Managing Calluses in Competitive Rowing
Rowing Hand Care & Tape
Callus Performance Athletic Tape is built for rowers who grind through massive volume on the water and the erg every day. From endless steady-state pieces on the ergometer to high-rating sprint pieces in a sweep boat or scull, your hands endure constant friction, tight grips, and repetitive twisting. Our tape helps support your fingers, thumbs, and wrists while protecting your skin from painful water blisters, torn calluses, and handle abrasion—so you can focus on pulling hard, matching the stroke rate, and driving with your legs.
When a seat in the top boat is on the line, your hands can’t be compromised.
- Protects the palms and proximal phalanges from deep water blisters and torn calluses
- Reduces friction and skin drag from wooden or composite oar handles and indoor ergometer grips
- Stays secure through river water, sweat, and marathon steady-state rowing sessions
- Maintains a natural feel on the handle so you never lose control while feathering and squaring the blade
- Supports wrists against repetitive extension and strain during the catch and finish phases of the stroke
- Ideal for sweep rowing, sculling, indoor erging, and daily water training
Performance is in our name. Keep your hands strong, protected, and ready for every stroke.
Select from our Various Callus and Performance Solutions for your exact Rowing needs
Pre-Cut Finger Tape
This tape is designed to fit around each digit of your finger(s), providing support, while keeping your touch on point. Each pre-cut piece is 1'x4"
Callus Score
Used for keep your hand and finger callus at the desired thickness to avoid callus catching and ripping. Smoother, sand and File your callus
Callus Moisturizer
Heal, soother and protect your skin with our all natural and organic callus healing balm. Non greasy and effective balm daily moisturizing
Pre-Cut Thumb Tape
The same benefits of finger tape but in 2" x 6" form. Great for thumb protection, support and flexibility
Comparison of Tape Types - Why It Matters in Rowing
Rowing demands relentless endurance, perfect timing, and a fluid but secure grip. From marathon steady-state pieces on the erg to high-rating sprint intervals on the water, your hands absorb massive friction and repetitive rotation against the oar handle. Your tape needs to:
- Stay secure through river water, sweat, and marathon rowing sessions
- Protect thumbs, fingers, and palms from handle drag and deep water blisters
- Support wrists and finger joints during the powerful drive phase
- Maintain full joint mobility so you can seamlessly feather and square the blade
- Preserve tactile sensitivity without adding thick, slippery bulk
- Hold up through high-volume meters, sprint intervals, and regatta day
Callus Performance Tape is built for rowers who live on the water and the erg. When a seat in the top boat is on the line and your grip connects your power to the blade, your hands can’t be a limitation. Pull harder. Row longer. Push off the dock with confidence.
The 4 Types of Callus Performance Tape for Rowers
Not all tape is built to survive the water. We engineered four distinct types of tape to solve the exact problems rowers face when the meters start adding up:
- Stretch and Compression Tape: The ultimate tool for wrapping high-friction areas on your fingers and palms. This highly flexible tape protects your skin from the handle while stretching just enough to let your hand move naturally as you rotate the oar.
- Athletic Support With Zinc Oxide: When you need absolute rigidity and joint stability. The powerful, water-resistant zinc oxide adhesive locks down your wrists for heavy, repetitive strokes, or securely wraps over an existing torn water blister so you can finish your piece without bleeding on the handle.
- Pre-Cut Thumb Tape: Stop ripping tape with your teeth while sitting in the boat. These perfectly sized strips give you instant, hassle-free protection for the inside of your thumb, which takes the brunt of the pressure when pushing the oar away during the recovery.
- Pre-Cut Finger Tape: Ideal for protecting individual digits from handle drag. If you consistently build up calluses or blisters on your middle or ring fingers from sweep rowing or sculling, these pre-cut strips slide right on to absorb the friction before a blister can form.
| Tape Type | Use Case | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Cut Finger Tape (1”x 4” Strips) | Tape a single digit or joint on finger | Support and protection for a specific finger/joint; has stretch | Doesn't offer rigid support like Support Tape |
| Athletic Support Tape (Rolls) | Buddy taping for injured fingers | Easily rips all ways for versatile support and application | No stretch |
| Athletic Compression and Stretch Tape (Rolls) | Larger joints like wrist, elbows where slight compression is desired | Stretches for maximum comfort, flexibility and easy application | Less support for joint stability |
| Pre-Cut Thumb Tape (2” x 6” Strips) | Hook grip, thumb sprain, full thumb support and coverage | Protects entire thumb and joint | Doesn't offer rigid support like Support Tape |
Avoid the ugliness of unmanaged Callus
Manage your callus
The Callus Score
Use our specialized products to avoid this. The Callus Score is a perfect tool to keep your Callus just the right size and thickness
Prevention
Callus Tape
Any one of our 4 performance athletic tapes would hep avoid this. especially when paired with our other callus removal and healing products
Heal your callus
The Callus Salve
The healing salve effectively moisturizes your skin and callus. avoiding rips. speeding up healing and preventing dry broken skin.
