30 Best Rowing Puns That Are Oar-Some

Mina Frost
Jun 21, 2024 By Mina Frost
Originally Published on Oct 28, 2020
Fact-checked by Isobel Murphy
Baby boy sleeping in wooden boat

Rowing a boat is oars-ome, and so are these rowing puns!

You can delight your kids and their whole crew by telling some of these clever puns with rowing terms. This list includes rower jokes, water one-liners and other lines to do with boats and oars!

Rowing a boat is hard work but it can be a good source of jokes, too. Ancient civilizations like Vikings, Greeks and Romans used to row large boats with hundreds of soldiers rowing to travel at sea, both for battle and commerce.

As well as rowing on the water, an athlete can train on land on rowing machine, also known as an ergometer or ergo.

There is even evidence of rowing machines being used about 2,500 years ago in Greece! Back then, Athens and Sparta were often at war, so these meant that soldiers could get some practice in on the land.

Nowadays, rowing is a popular sport among college students and other athletes. The first rowing club in the US is thought to be the Detroit Rowing Club, founded in 1839.

The first varsity rowing race was held between Harvard and Yale in 1852, and it was won by Harvard. There are many famous rowing races, or regattas, around the world, such as Henley Royal Regatta, which takes place in the summer in the UK. Rowing is one of the original sports in modern Olympic Games.

In fact, their founder Pierre de Coubertin was a keen rower! Women were able to row at the Olympic Games from 1976 onwards.

Rowing boats are sometimes referred to as "shells", and the oars as "blades". A boat for eight people can measure more than 60 feet long! Rowers can be in a crew of two, four or eight, or they can row by themselves in a single. Rowing with two oars is called "sculling", and with a single one "sweeping".

As well as a professional sport, rowing can be a great activity for pleasure, too. Many places with lakes and rivers offer the option for tourists to hire boats and row, row, row them merrily down the stream!

Some cities like Venice, Oxford or Cambridge have famous canals down which you can "punt", meaning pushing a flat boat along a very shallow body of water with a pole. Many people like to head to Madrid's parc El Retiro to hire a row boat and enjoy the sun!

If you are after some more nautical fun, you should give check out these beach puns that shore are great or these whale puns and jokes for kids.
 

Rowing Puns

Warning: these rowing jokes may blow you out of the water!

1. The inventors of the rowing machine have really missed a trick, it should be called a row-bot!

2. Today someone told me rowing a boat is easy. Water-load of rubbish!

3. I told the person who broke my boat that they could go to hull!

4. In medieval times, knights also had to know how to row a boat, because they had to go on crew-sades.

5. Water boat we go on a rowing trip this weekend?

6. Rowing a boat takes practice, the trick is you have to develop a row-tine.

7. If you are in love with a rower, a-skiff they would like to go on a date with you!

8. Whatever the coxswain says, you just have to row with it!

9. When you row your boat, good timing is crew-cial.

10. I was certain I was going to win the rowing race, but I didn't in the end. I think the whole thing may have been rigged.

11. Rowing runs in the family, he always rows with his b-rudder.

12. Oh buoy, I can't wait to go rowing today!

13. If you have no rudder, there's no-fin I can do for you.

Rower Puns

These punny rower jokes will get all the attention from rowing fans and joke lovers alike.

14. The most common cause of death amongst rowers is a stroke.

15. Rowers are not very row-mantic, they usually prefer to stay single.

16. Rowers are a blast at every party: it's because they know how to rock the boat!

17. Most people will tell you to follow your heart, but if you're a rower you should only follow your coxswain.

18. I asked rowers if they knew the answer to my question, but they didn't have a crew what it was!

19. When rowers falls in love, they get boat-terflies in their stomach.

20. Rowers are great dates to take to a dance or a gala. They are good dressers and they enjoy wearing boat-ties.

21. If you want to charm a rower, tell them they are crew-ly amazing, oars-ome and boat-iful!

22. Rowers are really athletic but they are not the most clever people: they have a really thick scull.

23. If you want to be a rower, you have to be really row-bust.

24. I was looking at another crew rowing past and I thought, oars looks so much better!

25. Rowing criminals get a really hard punishment if they get caught misbehaving: they have to be put on death row.

Oar Puns

To get these rowing puns and jokes, you may need to think like a rower.  It's hard work, but they are sure to sweep you off your feet!

26. A rower's life is very far from oar-dinary.

27. Let's go now oar we'll be late to rowing practice!

28. Are we going port or starboard? It's either oar!

29. Rowing is a great sport, truly oar-inspiring.

30. I feel so oar-ful I may have to go to the dock-tor's.

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Written by Mina Frost

Bachelor of Arts specializing in Linguistics, Master of Arts specializing in Investigative Reporting

Mina Frost picture

Mina FrostBachelor of Arts specializing in Linguistics, Master of Arts specializing in Investigative Reporting

Based in London, Mina enjoys discovering novel activities, places, and adventures to fill her days with. She has a Bachelor's degree in Linguistics from the University of Cambridge and a Masters's degree in Investigative Reporting from the Birbeck, University of London. Alongside this, she has a keen interest in children's literature and regularly shares her passion for culture with the children she babysits, making sure to keep up-to-date with the latest family movies, plays, and exhibitions. Having traveled extensively throughout Europe and beyond, Mina has a deep appreciation for exploring new locations and making new connections with people from all walks of life.

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Fact-checked by Isobel Murphy

Bachelor of Arts specializing in History

Isobel Murphy picture

Isobel MurphyBachelor of Arts specializing in History

With a love for exploring cities and finding outdoor spaces to enjoy, Isobel has spent her life exploring various cities in the UK, from her hometown of Surrey to Birmingham where she studied history for three years. She is passionate about sports and enjoys watching and playing, as well as baking and spending quality time with her loved ones.

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