The attitude of these people is unprofessional and rude. They either don't know the rules of the road or simply don't care. To be yelled and cussed at is about as unprofessional and immature as it gets. It amazes me people would pay to belong to this organization read more

Lake Union Crew - My vessel clearly in the defined channel as I'm yelled at to use another part of the lake - Summer Camps Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Rowing is such a PNW thing to do. And since I've lived here for about 5 years now (and don't seem to be leaving anytime soon) I felt it was time for me to try this sport out for myself. I'd been eyeing LUC for a couple of years, and had almost signed up for a group rowing class. Unfortunately, the pandemic squashed those plans. Their group lessons were all on hold, but when I saw this spring that they were offering private lessons, I decided to sign up me and my son. I was in contact with Patti, who shared that they were still working on the logistics of offering lessons, and trying to juggle reopening their rowing programs with staffing challenges, but I gave her some options that worked for us and she began lining things up. In the meantime, LUC began offering some summer camps on a limited enrollment basis. My son had never rowed before, but he was excited to get to do normal summer camps again, so I wound up enrolling him in a week-long camp. Unfortunately - shortly after registering him, he broke his clavicle, which took him out of all sports for several weeks. LUC was so accommodating - they gave me a credit for the camp that I could apply towards something else. My parents were coming into town, and since my son couldn't do the private lesson with me anymore, I thought rowing would be a nice father/daughter activity. He's in his 80s, but he's very active and in good shape. I relayed this to LUC, and they were very encouraging, so I signed us up. Our instructor was Gil, and he was awesome! Neither of us knew what to expect, and our previous rowing experiences consisted of kayaks and rowboats. The rowing shells are completely different - the rowing techniques are different than a kayak or canoe, and the shells are really reactive, so my dad and I struggled with balance and timing. Gil was so patient with us. He gave clear guidance and provided the right amount of feedback at the right time. At one point, I wasn't sure that my dad would be able to continue (he's in good shape, but at 82 he has some back problems) - Gil was always encouraging, but didn't try to push beyond my dad's limitations. My dad is also hearing impaired, but he couldn't use his hearing aids during the lessons (in case we tipped over in the water) but Gil was able to communicate clearly, checking in regularly, and making sure my dad was following along. During our final lesson, my dad and I finally found our stride (sort of!) and we were able sync up our rowing and feel more comfortable out on the water. Again, Gil was so enthusiastic - I think he was more excited to see us out there than we were! In the end, my dad said he was glad we stuck it out, and asserted that were it not for Gil's teaching style, his ability to adapt the lessons to our needs, and his optimism, he probably would have given up. If you've never rowed before, and you're nervous, but you're thinking about taking some private lessons anyways, I highly recommend Gil. I guarantee that no matter what your fitness or comfort level is, he will make sure your lessons are successful! As for summer camps - my son (who is 12) was cleared for sports later in the summer. I was able to find a spot for him a "big boat" summer camp, and he had a blast. LUC isn't exactly close to our house and attending required that he wake up early for an entire week, but he was excited to go every day, and also shared that his instructors were all patient, enthusiastic, and fun to work with. I'm already looking forward to future group lessons with LUC! read more

Lake Union Crew is the best place to row in Seattle. Period. No other boathouse is family owned/operated, so it's fair to say no other boathouse has an owner quite like Mara. Her commitment to EVERY boathouse community member to walk through the door and past her open door is amazing. Her optimism and attitude permeate every action taken in the boathouse and can be felt through her dedicated coaches and staff members. As a 20 year veteran of the sport, with significant time spent coaching on the waterways of the Midwest (Chicago, IL), Northeast (Boston, MA) and internationally (Bermuda), in addition to working out of 4 different boathouses in Seattle, I wouldn't want to row anywhere else in the world! read more

I signed up for a 4 week Learn to Row class on a whim, and I am SO glad that I did! And all I can say is - if you can learn to love rowing in January... in the cold... in the dark... in the rain... they must be doing something right! Marilyn was our instructor, and she was amazing. She is definitely there to make sure you are learning correctly at the beginning so that you don't build up any bad habits! She gives you all the tough love through her megaphone on the launch boat as she rides beside our 8-person rowing shell. The first couple of classes give you the rundown on safety and proper rowing technique (taught on the erg/rowing machine). This is critical to figuring out what you will be doing on the water! The rest of the 10 classes are out on the water, and boy is it fun!! We learned a ton, and became a little family out there on Lake Union! At the end of the class, you can sign up for a trial membership (no joining fee and 5 weeks for the price of 4) to try out the SAS classes - Sweep and Scull. They have classes early in the mornings, mid morning, and evening. These are all coached as well, and give you the chance to try out both sweeping (one oar) and sculling (two oars), in a variety of boat sizes! I am so happy I found rowing - it is amazing exercise and an awesome community of supportive, fun people!! read more

I'm sorry to say that my experience at this rowing club was not positive. The head coach for the adult learn to row class was rude and especially mean to me. she would scream and yell verbal abuses during our training on the water. I don't believe this motivates novice rowers nor is it professional. It's unfortunate because I actually think that I enjoy being on the water. I will explore other rowing clubs and will never come back to lake union crew. read more

I am new to kayaking and always open to learning from my fellow water people, but the way that an instructor from lake Union crew spoke to me on the water in front of his students was absolutely appalling. I had been sharing the lake with his group for 30 minutes on a clear and straight path the entire time when he had them all turn towards me and our paths crossed. I understand now that I should have just stopped and sat while they all passed, but the way he communicated this by yelling through his megaphone that I was selfish and unsafe and then continued yelling at me after I thanked him for advice but requested respectful tone of voice was unprofessional and completely unnecessary . I can't imagine what taking a lesson from this instructor would be like, and would not recommend this business. read more

I recently took the 'Learn to Row' class and it was so much fun!! The new facility is decked out with a fireplace and workout room and it's located right on the water which is absolutely beautiful on a spring or summer morning! Our instructors were fun and friendly but also got down to business in a way that always made me feel safe on the water. It's a fun way to meet new people, get some exercise, and see a different view of our gorgeous city! read more