layer – thicker than the base layer, but not bulky e.g. Polartec or Polarfleece; and
  3. A wind block layer e.g. splash-jacket, gilet, or other jacket that is form-fitting and breathable; water-repellent is great, but not at the cost of breathability, else you’ll end up just as wet from sweat!

Head: A hat can really make a big difference to your comfort if it is cold and/or wet. Chose one that will stay on securely, but still allows you to hear the cox, coach and other river-users.

Hands: Pogies (e.g. from Godfreys) allow you to maintain direct contact with the oar handle, but surround your hands with fabric to help them stay warm. Be careful not to leave them on once your hands get warm though, as excess humidity can increase the risk of getting blisters.

British Rowing provides a description of the different sorts of clothing you might wear for training.

Back to Handbook Contents